Santa Lucía Beach is 110 kms. (68 miles) or just a little over an hour's drive from the city of Camagüey, the capital of the province of the same name. Thousands of foreign visitors come here every year to enjoy the sun, sand, salty air and crystal clear waters of this 21-km (13-mile)-long beach, which is protected by the world's second longest coral reef, a fantastic place for scuba diving and other water sports.

This beach and Cayo Sabinal, Cayo Romano, Cayo Cruz and Cayo Guajaba, in the Sabana-Camagüey Archipelago, just offshore, are home to the largest colony of Roseate Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) in Cuba, and to other species of Cuban coastal flora and fauna.

Ernest Hemingway used to sails off this coast while hunting or fishing on board his yacht, El Pilar. He also hunted down German U-boats during World War II. His most autobiographical novel, "Islands in the Stream", which was published in 1970, was based on these experiences.