Cayo Icacos facts for kids
![]() Cayo Icacos
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Geography | |
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Location | Caribbean Sea |
Coordinates | 18°23′11″N 65°35′20″W / 18.38639°N 65.58889°W |
Archipelago | Puerto Rico Archipielago |
Commonwealth | Puerto Rico |
Municipality | Fajardo |
Barrio | Cabezas |
Cayo Icacos is a beautiful, small island near Fajardo, Puerto Rico. It's a special place because no one lives there, making it a perfect spot for nature lovers. This island is part of a protected area called the Cordillera Keys Nature Reserve. It is managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment.
Visiting Cayo Icacos
It's super easy to visit Cayo Icacos! You can take a quick 15-minute boat ride, often called a water taxi, from Fajardo. Because it's so easy to reach, Cayo Icacos is a very popular place for tourists. Many people come here to enjoy the clear waters and beautiful scenery.
Fun Activities
Cayo Icacos is famous for its amazing snorkeling. The waters around the island are clear, so you can see lots of colorful fish and marine life. It's a great place to swim, relax on the beach, and enjoy the sunny Caribbean weather.
Island History
Even though Cayo Icacos is uninhabited now, it wasn't always just a natural escape. For some time, there was a special operation on the southern part of the island.
Limestone Quarry
Years ago, there was a limestone quarry on Cayo Icacos. A quarry is a place where people dig up rocks and minerals from the ground. At this quarry, they dug for limestone, which is a type of rock used in many things, like building materials. To move the limestone from the quarry to the pier (a dock for boats), they even had a short railroad system. This shows how the island was once used for industrial purposes before becoming a nature reserve.
See also
In Spanish: Icacos para niños