Scuba diving holidays in Jardines de la Reina

At Jardines de la Reina, an almost virginal archipelago of 250 virgin coral islands, some 60 miles into the Caribbean Sea off the South-Western coast of Cuba, await the discerning diver!

A National Marine Reserve, with access restricted to only 700 divers per annum, this really is a completely undeveloped natural wilderness. With 75 miles of mangrove fringed coral islands, this is truly one of the last untouched reef systems in the diving world.

And it is undoubtedly one of the very best shark-diving destinations there is!

The mangroves provide the perfect nursery for juvenile marine life, and their predators – all the way up the food chain from bait fish to 400 lb Jewfish and sharks a-plenty! Sharks are in abundance here – every dive will put you in close proximity to numerous black tipped reef sharks, white tipped reef sharks, silky sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, lemon sharks and even the rarest of beasts, the elusive hammerhead shark! Whale sharks are also commonly sighted throughout October, November and December.. Nurse sharks lie in the sands too, and despite the plethora of predatory giants, marine life packs the coral reefs absolutely everywhere you look! October to May are the very best times to dive here, with visibility exceeding 50 metres – yes, you read right, 50 metres!

June through September offers a different experience too – the sharks remain, but the food supply doubles and doubles again! This is the time of year that reproduction reaches its peak, with the corals spawning simultaneously! Schooling tarpon, tuna, snapper and bonefish swarm along the walls, and the numbers of sharks seen on every dive will exceed 30...a thrilling experience not to be missed!

Stunning corals, unspoilt and undisturbed by the large numbers of divers and tourists found elsewhere, are left to flourish in their natural habitat, and sponges and soft corals are also like nothing else you have seen before.

Obviously this is a underwater photographers paradise, and the lazy days are made up of diving, eating, sleeping, or going ashore to your own desert island to soak up the sun, spark up the barbecue on the beach, and capture those land images too – birds of numerous rare species flock here, and the large iguanas will happily pose for you!

And the best thing of it all? The 6-night, 7 day safari itineraries are perfect for ‘twinning’ your dive holiday with another resort on the fascinating island of Cuba – take the ‘must-do’ chance to see Havana, dive the wrecks in Varadero, or take in Cayo Largo, a beautiful island in the Caribbean Sea famous for its turtles and schooling eagle rays. Or even consider one of the other numerous Cayos for stunning beaches and more top quality diving. Just ask us, and we will deliver!

Accommodation here is based on 4 live-aboard vessels (Avalon Fleet 1, Caballones, La Reina and Halcon) and the floating hotel, La Tortuga.