The Jardines de la Reina island group extends from the Gulf of Guacanayabo to Casilda Bay, in the southern part of the Island of Cuba. Its extension is 360 km, formed by 661 cays, corresponding to three cayerías, of which the most important is that of Las Doce Leguas, located at the west end facing the southern coast of the Ciego de Ávila and Camagüey provinces.

In 2010 the area was declared a National Park by Agreement 6803/2010 of the Executive Committee of the Council of Ministers, which assigned the Ministry of Agriculture as legal administrator. Resolution 1254 of 2015 is of the MINAG legally assigned the administration of the area to the Flora and Fauna Company. Since the declaration of the national park in 1996, all activities carried out in the area are regulated by the Management Plan, in accordance with the provisions of Decree Law 201/1999 of the National System of Protected Areas.

Jardines de la Reina also covers a large number of charismatic, threatened or endangered species and has relevant landscape values, both marine and terrestrial. It constitutes the largest extension of mangroves, seagrasses and coral reefs in the natural state of the entire Caribbean.

Its marine ecosystems have high productivity that allows it to sustain one of the most abundant ichthyofaunas of coral reefs around the world and fishing and tourism activities of international relevance.