Playa Santa Lucia, Cuba

Santa Lucia Beach is on the northern coast of Camaguey Province, in the east-central part of Cuba, around 338 miles (545 km) from Havana. By air, you land at Ignacio Agramonte International Airport, which serves the city of Camaguey, 68 miles (110 km) southeast of Santa Lucia, where there is an airport for small planes. By land, the region is linked to the rest of the country by road (the Central Highway) and by rail. Santa Lucia has 13 miles (21 km) of wide, white-golden sandy beaches bathed by warm turquoise water that is always calm, thanks to an extensive coral reef. This reef is the longest one of its kind in the western hemisphere. In one area which has 35 scuba-diving sites, you can see ridges nearly 33 feet (10 m) high, and the wealth of underwater flora and fauna is complemented with many sunken ships-some of them dating from the 19th century. Inland, the El Real Lake is an excellent place for seeing flocks of Roseate Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber) and other water birds. Santa Lucia is a tourist resort with enormous potential which is being developed in harmony with its gorgeous natural surroundings.