Fodor's Expert Review Cayo Guillermo

The island's beaches are narrow but still captivating. The ocean in front of them is so shallow that you can wade out more than 90 meters (290 feet). Its nicest beach is Playa Pilar, which was named after Hemingway's old fishing boat. Stretching along the key's northwest end, this beach is backed by 20-meter (66-foot) dunes and overlooks Cayo Media Luna, an islet where dictator Fulgencio Batista once had a vacation home. Cayo Guillermo has excellent skin diving, with 37 dive spots nearby.