A place may seem insignificant until you look past the surface, dig deep, and find the memories and the history that goes along with it. Places come alive when people remember them. In my mind and heart, one place will forever be immortal; los Cayos are a mixture of wildness and serenity, true havens on Earth where one is able to forget the trials of life and simply enjoy it.

Imagine water so clear that you would be able to spot a dime hidden in the sand. Think of baby powder, silky smooth to the touch, and you’ll know what it feels like when your bare feet sink into the sand. The sun always shines above the horizon, its tendrils forming waves of gentle pinks, vivid yellows, and sometimes, when it reflects off the clouds, it fills the sky with all the colors of the rainbow. During a sunset, it almost appears as if the gates of heaven have opened to release a brilliant show of golden ribbons and gilded sparkles that powder the sky with individual points of radiance. Cotton-like clouds drift aimlessly across the blue while the waves bellow sway against the shore. Crabs, some so small that they could fit on the pad of your thumb, burrow into fissures they have carved meticulously into the sand. They scuttle away when alarmed while seagulls, the devious fiends, prowl, bidding their time so they may obtain a meal.

At the water’s edge, near rocks steep enough to hike, vegetation allows for shade. There are palm trees with velvety, segmented trunks and large fronds the color of jade stones. The coconuts are abundant and their sweet juice quenches the thirst a hundred times better than water. Bushes are home to all sorts of creatures: Cuban Parakeets with feathers in varying shades of green, Cuban Tree frogs, the largest tree frog in North America, and the Cuban Ground Iguana with a line of spikes down its spine and solemn, watchful eyes. This particular reptile is a common visitor of public beaches and once appeared out of no where while my sister was hiking up the rock face. Needless to say, with its intimidating intensity and brutal appearance, the memory of that iguana still haunts her to this day.

Los Cayos are more than just a place, they’re a memory of a time I left behind, a country I still love, and a family I hope to see again. Some of my fondest memories surround the beaches at los Cayos and many more surround the cliffs. From my first dive into the ocean when I was four, to the day I caught a starfish in the sea, so long as I can picture those tropical backdrops, what I did, who I was with, and why it remains important, will never cease to be.