Colorados Archipelago
archipelago in Pinar del Río Province, Cuba
Los Colorados Archipelago (Spanish: Archipiélago de los Colorados, also called Archipiélago de Santa Isabel and Archipiélago de Guaniguanico) is a chain of isles and cays on Cuba's north-western coast. A coral reef extending at least the length of the archipelago separates it from the Gulf of Mexico.
Geography
The archipelago is approximately 100 kilometres (62 mi) long and is composed of 160 small cays, including Cayo Levisa, Cayo Arenas, Cayo Jutias, Punta Tabaco, Cabezo Seco, Cayo Paraiso, Cayo Buenavista, Banco Sancho Pardo, Cayo Rapado Grande, and Cayo Alacranes. It is located off the northern coast of Pinar del Río Province, facing the Gulf of Mexico, between Honda Bay (north of the community of Bahia Honda) and Cape San Antonio on the Guanahacabibes Peninsula. It is divided into two sections: western and east.
A barrier coral reef to its north, 120 miles (190 km) long, extends the entire length of the archipelago, separating it from the Gulf of Mexico. The channel between the two is navigable throughout.
Reef
The reef covers an area of 165 square kilometres (64 sq mi). It is relatively healthy due to its isolated location and the low population of coastal communities.
Stephanocoenia intersepta is the most abundant coral species, which is not the case of any other known Cuban reef.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Colorados Archipelago” as archipelago in Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the places & architecture register because the source frames it as archipelago in Pinar del Río Province, Cuba. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Place names and jurisdictional language are key evidence: both can reveal earlier catalogue descriptions and overlooked record series. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 2, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q559798. Authority coordinates are 22.400, -84.417. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Colorados Archipelago”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Colorados Archipelago primary sources, Colorados Archipelago archive and Colorados research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Colorados Archipelago”?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Colorados Archipelago” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.