Diving in Cuba
Gardens of the Queen — silky and Caribbean reef sharks, crocodiles in the mangroves, untouched reef
1 yacht for liveaboard diving
Diving in Cuba — Gardens of the Queen: silky and Caribbean reef sharks, crocodiles in the mangroves, María la Gorda. Liveaboard schedules and prices.
Why divers come here
- Jardines de la Reina — a protected marine park since 1996, no commercial fishing
- Silky sharks circling at the surface during the safety stop
- Caribbean reef sharks on the majority of dives
- Guided snorkelling with American crocodiles in the mangrove lagoons
- Goliath grouper over 100 kg that approach divers closely
- María la Gorda and Punta Francés — walls, caves and black coral
What you'll meet underwater
Silky sharks (near the surface, year-round)
Caribbean reef sharks
Nurse sharks
American crocodile in the mangroves
Goliath grouper
West Indian manatees and green turtles
Tarpon and schooling snapper
Angelfish, parrotfish and moray eels
Photos: credits and licences
- Silky sharks (near the surface, year-round) — Alex Chernikh, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Caribbean reef sharks — Albert Kok3, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nurse sharks — Wikimedia Commons, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- American crocodile in the mangroves — Tomás Castelazo, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Goliath grouper — Albert kok, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- West Indian manatees and green turtles — Galen Rathbun, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Tarpon and schooling snapper — Kris Mikael Krister, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Angelfish, parrotfish and moray eels — LASZLO ILYES from Cleveland, Ohio, USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Practical information
- Best season
November–April (dry season, calm seas), December–February for peak shark action
- Water temperature
- 24–29 °C
- Visibility
- 20–40 m
- Wetsuit
3 mm in summer, 5 mm in winter and for repetitive diving
- Experience level
Open Water and above; Advanced recommended for the walls and deeper sites
- Getting there
Fly to Havana (HAV) via Europe or Istanbul, then a 6–8 hour transfer to the port of Júcaro, where liveaboards depart for Jardines de la Reina.
María la Gorda is a 5–6 hour drive from Havana
Isla de la Juventud is reached by a short flight to Nueva Gerona (GER).
- Airports
Havana (HAV), Camagüey (CMW), Cayo Largo (CYO), Nueva Gerona (GER)
- Visa
Most visitors need a tourist card (visa) obtained before travel
several nationalities, including Russian citizens, enter visa-free for up to 90 days.
Valid medical insurance and the online D'Viajeros traveller declaration (filed within 72 hours of departure) are required for everyone.
- Climate
- Tropical, 22–32°C, rainy season May–October
- Currency
Cuban peso (CUP); euros and US dollars widely used by visitors
- Language
- Spanish
- Time zone
- UTC-5
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