Cuba has a rich history of pirates. This island was previously known as Isla de los Piratas (Pirates Island) or Isla del Tesoro (Treasure Island) and has a very colorful history. It was discovered by Christopher Columbus on his second voyage through the new world, but it was ignored due to its rocky shoreline. Which is probably why the pirates liked it so much! People like Francis Drake, Henry Morgan, John Hawkins, and John Rackham, among others, ran their thriving businesses from there until the mid-19th century. This is also the island that inspired the book Treasure Island by Robert Luis Stevenson.
You would have thought that for such a small island, a place could have so much history! But you will often find this with places in Cuba …
There is not much else to do on Isla de la Juventud besides diving and snorkelling. The island is home to the Punta Frances National Marine Park, which is a haven of caves, walls, canyons, shipwrecks, healthy corals, and tons of fish.
Fans of wall diving will be impressed with the descents here. The walls are lined with tunnels and corridors to explore and the reef is covered in sponges and different corals. Marine life includes turtles, rays, sometimes a nurse shark, and fish like barracuda, grunts, snappers, swordfish, triggers, and macro things like small crabs and shrimp.
With over 50 dive sites around the island, there is so much to see!
Places like Black Coral Wall with loads of black coral at 30 meters and magnificent corals along the walls. Or the amazing Blue Cave with its interesting shades of blue in the hole around 40 meters and Los Indios is a rocky wall with a sandy plateau with huge schools of fish and rays chilling in the sand. But wait, there’s more …
The Jibacoa and Sparta wrecks are in shallow waters and are ideal for any diver to enjoy. They used to be used for military target practice, but now divers can enjoy the boats. It is possible to enter the wrecks but an excellent buoyancy is necessary so as not to damage the delicate life that grows in them Diving in Isla de Juventud
And since you would be thirsty after so much diving, you can enjoy incredible sunsets and mojitos on land after the day discovering marine life.