[The purpose of this placemark is to tie all the other placemarks together. It does not pinpoint a location that is more notable than the others and has been placed at random.]

Cayo Largo is a long, narrow island located 80 kilometers south of the western end of Cuba. It stretches about 25 kilometers east to west and about 3 kilometers north to south. Most of the island is undeveloped, and there are no permanent residents. Flights to the island are available from Havana and some other points in the Caribbean. There are few roads on the island, and visitors get around by taxi, beach shuttle or by renting a Jeep or scooter.

Cayo Largo was not developed as a tourist destination until the 80's. Before that, it was uninhabited, so there is no history or local culture to speak of. It remains a quiet, low-key place, lacking fancy shopping or nightlife. There are two kinds of tourists you will not find here: Cubans and Americans. The Cuban government does not permit its citizens to travel to Cayo Largo as tourists. The only Cubans on the island are hotel or service industry employees. Of course, the United States does not, sadly, allow its citizens to visit any part of Cuba, so any Americans that visit Cayo Largo have to jump through considerable hoops to circumvent the law and arrange travel through foreign agencies and airlines. Cayo Largo is, however, quite popular with Canadians and also draws quite a few Europeans, especially Italians. (One of the island's resorts, Villa Lindamar, currently books exclusively through an Italian agency.)

While nude bathing is not part of Cuban culture, things are very different at Cayo Largo, which is not all that Cuban, really. This is the only known place in Cuba where the government has allowed a nude beach culture to flourish. It has been good for tourism.

There are no beach areas where nudity is officially permitted or not permitted, nor is there any signage. Very generally speaking, an unwritten rule is that swimsuits are worn at the developed beaches and optional elsewhere on the beach, and those who do not wish to encounter nudists quickly learn not to stray too far from the beach umbrellas at any given location. Wherever your are on Cayo Largo, you are not far from an area where nudity is acceptable.

The southern shore of Cayo Largo is divided into seven beaches (all of which are pinpointed). At the far west of the island are Playa SIrena, Playa Paraiso and Playa Punta Mal Tiempo. These three contiguous beaches face west. Of all the beaches on Cayo Largo, Sirena is the least likely to have nude bathers. It is too crowded with day-tripping tourists who arrive via mainland Cuba. South of Sirena is Paraiso, a quieter beach. Textiles gather near the cabana bar, but nudity is acceptable on either end. South of Paraiso is Punta Mal Tiempo. This beach is totally undeveloped and considered totally clothing optional.

Playa Lindamar is the western part of the island's south-facing shoreline, and it is located south of the airport. All seven of the island's resort hotels are located along this stretch of about 4 to 5 kilometers. Nudity is acceptable at intervals along the beach, generally between the resorts, although nudity is acceptable along the beachfronts of two of the resorts. The other placemarks have more details. None of the seven resorts are naturist per se. Nudity is limited to the beach.

Barceló is the easternmost resort on Playa Lindamar. Starting just east of the resort, nudity is acceptable as far east as you can go—which is about 15 kilometers. This wild and undeveloped beach is nominally divided into three stretches—Playa Blanca, Playa Los Cocos and Playa Tortuga—but it is all the same beach.

If you are considering a visit to Cayo Largo, the website below is essential reading. This is not an official tourist website but rather the individual effort of a Montréal woman to promote the island she loves. Her excellent website is actually far more informative than most official websites and includes a section about naturism.

WEBSITE (unofficial)

VISUAL RESOURCES

GPS: 21.6226, -81.4715

city, country  Cayo Largo, Cuba

classification  1 (freely nude)

There are 23 placemarks related to this site.