Covering 16 square kilometers, including five kilometers in diameter, Treasure Lagoon is the largest natural water reservoir in Cuba. Legend has it that it was named this way after an event took place there some hundred years ago. The aboriginal people threw their most precious goods and treasures into the lagoon to prevent the Spanish colonizers from taking them away.
It is part of Guamá Tourist Resort, which is located at the Zapata Peninsula, to the south of Matanzas.
It is 156 kilometers away from Havana. The National Highway provides access to the area.
A Taino Indian village built on piles in the lagoon features 25 natural-sized sculptures by Cuban artist Rita Longa. There are also four thatched roof houses and one large hut for the chiefs. Some of the man-made inhabitants are Dayamí, a dreamy young girl; Abey, a crocodile hunter; Cajimo, a hutia hunter; Maguanay, a mother making cassava bread; Yaima, a playful girl; and Guamá, the cacique. A visit to Treasure Lagoon makes it possible to get to know Cuba's pre-Columbian history and culture.
