Camagüey Province
Camagueey Province Highlights
Camagueey
Florida
Sierra del Chorrillo
Guaimaro
Nuevitas
Brasil & Around
Cayo Sabinal
Playa Santa Lucia
Camagüey Province
%32 / Pop 780,600
Why Go?
Neither Occidente nor Oriente, Camagüey is Cuba's provincial contrarian, a region that likes to go its own way in political and cultural matters – and usually does – much to the chagrin of folks in Havana and Santiago.
Seeds were sown in the colonial era, when Camagüey's preference for cattle ranching over sugarcane meant less reliance on slave labor and more enthusiasm to get rid of a system that bred misery.
Today Cuba's largest province is a mostly pancake-flat pastoral mix of grazing cattle, lazy old sugar-mill towns and, in the south, a few low-but-lovely hill ranges. It's flanked by Cuba's two largest archipelagos: the Sabana-Camagüey in the north and the Jardines de la Reina in the south, both underdeveloped and almost virgin in places.
Staunchly Catholic capital Camagüey, with its alluring architecture and cosmopolitan charm surpassed only by Havana, is the province's pin-up – a fiercely independent city that nurtured revolutionary poet Nicolás Guillén, groundbreaking scientist Carlos J Finlay and an internationally famous ballet company.
When to Go
AIn February Camagüeyans celebrate Jornada de la Cultura Camagüeyana (Days of Camagüeyan Culture) to mark the city's founding in 1514.
AFor outdoor enthusiasts, March is prime time for viewing migratory birds on the northern keys.
AIn Playa Santa Lucía, the amazing underwater shark-feeding show is held when sharks are in the area between June and January.
AIn September Camagüey showcases some more of its cultural prowess with the Festival Nacional de Teatro (National Theater Festival).
Best Places for Bird-Watching
AReserva Ecológica Limones Tuabaquey
ARefugio de Fauna Silvestre Río Máximo
Camagüey Province Highlights
1 Retreat into the verdant hills of Sierra del Chorrillo, harboring rare birdlife and petrified forests.
2 Watch dive instructors fearlessly feed sharks off Playa Santa Lucía.
3 Discover huge flamingo nesting sites on the Refugio de Fauna Silvestre Río Máximo.
4 Say your penance in Camagüey and sally forth to find Cuba's Catholic soul in a stash of colonial churches.
5 Stop in Guáimaro, where Cuba's first constitution was signed.
6 Go fly-fishing for tarpon and bonefish in the shallow flats off Cayo Cruz.
7 Tuck into one of the most sophisticated restaurant scenes outside Havana in a colonial Camagüey eatery.
Camagüey
Pop 306,400
Welcome to the maze. Camagüey's odd, labyrinthine layout is the by-product of two centuries spent fighting off musket-toting pirates like Henry Morgan: tumultuous times led the fledgling settlement to develop a peculiar street pattern designed to confuse pillaging invaders and provide cover for its long-suffering residents (or so legend has it). As a result, Camagüey's sinuous streets and narrow winding alleys are more reminiscent of a Moroccan medina than the geometric grids of Lima or Mexico City.
Sandwiched on Carretera Central halfway between Ciego de Ávila and Las Tunas is Cuba's third-largest city, easily the suavest and most sophisticated after Havana, and the bastion of the Catholic Church on the island. Well known for going their own way in times of crisis, the resilient citizens are popularly called 'agramontinos' by other Cubans, after local First War of Independence hero Ignacio Agramonte, coauthor of the Guáimaro constitution and courageous leader of Cuba's finest cavalry brigade. In 2008 its well-preserved historical center was made Cuba's ninth Unesco World Heritage Site and in 2014 the city celebrated its quincentennial.
Camagüey's warren-like streets generally inspire travelers with their hidden plazas, rearing baroque churches, riveting galleries and congenial bars/restaurants. The flip side is the higher-than-average number of jineteros (touts) who can dog you as you stroll. Get lost for a day or two and discover it for yourself.
History
Founded in February 1514 as one of Diego Velázquez' hallowed seven 'villas,' Santa María del Puerto Príncipe was originally established on the coast near present-day Nuevitas. Due to a series of bloody rebellions by the local Taíno people, the site of the city was moved twice in the early 16th century, finally taking up its present location in 1528. Its name was changed to Camagüey in 1903, in honor of the camagua tree, which, so runs an indigenous legend, all life is descended from.
Camagüey developed quickly in the 1600s – despite continued attacks by corsairs – with an economy based on sugar production and cattle-rearing. Due to acute water shortages in the area, the townsfolk were forced to make tinajones (clay pots) in order to collect rainwater and even today Camagüey is known as the city of tinajones – with the pots now serving a strictly ornamental purpose.
Besides swashbuckling independence hero Ignacio Agramonte, Camagüey has produced several personalities of note, including poet and patriot Nicolás Guillén and eminent doctor Carlos J Finlay, the man who was largely responsible for discovering the causes of yellow fever. In 1959 the prosperous citizens quickly fell foul of the Castro revolutionaries when local military commander Huber Matos (Fidel's one-time ally) accused Castro of burying the Revolution. He was duly arrested and later thrown in prison for his pains.
Loyally Catholic, Camagüey welcomed Pope John Paul II in 1998 and in 2008 hosted the beatification of Cuba's first saint, 'Father of the Poor' Fray José Olallo, who aided the wounded of both sides in the 1868–78 War of Independence. In 2014 the city was comprehensively renovated (and given four new hotels) in honor of its quincentennial.
Camagüey
1Top Sights
1Sights
4Sleeping
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
3Entertainment
1Sights
City Center
oPlaza San Juan de DiosSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Hurtado & Paco Recio)
Looking more Mexican than Cuban (Mexico was capital of New Spain so the colonial architecture was often superior), Plaza San Juan de Dios is Camagüey's most picturesque and beautifully preserved corner. Its eastern aspect is dominated by the Museo de San Juan de Dios, formerly a hospital. Behind the square's arresting blue, yellow and pink building facades lurk several great restaurants.
Museo de San Juan de DiosMUSEUM
(
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; Plaza San Juan de Dios; admission CUC$1; 
h9am-5pm Tue-Sat, to 1pm Sun)
The Museo de San Juan de Dios is housed in what was once a hospital administered by Father José Olallo, the friar who became Cuba’s first saint. It has a front cloister dating from 1728 and a unique triangular rear patio with Moorish touches, built in 1840. Since ceasing to function as a hospital in 1902, the building has served as a teachers college, a refuge during the 1932 cyclone, and the Centro Provincial de Patrimonio directing the restoration of Camagüey’s monuments. The museum chronicles Camagüey’s history and exhibits some local paintings.
