Pieces of Eight

Isle of Pines

The Isle of Pines, or Isla de los Pinos in Spanish, was discovered by Columbus in 1494, when it was claimed for Spain. Although the Spanish use the island for logging, they have established no permanent settlements here, with the logging camps being used only seasonally.

Many Cubans refer to the island as Isla de Tesoros (“Treasure Island”), and rumours abound that many pirates have buried treasure in the dense pine forests. Several expeditions have been launched, some using treasure maps bought from “reputable” pirates, but none has yet found so much as a single piece of eight.