Cayo Coco is the better known of the two cays, probably due to its earlier development. The best-known Cayo Coco beaches are Playa Larga and Playa Colorada; Playa Los Flamencos, a few kilometers west, is a slightly more isolated and quieter beach, and beyond this is Playa Prohibida. Together, they're among the most stellar beaches to be found in all of Cuba. In the interior of the cay are lagoons and marshlands, havens for the local bird and animal populations.
Cayo Guillermo is connected to Cayo Coco by a 15km (9-mile) pedraplén. Cayo Guillermo beaches (Playa El Paso, Playa del Medio, and Playa Larga) are every bit as spectacular as those on Cayo Coco; in fact, at low tide, the crystal-clear waters are so shallow that you can comfortably wade out several hundred meters, making them preferable to the beaches on Cayo Coco for many guests. The landscape is very similar to Cayo Coco, but Guillermo boasts the most spectacular beach of either cay, and perhaps the entire northern coastline: Playa Pilar, long ago explored by Ernest Hemingway and today a popular day trip for hotel guests on both cays.
