The lighthouse
An iron tower among palms.
Matthias Bethke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Matthias Bethke — CC BY-SA 4.0 · kuhnmi — CC BY 2.0 · Ji-Elle — CC BY-SA 4.0 · kuhnmi — CC BY 2.0
Cayo Jutías is a small island off Cuba's northwest coast, about 4 square kilometres in the Colorados archipelago. It lies in the municipality of Minas de Matahambre in Pinar del Río province, about 33 km in a straight line from the Viñales Valley. A stone causeway branching off the Mantua–Santa Lucía road links the island to the mainland, so today it feels joined to the shore. A thin, curving spit shaped like a boomerang wraps around its northwest side, and along that spit runs the soft white-sand beach the island is known for. The water is clear, shallow and turquoise, with mangroves and bleached driftwood rising from it, and an iron skeleton lighthouse stands on the shore among palms. The sand stretches far under clear skies, and the place is quiet most days. Facilities are few, so bring water, shade and sunscreen. The road there passes through rural villages, so allow time for the drive from Viñales. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Cuba because of fuel, power and water shortages, so read the current advice before you plan.
An iron tower among palms.
Clear and turquoise.
Trees and driftwood.
Minas de Matahambre, Pinar del Río, Cuba
By car over a stone causeway from the mainland.
Few, so bring what you need.