Casa de Arte JoverGALLERY
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; Martí No 154, btwn Independencia & Cisneros; h9am-noon & 3-5pm Mon-Sat)
F
Camagüey is home to two of Cuba's most creative and prodigious contemporary painters, Joel Jover and his wife Ileana Sánchez. Their magnificent home in Plaza Agramonte functions both as a gallery and a piece of art in its own right, with a slew of original art and delightfully kitschy antiques on show.
You're welcome to browse and, if you like high-quality original art, buy a painting. The artists also keep a studio and showroom, the Estudio-Galería Jover (
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; Paco Recio; h 9am-noon & 3-5pm Mon-Sat), in Plaza San Juan de Dios.
Museo Casa Natal de Ignacio AgramonteMUSEUM
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; Av Agramonte No 459; admission CUC$2; h9am-4:45pm Mon-Sat, to 2:30pm Sun)
This is the birthplace of the independence hero Ignacio Agramonte (1841–73), the cattle rancher who led the Camagüey area's revolt against Spain. The house – an elegant colonial building in its own right – tells of the oft-overlooked role of Camagüey and Agramonte in the First War of Independence.
In July 1869 rebel forces under Agramonte bombarded Camagüey, and four years later Agramonte was killed in action, aged only 32. You can hear Cuban folk singer Silvio Rodríguez' anthem to this hero, who was nicknamed 'El Mayor' (Major), on his album Días y flores. The hero's gun is one of his few personal possessions displayed in the museum. It is opposite Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Merced, on the corner of Independencia.
Parque Ignacio AgramonteSQUARE
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Martí & Independencia)
Camagüey's most dazzling square in the heart of the city invites relaxation with rings of marble benches and an equestrian statue (c 1950) of Camagüey's precocious War of Independence hero, Snr Agramonte.
Casa FinlayMUSEUM
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; Cristo, btwn Cisneros & Lugareño; admission CUC$1; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 8am-noon Sat)
Camagüey's other hero, Dr Carlos J Finlay (1833–1915), was more concerned with saving lives than taking them. Calling this place – his birth house – a museum is a stretch, but on a good day one of the attendents might be able to enlighten you on his life story and scientific feats, most notably his medical breakthrough in discovering how mosquitoes transmit yellow fever. There's a splendidly grizzled indoor patio.
Casa Natal de Nicolás GuillénCULTURAL CENTER
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; Hermanos Agüero No 58; h9am-5pm)F
This modest house gives visitors a small insight into Cuba's late national poet and his books, and today doubles as the Instituto Superior de Arte, where local students come to study music.
Casa de la DiversidadMUSEUM
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; Cisneros No 150; CUC$1; h10am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9am-9pm Sat, 8am-noon Sun)
Impossible to miss due to its exuberantly diverse facade (a mix of Moorish and neoclassical elements), this new museum's best exhibit is the building itself. You can go around the four exhibition rooms dedicated to slavery, costumes, art and architecture relatively quickly, but you'll want to dawdle in the ornate lobby with its soaring pillars. Pride of place, however, goes to the toilets (yes, toilets!) where intricate frescos have been uncovered. The ladies is the most ornate.
West of the City Center
Plaza del CarmenSQUARE
( GOOGLE MAP ; Hermanos Agüero, btwn Honda & Carmen)
Around 600m west of the frenzy of República sits another sublimely beautiful square, one less visited than the central plazas. It's backed on the eastern side by the masterful Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, one of the prettiest city churches.
Little more than a decade ago Plaza del Carmen was a ruin, but it's now restored to a state better than the original. The cobbled central space has been infused with giant tinajones, atmospheric street lamps and unique life-sized sculptures of camagüeyanos going about their daily business (reading newspapers and gossiping, mostly).
Martha Jiménez PérezGALLERY
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; Martí No 282, btwn Carmen & Onda; h8am-8pm)F
You're in Cuba's ceramics capital so why not gravitate to the studio-gallery of Martha Jiménez Pérez, one of its best living artists, to see everything from pots to paintings being produced? The studio overlooks Pérez' magnum opus, Plaza del Carmen''s alfresco statue of three gossiping women entitled Chismosas (Gossipers). The chismosas also feature in many of her paintings inside.
Necropolis de CamagüeyCEMETERY
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; Plaza del Cristo; h7am-6pm)F
This sea of elaborate, lop-sided, bleached-white Gothic tombs makes up Cuba's most underrated cemetery, secreting the resting place of Camagüey-born independence hero Ignacio Agramonte, among others. It might not quite have the clout of Havana's Cementerio Colón but isn't too far behind in its roll call of famous incumbents.
Agramonte lies halfway down the second avenue on the left after the entrance (the blue-painted tomb). Harder to find are tombs such as those of Camagüey freedom-fighters Tomás Betancourt or Salvador Cisneros Betancourt (one-time President of Cuba); show up for tours which depart from the entrance behind Iglesia de San Cristo de Buen Viaje (early to mid-morning is best).
North of the City Center
North of the train station, Avenida de los Mártires opens up in a kilometer-long symphony of noble colonnaded 19th-century buildings, the most complete such example in Cuba.
Museo Provincial Ignacio AgramonteMUSEUM
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; Av de los Mártires No 2; admission CUC$2; h10am-1pm & 2-6pm Tue-Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)
Named (like half of Camagüey) after the exalted local War of Independence hero, this cavernous museum, just north of the train station, is in a building erected in 1848 as a Spanish cavalry barracks. It now contains some impressive artwork, as well as antique furniture and old family heirlooms.
The upstairs art collection features many Camagüey artists: there is both 19th- and early-20th-century art, such as the haunting work of camagüeyano Fidelio Ponce, and artes plasticos (modern art) by nationally renowned figures like Alfredo Sosabravo.
South & East of the City Center
Casino CampestrePARK
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Carretera Central)
Over the Río Hatibonico from the old town is Cuba's largest urban park, laid out in 1860. There's shaded benches, a baseball stadium, concerts and activities. On a traffic island near the park entrance is a monument ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ) dedicated to Mariano Barberán and Joaquín Collar, Spaniards who made the first nonstop flight between Spain (Seville) and Cuba (Camagüey) in 1933.
The pair made the crossing in their plane Cuatro Vientos, but tragically the plane disappeared when flying to Mexico a week later. Ubiquitous bici-taxis are on hand to pedal you around.
Mercado Agropecuario HatibonicoMARKET
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; Carretera Central; h7am- 6pm)
If you visit just one market in Cuba, make it this one. Glued (by mud) beside the murky Río Hatibonico just off the Carretera Central, and characterized by its pregones (singsong, often comic, offering of wares) ringing through the stalls, this is a classic example of Cuban-style free enterprise juxtaposed with cheaper but lower-quality government stalls.
The best section to visit is the herberos (purveyors of herbs, potions and secret elixirs); also visit the plant nursery where Cubans can buy dwarf mango trees and various ornamental plants. Keep a tight hold on your money belt.
