Cayo Coco is a large island off the north coast of Cuba, connected to the mainland by a 27-kilometre causeway (pedraplén) across the shallow waters of the Bay of Dogs. Together with neighbouring Cayo Guillermo, it forms one of Cuba's main beach resort areas — long stretches of white sand, warm turquoise water, and all-inclusive hotels set among mangroves and scrubby vegetation.
The beaches are the draw. Playa Larga and Playa Las Coloradas on Cayo Coco, and Playa Pilar on Cayo Guillermo, consistently rank among the finest in Cuba. The sand is white, the water is shallow and warm, and the coral reef offshore offers decent snorkelling. Flamingos wade in the lagoons behind the hotels — the island's name comes from the white ibis (coco bird) that nests here.
This is resort Cuba rather than real Cuba. The causeways are gated and Cubans without work permits are not allowed onto the keys, which gives the islands an oddly sanitised feel. For a taste of actual Cuban life, the colonial town of Morón on the mainland is worth a day trip.