Destinations >> Cayos Miskitos

The Miskito Cays are a true paradise in the Caribbean, consisting of small islands with white sand beaches and plentiful coconut trees.

These cays provide protection for wildlife because the sea around them has coral reefs and submarine feeding areas that are refuge for the manatees and marine turtles.

In the Caribbean Sea, from Cape Gracias a Dios to Puerto Cabezas, there is a 120 kilometer (75 mile) length of islands, sandbars and coral formations, which became part of the Miskito Cays Biological Reserve on November 30, 1991.

This Reserve is located 77 kilometers (48 miles) from Puerto Cabezas. It protects coral reefs, marine feeding areas, marine turtles, manatees and other wildlife. The largest cay – called Big Cay by the local residents – is to the northeast and has an area of 37 km2 (14 mi2). It is the only grassy cay; mangroves are the dominant vegetation on the rest of the small islands.

It is also the only cay with potable water. There is a belief, among those that fish there, that Big Cay is inhabited by the ghosts of the pirates that wreaked destruction on the Atlantic Coast several centuries ago. For this reason, no one sleeps on Big Cay, it is only visited during the day.