11 Best Sights in Central Cuba, Cuba

The island was named for the white ibis, a pale wader called the coco in Cuba, but its mangroves and sandy shallows attract dozens of species, including flamingo (which gather by the hundreds in the shallow bay to the south), roseate spoonbill, tricolor heron, and reddish egret. The island's roughly 90 indigenous bird species are joined by another 120 migrants between November and April, and its forests are also home to everything from wild pig to anole lizard.

Despite its varied wildlife, most people visit Cayo Coco for its swaths of sugary sand shaded by coconut palms and washed by cerulean sea—the stuff of travel posters in Toronto storefronts or the daydreams of snowbound accountants. Nine beaches run for a total of 21 km (12 miles) along the northern coast, and only two of them have hotels. The most spectacular beaches are Playa Flamingo, with its extensive sandbars, and nearby Playa Prohibida (Forbidden Beach)—a protected area backed by dunes covered with scrubby native palms.

The island's beaches are narrow but still captivating. The ocean in front of them is so shallow that you can wade out more than 90 meters (290 feet). Its nicest beach is Playa Pilar, which was named after Hemingway's old fishing boat. Stretching along the key's northwest end, this beach is backed by 20-meter (66-foot) dunes and overlooks Cayo Media Luna, an islet where dictator Fulgencio Batista once had a vacation home. Cayo Guillermo has excellent skin diving, with 37 dive spots nearby.

Sandwiched between the Bahía de Casilda and the sea is the peninsula's most appealing beach, with more than a mile of beige sand sloping into aquamarine water. The large Club Amigo Ancón and Brisas Trinidad del Mar hotels front this strand. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; toilets. Best for: sunset; swimming; walking.

The so-called "Englishman's Beach" has pale sand and is lined with sea-grape trees; it's the essence of tranquillity. The beach is visited almost exclusively by Cubans, who come on weekends and stay in rustic bungalows or camp; during the week, it's deserted. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; toilets. Best for: solitude; sunset; swimming; walking

If you desire a wider—and perhaps even whiter—beach than Playa Santa Lucía, you can drive or take a taxi 4 km (2 mile) west to Playa los Cocos, next to the fishing village of La Boca. This idyllic swath of sun-bleached silica slopes into aquamarine waters at the mouth of the Bahía de Nuevitas, and is shaded by abundant cocos (coconut palms), hence its name. The lagoon behind La Boca is a feeding area for flamingos, which you may be able to spot on your way there. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; sunrise.

The first beach on the peninsula is a short strand shaded by a few palm trees and cropped by rocky points. The ocean is littered with coral boulders, part of a colorful reef that wraps around the point to the east, making this the peninsula's best snorkeling beach. Amenities: food and drink; parking; water sports. Best for: solitude; snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking.

The coast southeast of Cienfuegos has several nice beaches, the nearest of which is the public Playa Rancho Luna, a pale crescent flanked by rocky points 18 km (11 miles) southeast of town. All go by the name "Rancho Luna." It has various hotels, the largest of which is the Club Amigo Rancho Luna. An extensive coral reef wraps around the point directly to the west—you can rent snorkeling equipment at the Faro Luna Diving Center there. A smaller beach, also called Rancho Luna, lies just around the point to the east. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking; showers; water sports. Best for: snorkeling; sunset; swimming; walking.