El Lago de los SueñosPARK
The so-called 'Lake of Dreams' has been recently developed as an out-of-town escape from Camagüey's urban maze. It uses the same inventive if slightly kitschy methodology employed by a similar venture in Ciego de Ávila. Prize for the oddest installation is the Cremería 1514 (ice cream CUC$0.25; h10am-10pm) an ice-cream parlor encased in the fuselage of an old Soviet plane - a 1960s Antonov A26. Runner-up is the antediluvian train carriage-cum-restaurant.
Elsewhere, you can enjoy the lake, go for a boat ride (CUC$1) or even stroll along a specially constructed malecón. There are copious places to eat.
CAMAGüEY'S ECCLESIAL ARCHITECTURE
If Cuba has a Catholic soul, it undoubtedly resides in Camagüey, where ecclesial spires rise like minarets above the narrow tangle of streets.
THE HOLIEST
Any exploration of Camagüey's religious history should begin at the Catedral de Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Cisneros No 168), rebuilt in the 19th century on the site of an earlier chapel dating from 1530. The cathedral, which is named for the city's patron saint, was fully restored with funds raised from Pope John Paul II's 1998 visit. While not Camagüey's most eye-catching church, it is noted for its noble Christ statue that sits atop a craning bell tower. You can climb the tower for CUC$1.
THE ECLECTIC
The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Merced ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Plaza de los Trabajadores), dating from 1748, is arguably Camagüey's most impressive colonial church. Local myth tells of a miraculous figure that floated from the watery depths here in 1601; it's been a place of worship ever since. The active convent in the attached cloister is distinguished by its two-level arched interior, spooky catacombs and the dazzling Santo Sepulcro, a solid-silver coffin.
THE BAROQUE
Gleaming after a much-lauded 2007 renovation, Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr República & Av Agramonte) is a massive baroque structure dating from 1779. Its picturesque cream-and-terracotta tower predates the rest of the church and is an attention-grabbing landmark on the city skyline. Inside there are ornate baroque frescoes and the hallowed font where Ignacio Agramonte was baptized in 1841.
THE NEO-GOTHIC
One of Cuba’s rare neo-Gothic churches beautifies Parque Martí, a few blocks east of Parque Ignacio Agramonte. The triple-spired Iglesia de Nuestra Corazón de Sagrado Jesús ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; cnr República & Luaces) is technically from an architectural subgenre called Catalan Gothic and dazzles with its ornate stained glass, decorative ironwork and pointed arches.
THE TWIN-TOWERED
The Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen ( GOOGLE MAP ; Plaza del Carmen), a twin-towered baroque beauty dating from 1825, shares digs with a former convent. The Monasterio de las Ursalinas is a sturdy arched colonial building with a pretty, cloistered courtyard that once provided shelter for victims of the furious 1932 hurricane. Today it is the City Historian's offices.
THE OUT-OF-TOWN
The Iglesia de San Lazaro ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Carretera Central Oeste & Calle Cupey) is a beautiful (if diminutive), cream-coloured church dating from 1700, although as interesting is the nearby cloistered hospital constructed a century later by virtuous Franciscan monk Padre Valencia to nurse leprosy victims. It's 2km west of the center.
THE UNHERALDED
The Iglesia de San Cristo del Buen Viaje ( GOOGLE MAP ; Plaza del Cristo), next door to the Necropolis de Camagüey and overlooking a quiet square, is one of the least visited of Camagüey's ecclesial octet, but it is worth a peek if you're exploring the necropolis (behind). An original chapel was raised here in 1723, but the current structure is of mainly 19th-century vintage.
THE DIMINUTIVE
Iglesia de la Caridad ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Av de la Libertad & Sociedad Patriotica) stands sentinel on the southeastern edge of the city. Constructed originally as a chapel in the 18th century, it got a couple of 20th-century renovations (1930 and 1945) and has a fine silver altar (c 1730) and image of the Virgin de la Caridad del Cobre with Cuba's national flower, la mariposa (white jasmine).
zFestivals & Events
The Jornada de la Cultura Camagüeyana celebrates the anniversary of the city's founding in February. The annual carnival, known as the San Juan Camagüeyano (hJun 24-29), includes dancers, floats and African roots music. On September 8, there's also a religious festival, the Nuestra Señora de la Caridad (hSep 8), to honor the city's – and Cuba's – patron saint.
4Sleeping
o'Los Vitrales' – Emma Barreto & Rafael RequejoCASA PARTICULAR
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; %32-29-58-66, 52942522; requejobarreto@gmail.com; Avellaneda No 3, btwn General Gómez & Martí; r CUC$20-25; 
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a)
This enormous, painstakingly restored colonial house was once a convent. It sports broad arches, high ceilings and dozens of antiques. Four rooms are arranged around a shady patio embellished with over 50 different types of plants and a fantastic tile mural. Owner Rafael is an architect and it shows. The food (vegetarians catered for) is great, too.
Natural CaribeCASA PARTICULAR
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; %32-29-58-66; requejoarias@nauta.cu; Avellaneda 8; r CUC$25; a)
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If you haven't heard of an architectural style known as 'Tropical Minimalism', you soon will, especially if you visit this exquisite new casa, cleverly designed by a local architect, that mixes elements of Camagüey's rich colonial heritage with furnishings that wouldn't look out of place in a New York loft apartment.
Two rooms and a terrace cleverly intergrate light, space, water and sustainable building materials.
Casa LáncaraCASA PARTICULAR
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; %32-28-31-87; Avellaneda No 160; r CUC$25; a)
Feeling like a little bit of Seville in Camagüey on account of its beautiful blue and yellow azulejos (tiles) and location within earshot of the city's best flamenco club, the Láncara is overseen by Andalucian fanatic Alejandro and his wife, Dinorah. The two rooms are hung with original local art and there's a roof terrace all within spitting distance of the Soledad church.
Casa los HelechosCASA PARTICULAR
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; %52-31-18-97, 32-29-48-68; Republica No 68; r CUC$20-25; a)
Helechos means 'ferns' and there are plenty in the long, thin courtyard of this pleasant colonial house, at the back of which is one sizable room with a private kitchen.
Hotel ColónHOTEL
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; %32-25-48-78; República No 472, btwn José Ramón Silva & San Martín; s/d incl breakfast CUC$33/48; a)
A classic long mahogany bar, colorful tile-flanked walls, and a stained-glass portrait of Christopher Columbus over the lobby door give this place a mixed colonial/fin-de-siècle feel, although rooms are mostly tiny. But the Colón is a good base for both exploring and relaxing in the rear colonial patio; the bar is a favorite of European/Canadian men and their younger Cuban dates.
