Cayo Largo, Cuba

If sun, sand and sea are what you want from an all-inclusive Cuban vacation, Cayo Largo has ‘em all, in spades.

The boomerang-shaped cay is the second largest and easternmost island in the Archipelago de los Canarreos. Just 38 square kilometres in size, it’s a delightful sliver of coral and sugar-white beaches, surrounded by calm turquoise seas and completely divorced from the real world and every-day Cuban life.

The hotels may be just 5 to 10 minutes from the airport but they’re light years from the hassles of modern living. The only people you’ll meet are hotel employees and vacationers enjoying all-inclusive packages at the island’s resorts and beaches.

Playa Sirena, the westernmost beach, is the most spectacular and the best swimming beach, with white sand that always remains cool to the feet. Playa Paraiso is so secluded that it has become the only nude beach in Cuba. And Playa Tortuga, at the eastern end of the island, is home to a seasonal colony of sea turtles.

The sun, the sea and nature are everything here.

The calm shallow waters make it terrific for kids.

Tiny nearby isles provide wonderful nature excursions. Cayo Iguana, home to those harmless creatures, can seem like a miniature Jurassic Park. Cayo Pajaros is a birders paradise. Cayo Cantilles has monkeys, along with other wildlife.

There are 32 scuba sites to fascinate divers with coral formations, tunnels, steep walls and lots of colourful marine life. There are more than 200 sunken ships dating from the 16th to 18th centuries and some say Sir Henry Morgan’s treasure is still buried in the area. Maybe, maybe not, but nature provides the real treasure: A tropical escape from everyday life.

Because of Cayo Largo’s seclusion, things like dining and nightlife are limited to the resorts, although the airport does have a popular disco, so visitors should choose one of the newer four- or five-star resorts.