Los Colorados Archipelago (, also called Archipiélago de Santa Isabel and Archipiélago de Guaniguanico) is a chain of isles and cays on Cuba's north-western coast. A coral reef extending at least the length of the archipelago separates it from the Gulf of Mexico.
Geography The archipelago is approximately long and is composed of 160 small cays, including Cayo Levisa, Cayo Arenas, Cayo Jutias, Punta Tabaco, Cabezo Seco, Cayo Paraiso, Cayo Buenavista, Banco Sancho Pardo, Cayo Rapado Grande, and Cayo Alacranes. It is located off the northern coast of Pinar del Río Province, facing the Gulf of Mexico, between Honda Bay (north of the community of Bahia Honda) and Cape San Antonio on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula. It is divided into two sections: western and east.
A barrier coral reef to its north, long, extends the entire length of the archipelago, separating it from the Gulf of Mexico. The channel between the two is navigable throughout.
Reef The reef covers an area of . It is relatively healthy due to its isolated location and the low population of coastal communities.
Stephanocoenia intersepta is the most abundant coral species, which is not the case of any other known Cuban reef.
Economic activity The sea surrounding the sparsely populated islands is used mainly for fishing, with commercial catches of lobsters, sponges, oysters, red snapper and tuna. Small fishing vessels targeting snappers, groupers and jacks present a danger of overfishing.
Tourism is also developing on cays such as Cayo Levisa, where white sand beaches, snorkeling and diving sites attract tourists.
Conservation In 2022, Cuba made the Este del Archipiélago de Los Colorados (East Los Colorados Archipelago) a Marine Protected Area (MPA), "of vibrant mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and climate-resilient corals - plus spawning sites for several economically important species of groupers and mutton, cubera, and gray snappers", as well as the endangered hawksbill sea turtle. Fishing is prohibited in a section of the MPA called the Corona San Carlos Wildlife Refuge, with an area of .
Table of major islands Island Capital More islands Area(km2, Census 2012) Population(Census 2012)Banco Sancho Pardo 0.1 0 Cayo Alacranes Punta CasiguasMedano, Punta Alcaranes4.4 0 Cayo Buenavista Punta Del OestePunta del este14.9 0 Cayo Ines de Soto PlayuelasLa Pasa de la legua, Punta Brava, cayo redondo, Cayo Legua, cayo Pescador, Punta Hicacel, Cayo Prieto, Punta Boquerones6.23 0 Cayo Jutías Playa Santa Lucia4 0 Cayo Levisa Cayo LevisaPunta Bailarina, Playa Sur2.5 5 Cayo Rapado Grande Playa CedroPunta Vinagrera, Punta Remagillal, Punta Perche, La Playita5.47 0 Cayos Punta Tabaco Cayo diegoCayo De Limones2.21 0Other islands Cayo Curoita Cayo Catalanes, Cayo Dios, Cayo Arenas, Cayo Cabezo Seco, Cayo Paraiso3.4 0 Colorados Archipelagopueblo Cayo Levisa Cayo Jutias43.35
See also Geography of Cuba Antilles
References