Casa AngelitoCASA PARTICULAR
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; %32-29-82-71; Maceo No 62 (altos); CUC$20-25; pa)
Angelito likes to position himself as a more economical and homely alternative to the Gran Hotel which sits directly opposite his 2nd-floor accommodations. Simple but clean rooms lead off a giant plant-filled terrace where you can imbibe cocktails or digest breakfast. It's an affable family home and very central.
Dalgis Fernández HernándezCASA PARTICULAR
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; %32-28-57-32; Independencía 251 (altos), btwn Hermanos Agüeros & General Gómez; a)
Prize for the largest rooftop terrace; you'll be spending a lot of time sun-basking up here. Two lovely 2nd-floor rooms and an antique-filled common area are just below.
Hostal de CarmencitaCASA PARTICULAR
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; %32-29-69-30; Av Agramonte No 259, btwn Padre Olallo & Alegría; r CUC$20-25; pa)
A well-equipped, self-contained room on the top floor with its own terrace and fridge. The common room below features a computer with internet access exclusively for guest use (rare in Cuba). There's a garage too (tight fitting but nonetheless another rarity in central Camagüey).
Alba FerrazCASA PARTICULAR
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; %32-28-30-81; Ramón Guerrero No 106, btwn San Ramón & Oscar Primelles; r CUC$20-25; a)
Two rooms sharing a bath open onto a rather grand colonial courtyard bedecked with plants. There's a roof terrace and your host, Alba, can arrange dance and guitar lessons for guests.
Gran HotelHOTEL
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; %32-29-20-93; Maceo No 67, btwn Av Agramonte & General Gómez; s/d incl breakfast CUC$49/78; a
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This time-warped city-center hotel classic dates from 1939. A haughty prerevolutionary atmosphere stalks the 72 clean rooms reached by a marble staircase or ancient lift replete with cap-doffing attendants. There are bird's-eye citywide views from the 5th-floor restaurant or gorgeous rooftop bar. A piano bar is accessed through the lobby and an elegant renaissance-style swimming pool shimmers out back.
Hotel Santa MaríaBOUTIQUE HOTEL
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; Ignacio Agramonte, cnr República; s/d CUC$75/109; ai)
One of a quartet of beautifully curated boutique hotels opened to tie in with Camagüey quincentenial, the Santa María was only partially open at last visit, but displays promise with its elegant common areas decorated with classy local art.
oHotel Camino de HierroBOUTIQUE HOTEL
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; %32-28-42-64; Plaza de la Solidaridad; s/d CUC$90/120; ai)
This is the best of Camagüey's boutique hotels, opened in 2014 and decorated with a railway theme and encased in an attractive city-center building that was once an office for the Cuban ferrocarril (railway).
5Eating
Camagüey, Cuba's third-largest city, is threatening to usurp Santiago (its second largest) with the quality and elegance of its private restaurants.
Café CiudadCAFE
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; Plaza Agramonte, cnr Martí & Cisneros; snacks CUC$2-5; h10am-10pm)
Camagüey has made Agramonte-like efforts to carve culinary quality into its historical inheritance. This lovely plaza-hugging colonial cafe melds grandiosity with great service, emulating anything in Havana Vieja. Try the jamón serrano (cured ham) or savour a superb café con leche (coffee with warm milk) under the louvers. The picture occupying one wall shows the exact continuation of the old street.
Café CubanitasCAFE
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; cnr Independencia & Av Agramonte; snacks CUC$1-3; h24h)
A cafe just off Plaza de los Trabajadores, Cubanitas is alfresco and lively, and really does stay open all hours (unlike many Cuban places that state the fact then close early). Most importantly it sells decent snacks and beer. So if you're craving that 3am ropa vieja (shredded beef and vegetables in a tomato salsa)...
oCasa AustriaEUROPEAN
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; %32-28-55-80; Lugareño No 121, btwn San Rafael & San Clemente; meals CUC$5-14; h7:30am-11:30pm)
The name's teutonic and the menu's international, but the decor and ambience of this dashing new cafe/restaurant suggest that, in the year of its quincentennial (2014), Camagüey finally rediscovered its mojo. Admire the house's ponds, fountains, ferns and heavy colonial furniture and don't leave without trying one of the Austrian cakes served in a cafe out front.
Restaurante 1800INTERNATIONAL
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; %32-28-36-19; Plaza San Juan de Dios; meals CUC$12-15; h10am-midnight)
There aren't many things this sensational colonial locale lacks. There is the grandiose front-of-house, plaza-facing part, which, once you've ordered your camarones enchiladas (shrimps in feisty tomato salsa) or, perhaps, ensalada de pulpo (octopus salad), you realize is merely the trailer to the eating experience.
Included with any meal you order is gratis access to a lavish buffet that usually contains European cheeses, meats and crisp salads. Right alongside is the Oriente's most impressive wine cellar and, at the back, there's the barbecue; sit alfresco and load up on succulent grilled meat.
oMesón del PríncipeCUBAN
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; %52-40-45-98; Astilleros No 7; meals CUC$4-12; hnoon-midnight)
Elegant restaurant that offers an affordable fine-dining experience in a typically refined Camagüeyan residence. It is places like this that have placed Camagüey at the cutting edge of Cuba's new culinary revolution – a notch above Santiago.
oEl PasoINTERNATIONAL
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; %52-39-09-39; www.complejoelpaso.com; Hermanos Agüero , btwn Carmen & Honda; meals CUC$5-10; h8am-midnight)
Breakfast, lunch, dinner! It's rare for a private restaurant to chime in with all three in Cuba but, true to its name, El Paso is staying un paso adelante (one step ahead) with all-day opening hours, a funky interior and an enviable location overlooking the tranquil Plaza del Carmen. Good for breakfast, snack sandwiches and cocktails at the bar.
Restaurante Italiano Santa TeresaITALIAN
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; %32-29-71-08; Av de la Victoria No 12 , btwn Padre Carmelo & Freyre; meals CUC$3-7; hnoon-midnight)
A block behind Centro Cultural Caribe, the idyllic, part-covered back patio at Santa Teresa is an Italian feast-in-waiting. Divine pizza, great ice cream and more-than-passable espresso in such environs definitely makes this a spot to savor. The same owners run another restaurant, El Eden de Santa Teresa (%32-27-48-04; Callejón Villa Lola, & Monaco Sur; mains CUC$3-7; hnoon-midnight) nearby with Cuban-style food and Saturday night cabaret (8pm to 10pm).
Restaurante la IsabellaITALIAN
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; cnr Av Agramonte & Independencia; pizzas CUC$5-8; h11am-4pm & 6:30-10pm)
Camagüey's coolest restaurant was opened during a visit by delegates from Gibara's iconic film festival, Festival Internacional del Cine Pobre, in 2008. Blending Italian food (pizza, lasagna, fettuccine) with a maverick movie-themed decor and director-style seats, the restaurant occupies the site of Camagüey's first ever cinema.
