GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Located on an island called Cayo Guillermo, to the north of Ciego de Avila province. Of easy access by land through a causeway, 12.4 miles (20 km) away from the Cayo Coco airport and 62 miles (100 km) from the city of Moron. In 1514, Governor Diego Velázquez named this group of keys Jardines del Rey (King's Gardens) in honor of Ferdinand the Catholic of Spain. Since the 1990s, they have been one of Cuba's major tourist destinations, and Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo have become world-famous among sun-lovers and beach buffs. The flora and fauna on the islets are protected. The Jardines del Rey Archipelago lies just off the northern coast of the eastern provinces of Ciego de Ávila and is part of the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, the longest of the four archipelagos near the island of Cuba and the one with more than 2,500 keys and islets. Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, two of the jewels in this necklace of islands, have a great natural beauty. Here, the comfort of the modern world has been added carefully to complement and protect the environment. Paredón Grande (Big Wall) – the smallest of these keys, but in no way inferior to the others – is about to be developed for tourism. The attraction that the Jardines del Rey Archipelago has for tourists is reinforced by exceptionally beautiful natural components: its wealth of birds (over 200 species live in the area) and the high degree of preservation of its sea and land ecosystems.