Scuba
Diving Jardines de la Reina
(The Queen’s Gardens)
For
sure the Queen’s Gardens (Los Jardines de la Reina)
are one of the best places in the world for diving and for
unforgettable dives with the sharks!!!
A
chain of 250 virgin coral island, unsettled without any hotel-building
and without any street or village. Situated 60 miles offshore,
stretching for over 75 miles, and at times some 20 miles wide,
the area was recently declared the largest Marine Park of
the entire Caribbean area. Access is very restricted, and
commercial fishing has been banned from all but the outermost
extremes of the Park. Jucaro is the boarding point, a small
village with old fashion houses and 2.000 inhabitants
Aside
from stunning variety of marine life, the above surface flora
and fauna is fascinating. Bird varieties commonly seen includes
ospreys, pelicans, frigate birds, spoonbills, and many different
sorts of heron and egret – to name a few. The only mammal
is the “Jutia” while reptiles are represented
by a large population of iguanas. The flora is mainly palm
trees, differing forms of Caribbean pine trees, sea grapes
and the ever present mangroves.
However,
like so much of the Caribbean, the real beauty is below the
surface. Besides the extensive flats there is a chain of coral
reefs very close to the southern shore of the Archipelago,
where undisturbed and undamaged coral abounds.
60
miles south of the mainland of Cuba and 80 miles north of
Cayman Brac is a 75 mile long mangrove and coral island system
forming what some people say is the third longest barrier
reef in the world. It’s a 2.400 square miles Marine
Park. There is NO COMMERCIAL FISHING in the Park and the number
of inhabitants is ZERO.
Imagine
a Marine WILDERNESS with walls covered with brightly hued
sponges and corals plunging well below the limits of safe
diving to shallow reefs filled with both schooling and solitary
fish and wrecks (even some Old Spanish galleons from 17th
century.)
The
mangroves provide an incredible nursery for the smaller fish
which in turn provide the reef with huge schools of baitfish.
This has provided a home to a prolific number of LARGE fish
(we think more than anywhere else in the Caribbean) . Shark
rodeos and hand feeding 200-400 LB Jewfish are an everyday
experience. Sharks are one of the main attractions and are
every-where.
You
can easily dive weekly with 5 different species of Carcarinus:
Silky, Caribbean Reef, Lemon, Black Tip, Nurse, and you ha
chances to dive also with Whale Sharks and Hammerhead Sharks.
Avalon Diving Center is the only operation allowed by law
in this entire area, and hosts no more than 300 divers a year.
Certainly, it is one of the last virgin reefs known to man.
80 dive sites are currently available, scattered over the
entire perimeter of Los Jardines de la reina. Dive sites are
well protected from the winds and sea currents. Our dive centre
is well equipped with new compressors, tanks and weights,
and two big dive boats.
Accommodations
La Tortuga
Provides 7 cabins, each with
their own shower, toilet and air-conditioning facilities. Staffed
by Cubans but run by two Italians managers, the floating resort
has also good communication with the outside world, including
a satellite telephone and internet.
Halcon
6 cabins, 3 bathrooms cold-hot
water, air conditioning. The crew is made up of 3 person and
a professional cook.
Halcon gives the possibility to reach the
diving sites in a few minutes by boat, and allows to live at
close contact with a still wild nature, without having to give
up all the comforts that a hotel can guarantee. It is 75 feet
long.
Caballones
The Caballones is a new very comfortable yacht, fully refurbished at the end of 2006 75 feet in length, all rooms have air conditioning, 4 double rooms (one has a queen bed for a couple) and 4 bathrooms, a large upper deck where meals are usually served from a "on show " cuisine! Showers with hot water makes life comfortable thanks to a new water system. The professional cook on Caballones does a wonderful job with meals.
La Reina
You can also admire this
wonderful Marine Park cruising aboard of the Explorador, 65
feet long, 4 cabins, 4 bathrooms, cold/hot water, A/C.
Both solutions give the freedom of exploring the Archipelago
and are great for groups for an exclusive experience.
Food
concentrates on local fish and shellfish, together with fruit,
pasta and rice. Beverages available on board include mineral
water, various soft drinks, beer, wine and, of course, rum.
Diving
Center - Avalón
Marinas Puertosol
Hotel Flotante “Tortuga”,
Venezuela Ciego de Ávila,
Cuba
Phone: (53 33) 9-8104