Gran HotelINTERNATIONAL
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; Maceo No 67, btwn Av Agramonte & General Gómez; dinner buffet CUC$12; h6-11pm)
The fifth-floor restaurant here has superb city views and a rather nice buffet; get here early to watch the sun set over the church towers. Way below on street level, cheaper Gran Hotel Snack Bar (
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GOOGLE MAP
; Maceo No 67, btwn Av Agramonte & General Gómez; snacks CUC$1-4; h9am-11pm) has coffee, sandwiches, chicken and ice cream. The hamburgers (when available) are good and the atmosphere is 1950s retro.
Restaurante de los Tres ReyesCARIBBEAN
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Plaza San Juan de Dios No 18; meals CUC$7; h10am-10pm)
A handsome state-run place that sells mainly chicken dishes, set in beautiful colonial digs on Plaza San Juan de Dios. Ruminate on Camagüey life by one of the giant iron-grilled windows out front or enjoy greater privacy on a plant-bedecked patio behind. Equally romantic, La Campana de Toledo (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Plaza San Juan de Dios No 18; meals CUC$7; h10am-10pm) is next door.
Self-Catering
Mercado Agropecuario HatibonicoMARKET
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Carretera Central; h7am-6pm)S
Located alongside the fetid Río Hatibonico, this is a classic example of a Cuban market where government (lower quality, but cheaper price) and private (vice versa) produce is sold side by side. Chew on peso sandwiches and fresh batidos (fruit shakes, sold in jam jars) and buy fruit and vegetables grown within 500m of where you stand.
There's a good herb section and the market also sells an excellent selection of fruit and vegetables. Watch out for pickpockets.
Panadería Doña NeliBAKERY
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Maceo; h7am-7pm)
For bread and delicate cakes, try this particularly well-stocked bakery, opposite the Gran Hotel. Follow the aroma.
6Drinking
Maybe it's the pirate past, but Camagüey has great tavern-style drinking houses.
Bar El CambioBAR
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Independencia & Martí; h7am-late)
The Hunter S Thompson choice. A dive bar with graffiti-splattered walls and interestingly named cocktails, this place consists of one room, four tables and bags of atmosphere.
Bodegón Don CayetanoBAR
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %32-26-19-61; República No 79)
This Spanish-style taverna, nestled beneath Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, is best used as a drinking option (there's better food elsewhere). Tables spill into the adjacent alley, there's a large (for Cuba) wine collection and flamenco shows take off at 10pm on Saturday night.
Gran Hotel Bar TerrazaBAR
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Maceo No 67, btwn Av Agramonte & General Gómez; h1pm-2am)
The aesthete's choice. Up top of the Gran Hotel its cocktail maestro will prepare you impeccably concocted mojitos and daiquiris while you gaze at the city's premier vista – all Camagüey is laid out before you. Duck below to the swimming pool for the bizarrely addictive aquatic dance shows, happening several times weekly at 9pm.
Taberna BucaneroBAR
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr República & Fidel Céspedes; h2-11pm)
The beer-drinker's choice. Fake pirate figures and Bucanero beer on tap characterize this swashbuckling tavern, which is faintly reminiscent of a British pub.
La BigorniaBAR
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; República, btwn El Solitario & Oscar Primelles; h9am-midnight)
The young person's choice. This lurid-purple boutique bar-restaurant, with a sports store on its mezzanine level, is where the city's well- (read scantily) dressed 18- to 25-year-olds come for date nights and Noche Camagüeyana warm-ups.
DON'T MISS
CINEMA STREET
Cinema Street, aka La Calle de los Cines, is one of the most inspired and creative of Camagüey’s renovation projects organized to tie in with the 500th anniversary in 2014 of the city’s founding. The idea – to turn a short stretch of Calle Agramonte between the Iglesia de la Soledad and the Plaza de los Trabajadores into a homage to the big screen – makes perfect historical sense. The street has long been known for its cinemas and sala-videos (video rooms). The Cine Casablanca and the Cine Encanto opened in the 1940s and 50s, while the Sala-Video Nuevo Mundo dates from 1985. The latter was the first video room of its type in Cuba, a country where few families could afford home video recorders in the '80s.
By the 2000s, the cinemas and salas, like much of Camagüey's once glittering cityscape, had fallen into a serious state of disrepair. Enter Camagüey’s City Historian’s Office with a bold artistic plan. In common with most restoration projects in Cuba, progress on Cinema Street has been slow but concise, paying meticulous attention to detail. By the end of 2014, the Cine Casablanca ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Ignacio Agramonte No 428) had reopened as a three-screen multiplex; the Cine Encanto ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Av Agramonte) had become a fount of video-art (the on-site Galería Pixel shows revolving documentary films); while the former Sala-Video Nuevo Mundo had become a film studies center offering expos, courses, documentaries and information.
Almost all of the other businesses in the street carry film themes. A local women’s hairdresser is called 'La Ciudad de las Mujeres' after a 1980 Fellini movie. The great Italian director is also honored in the nearby Cafetería La Dolce Vita. Next door, Coffee Arábiga has a more daring moniker. It is named after a controversial 1968 documentary film by Nicolás Guillén Landrián, nephew of the famed Camagüeyan poet Nicolás Guillen. The flim Coffee Arábiga gained notoriety in the '60s for its subtle artistic protest. In it, Guillen played the intro to The Beatles’ song, 'The Fool on the Hill', over news footage of Fidel Castro. The film was censored and Guillén was later imprisoned before fleeing Cuba in 1989.
The nexus of Calle Agramonte and Plaza de los Trabajadores is the site of Camagüey’s first cinema, now a salubrious restaurant called La Isabella where diners recline in director’s chairs beneath iconic film posters and enjoy mainly Italian food. Arrive early and you might be able to bag Fellini’s or Tomas Gutiérrez Alea’s much-sought-after pews.
3Entertainment
Every Saturday night, the raucous Noche Camagüeyana (República from La Soledad) spreads up República from La Soledad to the train station, with food and alcohol stalls, music and crowds. Often a rock or reggaetón (Cuban hip-hop) concert takes place in the square next to La Soledad.
oTeatro PrincipalTHEATER
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %32-29-30-48; Padre Valencia No 64; tickets CUC$5-10; hshows 8:30pm Fri & Sat, 5pm Sun)
If a show's on, go! Second only to Havana in its ballet credentials, the Camagüey Ballet Company, founded in 1971 by Fernando Alonso (ex-husband of number-one Cuban dancing diva Alicia Alonso), is internationally renowned and performances are the talk of the town. Also of interest is the wonderful theater building of 1850 vintage, bedizened with majestic chandeliers and stained glass.
