Batabanó, Gulf Of

Gulf of Batabanó, Spanish Golfo de Batabanó, inlet of the Caribbean Sea, indenting southwestern Cuba. The gulf stretches from the shore of eastern Pinar del Río province approximately 80 miles (130 km) to the southwestern coast of Matanzas province and the Zapata Peninsula. At its northern edge lies La Habana province; 50 miles (80 km) to the south is the Isla de la Juventud (“Isle of Youth”; until 1978, Isla de Pinos [“Isle of Pines”]). The shallow gulf, economically important for sponge fishing, is dotted with many smaller islands and keys.