Hicacos Peninsula

The Hicacos Peninsula is a peninsula on Cuba's northern shore, in the province of Matanzas. The resort town of Varadero is located on the peninsula. The name comes from a species of cactus.

Geography

It is located between the Bay of Cárdenas and the Nicholas Channel of the Atlantic Ocean, and its extremity constitutes the northernmost point of the island of Cuba. It has a length of and a width varying between and.
The cays developed offshore, such as Cayo Piedras and Cayo Cruz del Padre are the westernmost part of the Sabana-Camaguey Archipelago.
The Kawama navigation channel was opened between the Bay of Cardenas and the northern shore, to allow faster transit of ships from the port of Cárdenas to the northern shore, making a bridge the only access to the peninsula. The highway that crosses it and runs the length of Hicacos is the northern extremity of the Via Blanca highway, and it provides access to the resorts and marina located on the northern end.

Tourism

The white sand beaches that line the northern shore lead to the development of the resort town of Varadero close to the mainland, while the further end is lined with all-inclusive resorts. The Josone Park sits between the two areas. A small marina and a dolphinarium are located on the southeastern shore. The Hicacos Point Natural Park is a ecological preserve established in 1974 on the northeastern tip. It contains the long Cave of Ambrosio, Mangón Lake and the ruins of the La Calavera Salt Works, one of the first salt works to be constructed by the Spanish in the New World.