Casa de la Trova Patricio BallagasLIVE MUSIC
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Cisneros No 171, btwn Martí & Cristo; cover CUC$3; h7pm-1am)
An ornate entrance hall gives way to an atmospheric patio where old crooners sing and young couples chachachá. One of Cuba's best trova houses, where regular tourist traffic doesn't detract from the old-world authenticity. Tuesday's a good night for traditional music.
Centro Cultural CaribeCABARET
(
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Narciso Montreal (Calle 1) & Freyre; tickets CUC$3-6; h10pm-2am, to 4am Fri & Sat)
Some say it's the best cabaret outside Havana and, at this price, who's arguing? Book your seat (from the box office on the same day) and pull up a pew sin (without) tourists for an eyeful of feathers and a few frocks. There's a trousers-and-shirt dress code.
Sala Teatro José Luis TasendeTHEATER
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; %32-29-21-64; Ramón Guerrero No 51; hshows 8:30pm Sat & Sun)
For serious live theater, head to this venue, which has quality Spanish-language performances.
Estadio Cándido GonzálezSPORTS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Av Tarafa)
From October to April, baseball games are held here alongside Casino Campestre. Team Camagüey, known as the Alfareros (the Ceramicists), have an empty trophy cabinet despite representing Cuba's largest province.
7Shopping
Calle Maceo is Camagüey's top shopping street, with a number of souvenir shops, bookstores and department stores, and an attractive pedestrian boulevard. At Galería el Colonial (
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; cnr Av Agramonte & República; h9am-5pm) you can check everything from cigars to rum off your to-get list.
ARTex SouvenirSOUVENIRS
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; República No 381; h9am-5pm)
Che T-shirts, mini-tinajones, Che key rings, CDs, Che mugs. Get the picture?
Fondo Cubano Bienes CulturalesCRAFTS
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Av de la Libertad No 112; h8am-6pm Mon-Sat)
Sells all kinds of artifacts in a pleasantly nontouristy setting, just north of the train station.
Mercado FrancisquitoMARKET
(
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
; Quiñones; h9am-5pm)
Shoes, nuts, bolts, watch parts...join the fray and purchase away.
8Information
Dangers & Annoyances
Camagüey invites more hassle than other cities. Thefts have been reported in its narrow, winding streets, mainly from bag-snatchers who then jump onto a waiting bicycle for a quick getaway. Keep your money belt tied firmly around your waist and don't invite attention. Then there's the jineteros (touts) who will try to squeeze money out of you any which way – maybe 'offering' to take you to the casa you've been searching for (it will transpire to be another one with almost certainly less-desirable facilities). Try to book your accommodation in advance, ideally arranging with the owners to meet you at the bus station/train station/airport. And, particularly at these places, be wary of strangers approaching and soliciting 'services' (eg to be your guide, find you a room).
Internet Access
Etecsa TelepuntoINTERNET
(
GOOGLE MAP
; República, btwn San Martín & José Ramón Silva; internet per hr CUC$4.50; h8:30am-7pm)
Camagüey is light on wi-fi, so grab one of the dozen terminals here.
Media
The local newspaper Adelante is published every Saturday. Radio Cadena Agramonte broadcasts in the city over frequencies 910AM and 93.5FM; south of the city tune in to 1340AM and north of the city, 1380AM.
Medical Services
Policlínico Integral Rodolfo Ramirez EsquivalMEDICAL
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %32-28-14-81; cnr Ignacio Sánchez & Joaquín de Agüero)
North of the level crossing from the Hotel Plaza; it will treat foreigners in an emergency.
Money
Banco Financiero InternacionalBANK
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Independencia, btwn Hermanos Agüero & Martí; h9am-3pm Mon-Fri)
CadecaEXCHANGE
(
GOOGLE MAP
; República No 353, btwn Oscar Primelles & El Solitario; h8:30am-7pm Mon-Sat)
Post
Post officePOST OFFICE
(
GOOGLE MAP
; Av Agramonte No 461, btwn Independencia & Cisneros; h9am-6pm Mon-Sat)
Tourist Information
InfoturINFORMATION
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %32-25-67-94; Ignacio Agramonte; h9am-5pm)
Office in a gallery between Encanto and Casablanca cinemas.
Travel Agencies
CubanacánTOURIST INFORMATION
( GOOGLE MAP ; Maceo No 67, Gran Hotel)
The best place for information on Playa Santa Lucía.
EcoturTOURIST INFORMATION
(
GOOGLE MAP
; %32-24-49-57; República No 278; h8am-noon & 1-4:30pm Mon-Sat)
Can arrange excursions to the Hacienda la Belén and Reserva Ecológica Limones Tuabaquey. Office is inside the Complejo Turístico Bambú.
8Getting There & Away
Air
Ignacio Agramonte International Airport (%32-26-72-02; Carretera Nuevitas Km 7) is 9km northeast of town on the road to Nuevitas and Playa Santa Lucía.
Air Transat (www.airtransat.com) and Sunwing (www.sunwing.ca) fly in the all-inclusive crowd from Toronto, who are hastily bussed off to Playa Santa Lucía.
There are three flights weekly to/from Havana with Aerocaribbean ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.fly-aerocaribbean.com; cnr Republica & Callejon de Correa).
Bus & Truck
The regional bus station ( GOOGLE MAP ), near the train station, has trucks to Nuevitas (87km, twice daily) and Santa Cruz del Sur (82km, three daily). You pay in Cuban pesos. Trucks for Playa Santa Lucía (109km, three daily) leave from here as well: ask for el último (last in the queue) inside the station and you'll be given a paper with a number; line up at the appropriate door and wait for your number to come up.
Long-distance Víazul (www.viazul.com) buses depart Álvaro Barba Bus Station ( GOOGLE MAP ; Carretera Central), 3km southeast of the center.
The Santiago de Cuba departure also stops at Las Tunas (CUC$7, two hours), Holguín (CUC$11, 3¼ hours) and Bayamo (CUC$11, 4¼ hours). The Havana bus stops at Ciego de Ávila (CUC$6, 1¾ hours), Sancti Spíritus (CUC$10, four hours), Santa Clara (CUC$15, 4½ hours) and Entronque de Jagüey (CUC$25, 6¼ hours). For Víazul tickets, see the jefe de turno (shift manager).
Passenger trucks to nearby towns, including Las Tunas and Ciego de Ávila, also leave from this station. Arriving before 9am will greatly increase your chances of getting on one of these trucks.
Public transport to Playa Santa Lucía is scant unless you're on a prearranged package tour. Expect to pay CUC$70 for a one-way taxi from Camagüey.
Taxi
A taxi to Playa Santa Lucía should cost around CUC$70 one way: bargain hard.
