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Diving

Isla de la Juventud

On its Southern coast, surrounded by the most pure Caribbean Sea, there are coral reefs of incredible beauty, with wonderful landscapes, and on the Western part you can find a breath-taking paradise in the Punta Frances Marine National Park.

El Colony diving zone is located within the limits of this Park, comprising 6 km. (4 miles) of coast, between Punta Pedernales and Punta Frances, this zone is very well protected with a remarkable environmental stability, thus having an exuberant reef development.

There are 56 attractive diving sites, some of them in areas of dense and colorful populations of corals, gorgonians and sponges. Others are located where the drop-off falls sharply, also more than 20 caves, passages and tunnels, coral hillocks and valleys are included.

The kind of fish varies from  one site to another, so we can find schools of tarpons, spadefish, jacks, grunts, schoolmasters and yellowtail snappers. Nassau groupers, black groupers and barracudas are frequently found, also there are turtles, eagle rays and sometimes sharks. Among the most spectacular sites you can find are: Pared de Coral Negro, Tunel del Amor, Cueva Azul, El Pasaje Escondido, Cueva de los Sabalos, Piedra de Coral, EL Salto, Ancla del  Pirata, Paraiso de las Levisas and Pequeno Reino.

Others diving zone are Los Barcos Hundidos, which are remains of sunken ships scattered on an extensive are between 6 and 9 meters (20 or 30 feet) deep, with many school of fish, including barracudas and stingrays, and a numerous sessile fauna attached to the ships. Los Indios, known for its vertical walls and big coral hillocks with sand beds, and   Fuera de Limite, a peculiar place where the coral reef grows from the coast and falls into 15 meters (49 feet) deep, with big rocks full of corals, gorgonians, sponges and many coral fish.

The Diving Center is located on a small Marina in Ensenada de la Siguanea, 24 km. (15 miles) from diving sites, so the typical daily program consists in two morning divings, lunch in a cozy restaurant on the sea, and enjoyment of a near beach between divings.

A multilock hyperbaric chamber is available at the Diving Center. A physician specialized in hyperbaric medicine is ready to provide preventive services and   diving diseases treatment.

El Colony Hotel is the lodging place with 77 air conditioned rooms, bathroom and TV. Restaurants, snack bar, sea bar and night club. Swimming pool, sport areas and wastersports. Medical services. Telephone and international fax: Rent a Car. Horse riding and other activities are available.

There are offered:
- dives for 30 $
- nightdives for 35 $
- a packet of 20 dives for 200 $
- a dive course for beginners with international certification for 175 $
- Courses and competitions on underwater photography

The Hotel Colony offers 77 doble rooms between 42 $ and 94 $ a night depending on season, food and equipement rental.