Guide to Punta Frances, Cuba
About Punta Frances
The Cuban resort of Punta Frances is on Isla de la Juventud which translates as the island of youth.
Isla de la Juventud is the largest of the Cuban islands apart from Cuba itself.
The Isla de la Juventud is almost due south of Havana across 60 miles of ocean and has a population of 100,000.
At one time an American colony, the island was ceded to Cuba in 1907 following the Spanish-American War in the late 1890s.
The island is rich in pine forests and lumber is one of its main exports with farming and fishing being two of the island’s staple industries.
Isla de la Juventud
Isla de la Juventud has a very attractive climate but is in the hurricane belt.
A popular destination for tourists, one of the main resorts is Punta Frances which is in the northwest of the island where silver sand meets crystal clear waters.
Scuba diving is one of the most popular pursuits in the area and El Ranchón is a local beach restaurant that serves superb seafood.
The Beach
The beach is called Latrobe after a French pirate who often plied his trade in the calm waters of Punta Frances. In 1809, Latrobe attacked and captured two Spanish galleons that were laden with gold and jewels.
Latrobe buried the massive amount of treasure on the island but was later captured by the United States military and taken to Kingston, Jamaica.
The vast amount of treasure has never been found!
A remote paradise, Punta Frances is popular with the more adventurous tourists.
It is off the beaten track but once there, everyone falls in love with the resort, its people, and the beauty of the sea.
And, perhaps lying in the sand, there may be a gold doubloon or one of the pieces of eight from the Spanish galleons.
