Jardines del Rey Airport ( Spanish : Aeropuerto de Jardines del Rey ) ( IATA : CCC , ICAO : MUCC ) is an airport situated on the island of Cayo Coco , part of the Cuban province of Ciego de Ávila . It takes its name from the Jardines del Rey archipelago, which includes Cayo Coco. Inaugurated in December 2002, the airport was built to better serve tourists to the island, who previously had to arrive at Máximo Gómez Airport about 70 kilometres (43 mi) to the south. Jardines del Rey Airport is the only airport in Cuba managed in part by a foreign company; Aena and ECASA jointly operate the airport. It receives well over 200,000 passengers per year, most of whom are foreign tourists from Canada .
17-542: In the early 1990s, the Cuban government began to develop the tourism sector in Cayo Coco , and several resorts were constructed. To reach Cayo Coco, tourists had to fly to Máximo Gómez Airport on the mainland and then take a one-hour bus ride to the island. In order to make travel to Cayo Coco more convenient, the Cuban government announced in 1999 that it would build a new airport on the island itself. Environmentalists disapproved of
34-427: A centralized air-conditioning system was installed. Jardines del Rey Airport was able to reopen in early November 2017, in time for the start of the winter tourist season. The terminal is 6,000 square metres (65,000 sq ft) in size and can handle 600 passengers per hour. Its amenities include two VIP lounges, a snack bar, restaurant, duty-free shops and a currency exchange booth. Jardines del Rey Airport has
51-423: A contract with the Cuban government to build and operate the new airport, thus becoming the first foreign entity to manage a Cuban airport. Management is shared with the Cuban company ECASA . The first phase of the project was completed in early 2002, which encompassed the construction of the runway, taxiways, apron , air traffic control tower and a temporary terminal with a capacity for 150 passengers. The airport
68-421: A single runway, 08/26, which measures 3,000 by 45 metres (9,843 ft × 148 ft) and is equipped with an instrument landing system . The apron has three parking spaces and is connected to the runway by two taxiways. Jardines del Rey Airport is much closer to the resorts on Cayo Coco than Máximo Gómez Airport , which previously served the island. A causeway links the airport and the rest of Cayo Coco to
85-445: Is 27 kilometres (17 miles) long and runs across Bahía de Perros ( Bay of Dogs ). It took 16 months to build and required 3 million cubic metres (110 million cubic feet) of stone. The causeway caused concern among environmentalists because it disturbed the tidal flow , thus changing the salinity and temperature of the water. A number of gaps were created in the causeway to restore some water flow. Wild flamingos still live in
102-646: Is a cay of the Jardines del Rey archipelago. It is located on the northern coast of Cuba , between the Bay of Dogs ( Bahia de Perros ) and the Atlantic Ocean . It is part of the Ciego de Ávila Province , and lies in the Morón municipality. Sparsely inhabited in early years by fishermen and charcoal producers, the island gained fame in the 1960s with deep sea fishermen. The first resort
119-928: Is a popular tourist destination. One of the country's best beaches, the Playa Pilar (Pilar Beach) is located at the western end of Cayo Guillermo. This beach is named after Ernest Hemingway 's yacht, the cabin cruiser Pilar . The island provides the setting for the climax of Hemingway's last novel Islands in the Stream As of 2022, there are 10 hotels in Cayo Guillermo: Cayo Guillermo Resort Kempinski, Gran Muthu Imperial, Gran Muthu Rainbow Hotel, Grand Muthu Cayo Guillermo, Hotel Camino del Mar (formerly Melia Cayo Guillermo), Hotel Vigia (formerly Sol Cayo Guillermo), Iberostar Daiquiri, Iberostar Selection Playa Pilar, Islazul Villa Gregorio, and Starfish Cayo Guillermo (formerly Villa Cojimar). Access to
136-409: The Morón municipality, has a surface area of 370 km , and is named after the white ibis , locally called coco (coconut) birds . The island is known for its long beaches and many resort hotels. Used as a hideout by buccaneers in the early colonial period, the island was home to a small settlement of fishermen and charcoal producers until 1955, when the freshwater supply was exhausted and
153-406: The Cuban mainland. [REDACTED] Media related to Jardines del Rey Airport at Wikimedia Commons Cayo Coco Cayo Coco ( Cays ) or ( The Keys) is an island on the north coast of central Cuba , known for its all-inclusive resorts . It lies within the Ciego de Ávila Province and is part of a chain of islands called Jardines del Rey ( King's Gardens ). The cay is administered by
170-550: The construction of the Jardines del Rey Airport, tourist flights for area resorts landed at the Máximo Gómez Airport (Aeropuerto Máximo Gómez; airport codes IATA: AVI, ICAO: MUCA) near Morón on the Cuban mainland. Thomas Cook Group was a major tour operator for Cayo Coco, transporting holidaymakers from Manchester , Glasgow and London Gatwick from 2007, until its collapse in 2019. Cayo Guillermo Cayo Guillermo
187-488: The enormous coral reef off the north coast attracts divers from around the world. The island has its own international airport, the Jardines del Rey Airport (Aeropuerto Jardines del Rey; airport codes IATA: CCC, ICAO: MUCC). Since 2005, tourists can fly directly in to the airport on Cayo Coco. An earlier airport, the Cayo Coco Airport has been reclaimed as a small natural park called Parque Natural El Baga. Prior to
SECTION 10
#1733085803163204-558: The market for charcoal ended with the spread of electrification after the Cuban Revolution . A causeway connecting the island to the Cuban mainland opened on July 26, 1988, and resort construction began. The first resort, Guitart Cayo Coco (now the Hotel Colonial Cayo Coco), opened in 1993. The Cuban exile group Alpha 66 attacked the resort with machine guns in 1994 and 1995, but there were no injuries. Cayo Coco and
221-562: The neighboring Cayo Guillermo provided settings for Ernest Hemingway 's Islands in the Stream and The Old Man and the Sea . On September 9, 2017, Cayo Coco was hit by Hurricane Irma , causing devastation to the strip of hotels that it hosts, including the Jardines Del Rey Airport and the nearby towns of Ciego de Ávila , and Morón The causeway linking Cayo Coco to the mainland
238-482: The shallow waters of the bay and can often be seen from the causeway, albeit less frequently. Two short causeways link Cayo Coco to Cayo Guillermo (to the west) and Cayo Romano (to the east). Still largely wild with swamps and scrubland populated by wild cattle, the islands boast about a dozen large international hotels currently offering approximately 5000 rooms: the Jardines del Rey project plans to eventually offer 32,000 rooms. Beaches are attractive for tourists and
255-461: The site selected for the airport, but the government responded that the site was located in a zone already designated for infrastructure development. Meanwhile, the existing Cayo Coco Airport on the island, situated in a more environmentally sensitive area, would be demolished and reforested. Construction of the airport commenced in January 2000. Later in the year, Spanish airports company Aena signed
272-447: Was built in 1993 in an era described by critics as " tourist apartheid ", as Cuban citizens were not allowed on the island unless they worked at the resorts serving tourists or had other specific permission. However this restriction was lifted after 2000 and Cubans who can afford motor transport often visit Playa Pilar on the island. Many staff who work in the hotels commute from the mainland towns of Morón and Ciego de Avila. The island
289-496: Was officially inaugurated on 26 December 2002 upon the completion of a larger terminal, which brought the airport's annual capacity to 1.2 million passengers. The airport suffered major damage from Hurricane Irma in September 2017. Authorities proceeded with a significant renovation of the terminal, rebuilding the walls with concrete so that they can better withstand such conditions in the future. In addition, new stores were built and
#162837