Welcome to Cayo Guillermo

Sparsely inhabited in the early years by fishermen and charcoal producers, Cayo Guillermo gained fame in the 1960s with deep-sea fishermen, one of whom happened to be Ernest Hemingway. The Cay is part of the Biosphere Reserve, an area formerly baptised by the Spanish as Jardines del Rey (King’s Gardens), for its natural treasures, off central Cuba. It’s known for its clear, shallow coastal waters, towering sand dunes and beaches like Playa Pilar, selected among the 25 best beaches in the world. The beach is named after Ernest Hemingway’s yacht, the cabin cruiser Pilar. A little-known fact, the island provides the setting for the climax of Hemingway’s last novel, “Islands in the Stream” ...