Train
The train station ( GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Avellaneda & Av Carlos J Finlay) is more conveniently located than the bus station – though its service isn't as convenient. Foreigners buy tickets in convertible pesos (CUC$) from an unmarked office across the street from the entrance to Hotel Plaza. The Tren Francés leaves for Santiago at around 3:19am every third day and for Havana (stopping in Santa Clara) at around 1:47am, also every third day. A first-class ticket is around CUC$23. Schedules change frequently: check at the station a couple of days before you intend to travel. Slower coche motor (cross-island) trains also serve the Havana–Santiago route, stopping at places such as Matanzas and Ciego de Ávila. Going east there are daily services to Las Tunas, Manzanillo and Bayamo. Heading north there are (theoretically) four daily trains to Nuevitas and four to Morón.
8Getting Around
To/From the Airport
A taxi to the airport should cost around CUC$10 from town, but you can bargain. Or you can hang around for the local bus (No 22) ( GOOGLE MAP ) from Parque Finlay (opposite the regional bus station) that runs every 30 minutes on weekdays and hourly on weekends.
Bici-Taxis
Bici-taxis are found around most of the city's squares, with the main contingent in Plaza de los Trabajadores. They should cost five pesos, but drivers will probably ask for payment in convertibles.
Car
Car-rental prices start around CUC$70 a day plus gas, depending on the make of car and hire duration. Companies include Cubacar ( GOOGLE MAP ; www.transturcarrental.com; Van Horne No 1, btwn República & Avellaneda).
Guarded parking (CUC$2 for 24 hours) is available for those brave enough to attempt Camagüey's maze in a car. Ask at your hotel or casa particular for details.
There are two Servi-Cupet gas stations (
GOOGLE MAP
; Carretera Central; h24hr) near Av de la Libertad. Driving in Camagüey's narrow one-way streets is a sport akin to base-jumping. Experts only!
Horse Carts
Horse carts shuttle along a fixed route (CUC$1) between the regional bus station and the train station. You may have to change carts at Casino Campestre, near the river.
Florida
Pop 56,000
A million metaphoric miles from Miami, the hard-working sugar-mill town of Florida, 46km northwest of Camagüey on the Ciego de Ávila road, is a viable overnighter if you're driving around central Cuba and are too tired to negotiate the labyrinthine streets of Camagüey after dark (a bad idea, whatever your physical or mental state). There's a working rodeo and an Etecsa telephone office.
Two-story Hotel Florida (%32-51-30-11; Carretera Central, Km 534; s/d CUC$18/28; pas) is located 2km west of the town center and has 74 adequate rooms. Next door is Cafetería Caney, a thatched restaurant that's better value than the flyblown hotel restaurant.
Passenger trucks run from Florida to Camagüey, where you can connect with Víazul long-distance buses. If you're driving, there's a Servi-Cupet gas station in the center of town on Carretera Central.
Sierra del Chorrillo
This protected area 36km southeast of Camagüey contains three low hill ranges: the Sierra del Chorrillo, the Sierra del Najasa and the Guaicanámar (highest point: 324m).
Nestled in their grassy uplands is La Hacienda la Belén (admission CUC$4), a handsome country ranch run as a nature reserve: contact the Camagüey branch of travel agency Ecotur. As well as boasting many nonindigenous animals, such as zebras, antelopes, cattle and horses (it breeds among Cuba's best), the park functions as a bird reserve. It's one of the best places in Cuba to view rare species, such as the Cuban parakeet, the giant kingbird and the Antillean palm swift. Another curiosity is a three-million-year-old petrified forest of fossilized tree stumps spread over a hectare. To find the stumps, drive a few clicks past the hacienda entrance to the road junction and bear right to reach a dead end at a factory. There's also a far-larger fossilized tree nearby. Treks can be arranged around the reserve by 4WD or on horseback and there are two guided walks. Most popular is Sendero de las Aves (CUC$7, 1.8km), which reveals a cornucopia of birdlife; there's also Sendero Santa Gertrudis (4.5km) covering flora, fauna and a cave.
Simple and countrified in that spartan, semi-abandoned Cuban way, Motel la Belén (%52-19-57-44; s/d CUC$28/40, full board CUC$42/66; as) reclines within the hacienda grounds and is equipped with a swimming pool, restaurant, TV room and 10 clean, air-conditioned rooms that can accommodate up to 16 people. Glorious landscapes are within stone-chucking distance.
You'll need your own wheels to get to Sierra del Chorrillo. Drive 24km east of Camagüey on Carretera Central, then 30km southeast following signs to Najasa. If approaching from Las Tunas, another potholed road to Najasa branches south off the Carretera Central in Sibanicú. The hacienda is 8km beyond Najasa along a rutted road. Alternatively, negotiate a rate with a taxi in Camagüey.
Guáimaro
Pop 29,800
Guáimaro would be just another nameless Cuban town if it wasn't for the famous Guáimaro Assembly of April 1869, which approved the first Cuban constitution and called for the emancipation of slaves. The assembly elected Carlos Manuel de Céspedes as president.
1Sights
Parque ConstituciónPARK
The events of 1869 are commemorated by a large monument erected in 1940 in this central park. Around the base of the monument are bronze plaques with likenesses of José Martí, Máximo Gómez, Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Ignacio Agramonte, Calixto García and Antonio Maceo, the stars of Cuban independence.
The park also contains the mausoleum of Cuba's first – and possibly greatest – heroine, Ana Betancourt (1832–1901) from Camagüey, who fought for women's emancipation alongside the abolition of slavery during the First War of Independence.
Museo HistóricoMUSEUM
(Constitución No 85, btwn Libertad & Máximo Gómez; admission CUC$1; h9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
If you're making a pit stop, this small museum has a couple of rooms given over to art and history.
4Sleeping & Eating
There is a Servi-Cupet gas station on your entry into town from Camagüey with an El Rápido snack bar attached.
Casa de MagalisCASA PARTICULAR
(%32-81-28-91; Olimpo No 5, btwn Benito Morell & Carretera Central; r CUC$20-25; pa)
Here's a surprise: it's almost worth the stopover in Guáimaro just to stay at this salmon pink colonial villa just off the Carretera Central. Thereare two rooms, one of which has surely Cuba's largest private-rental bathroom, and a terrace to drink in the bucolic views.
8Getting There & Away
Guáimaro is on the Carretera Central between Camagüey and Las Tunas. A number of Víazul buses pass through daily. Speak to the driver if you want to get off.
Nuevitas
Pop 46,200
Nuevitas, 87km northeast of Camagüey, is a 27km jaunt north off the Camagüey–Playa Santa Lucía road. It's a small, amiable industrial town and sugar-exporting port with easy shore access, but not worth a major detour. In 1978 Cuban movie director Manual Octavio Gómez filmed his revolutionary classic Una mujer, un hombre, una ciudad (Woman, Man, City) here, giving the city its first, and to date only, brush with fame. It's also the terminus of Cuba's second-oldest railway.
