Cayo Guillermo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cayo Guillermo
Resort island and village
Playa Pilar with the catamaran Ocean Voyager moored off the beach
Cayo Guillermo Location in Cuba
Country	Cuba
Province	Ciego de Ávila
Municipality	Morón
Elevation	4 m (13 ft)
Time zone	UTC-5 (EST)
Area code(s)	+53-43

Cayo Guillermo is a beautiful small island, also called a cay. It's part of a group of islands known as Jardines del Rey, which means "Gardens of the King." You can find it off the northern coast of Cuba, right between the Bay of Dogs (Bahia de Perros) and the big Atlantic Ocean. This island is part of the Ciego de Ávila Province and belongs to the Morón area.

History of Cayo Guillermo

For many years, only a few fishermen and people making charcoal lived on Cayo Guillermo. But in the 1960s, it became famous for deep-sea fishing. The first hotel resort was built here in 1993.

At first, there were special rules. These rules meant that local Cuban people could not visit the island unless they worked at the hotels. Or they needed other special permission. This rule changed after the year 2000. Now, Cubans can visit places like Playa Pilar if they can get there. Many hotel workers travel to the island from nearby towns like Morón and Ciego de Ávila.

Tourism and Beaches

Cayo Guillermo is a very popular place for tourists to visit. It has beautiful beaches and clear waters.

Playa Pilar Beach

One of the best beaches in Cuba is called Playa Pilar (Pilar Beach). It is located on the western side of Cayo Guillermo. This beach got its name from Ernest Hemingway's yacht, which was called Pilar. Ernest Hemingway was a famous writer. Cayo Guillermo is also where the exciting ending of his last novel, Islands in the Stream, takes place.

Hotels on the Island

As of 2022, there are 10 hotels on Cayo Guillermo. These hotels offer many places for visitors to stay. Some of the hotels include:

• Cayo Guillermo Resort Kempinski
• Gran Muthu Imperial
• Gran Muthu Rainbow Hotel
• Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo
• Hotel Camino del Mar
• Hotel Vigia
• Iberostar Daiquiri
• Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar
• Islazul Villa Gregorio
• Starfish Cayo Guillermo

Getting to Cayo Guillermo

There are a few ways to get to Cayo Guillermo. You can fly into the Jardines del Rey Airport (Aeropuerto Jardines del Rey). The airport code is (IATA: CCC, ICAO: MUCC).

You can also drive to the island. There is a long road called a causeway that connects mainland Cuba to Cayo Coco. From Cayo Coco, a second shorter causeway connects to Cayo Guillermo. This links the two islands together.

See also

In Spanish: Cayo Guillermo para niños