1Sights
Museo Histórico MunicipalMUSEUM
(Máximo Gómez No 66; admission CUC$1; h9am-4pm Tue-Sun)
The only specific sight in Nuevitas, near Parque del Cañón, is this museum. It has the standard, semi-interesting mix of stuffed animals and sepia-toned photographs; you could also hike up the steps in the town center for sweeping views of the bay and industry in ironic juxtaposition.
King RanchRANCH
(Carretera de Santa Lucía Km 35; h10am-10pm)
Texans will be flummoxed by such a familiar-sounding name in the wilds of northern Camagüey, but this Wild West apparition is no phony. King Ranch, en route to Playa Santa Lucía, was once an offshoot of its legendary Texan namesake (the largest ranch in the US). There's a restaurant, rodeo show and horses for rent.
The ranch was expropriated after the Revolution, kept much the same function and mostly caters for tour groups from Playa Santa Lucía, but you can turn up unannounced. It's 4km beyond the crossroads where you join the main highway from Camagüey.
Beaches
Below Hotel Caonaba there's a shaggy amusement park, and a bit further along the coast, a local beach, usually called Playa Colonia, from where you can see two of the three small islands, Los Tres Ballenatos, in Bahía de Nuevitas. Another 2km down the coast, you'll reach Playa Santa Rita at the end of the road – with a pier jutting into the bay.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hotel CaonabaHOTEL
(%32-24-48-03; cnr Martí & Albisa; s/d CUC$21/26; pa)
A bog-standard Cuban one-star hotel on a rise overlooking the sea at the entrance to town. Rooms have fridges and the ones at the front have bay views but don't expect the Ritz. The terrace bar is good for a beer.
Casa OsvaldoCASA PARTICULAR
(%32-41-20-78; Calle Martí 162; r CUC$25; a)
These two tiled rooms in a private house on Nuevitas' main drag are, frankly, a lot better than the dusty digs in the town hotel.
Restaurante ToscanaCUBAN
(%32-41-55-66; Calle Enrique Vázquez 3; mains CUC$2-4; hTue-Sun 6-11pm)
The town's best private restaurant is aimed mainly at Cubans (prices in moneda nacional), but will happily welcome non-Cubans. It's not well-signposted, but is only a block or so from the hotel. Seafood dominates.
8Getting There & Away
Your own wheels are best. A Servi-Cupet gas station is at the entrance to town. There's a Cubacar office on the main drag Calle Martí.
Nuevitas was once a pioneering railway town and is still the terminus of railway lines from Camagüey via Minas and Santa Clara via Chambas and Morón. The station is near the waterfront on the northern side of town. There should be daily trains to Camagüey, and an alternate-day service to Santa Clara, but, when asked for a timetable, the locals just roll their eyes. Trucks, more reliable than buses, leave for Camagüey early in the morning.
WORTH A TRIP
RESERVA ECOLóGICA LIMONES TUABAQUEY
One of Cuba’s newest protected reserves, these heavily wooded uplands in the Sierra de Cubitas in northern Camagüey province offer interest on several levels: historical, botanical, ornithological and anthropological.
The reserve is best known for its pre-Columbian cave paintings, etched on the walls of the Cueva Pichardo and the Cueva María Teresa, and considered to be the most important indigenous art in Cuba. The other great attraction is the unique Hoyo de Bonet, a 300m-wide, 90m-deep natural karstic depression covered in vegetation that retains its own cool, humid microclimate and is replete with trippy giant ferns. The reserve also hosts rich birdlife; indeed the abundance of toccorros and cartacubas is known to produce what local experts call a 'symphony of birdsong.' Paths fan out to caves, craters and a narrow natural gorge called the Paso de los Paredones, with sheer 40m-high walls. Historical infamy is recalled nearby: a post marks the spot where, in February 1869, a group of mambises (19th-century Cuban independence fighters) successfully saw off a Spanish attack.
Guided tours of the reserve can be arranged at Ecotur in Camagüey or you can turn up in person and chance your luck. Entrance is CUC$6. There is a visitor center on-site and accommodation in cabins is in the offing. Walking on the trails is permitted with a guide only.
The reserve lies approximately 35km north of the city of Camagüey on the main (bumpy) road between Morón and Nuevitas. The turnoff is near the village of Cubitas.
Brasil & Around
A once active, now soporific, former sugar town situated halfway between Morón and Nuevitas, Brasil is the gateway to the still-virgin Cayo Romano, the archipelago's third-largest island. The area has recently been rediscovered by in-the-know fishers who ply the waters out as far as Cayo Cruz. The flats, lagoons and estuaries off Camagüey's north coast are fly-fishing heaven (bonefish, permit and tarpon concentrated in a designated fishing area of just under 350 sq km that's invariably deserted). The fishing season runs from November to August and no commercial fishing is allowed. Ecotur (%Camaguey 32-24-36-93, Havana 27-49-95) runs trips.
For something completely different, you can stay at Hotel Casona de Romano (Calle 6, btwn Calles B & C; r from CUC$50; a), a beautiful, quasi-stately home, originally built for a local sugar merchant in 1919 and renovated in 2008, with eight rooms, an on-site restaurant and bar. The place caters mainly for fishers in organized groups. Contact Ecotur for more details.
Cayo Sabinal
Cayo Sabinal, 22km to the north of Nuevitas, is virgin territory, a 30km-long coral key with marshes favored by flamingos and iguanas. The land cover is mainly flat and characterized by marshland and lagoons. The fauna consists of tree rats, wild boar and a large variety of butterflies. It's astoundingly beautiful.
1Sights & Activities
Fuerte San HilarioFORT
Cayo Sabinal has quite some history for a wilderness area. Following repeated pirate attacks in the 17th and 18th centuries, the Spanish built a fort here (1831) to keep marauding corsairs at bay. The fort later became a prison and, in 1875, witnessed the only Carlist uprising (a counterrevolutionary movement in Spain that opposed the reigning monarchy) in Cuba – ever.
Faro ColónLIGHTHOUSE
(Punta Maternillo)
Erected in 1848, Faro Colón is one of the oldest lighthouses still operating on the Cuban archipelago. As a result of various naval battles fought in the area during the colonial era, a couple of Spanish shipwrecks – Nuestra Señora de Alta Gracia and the Pizarro – rest in shallow waters nearby, providing great fodder for divers.
Playas Bonita & Los PinosBEACHES
Of Cayo Sabinal's 30km of beaches, these two compete for top billing. The former has been commandeered for use by daily boat excursions from Playa Santa Lucía and has a rustic ranchón serving food. Activities on the latter, since its five rustic cabins blew away in a hurricane, are more of the do-it-yourself variety (hiking, swimming, philosophizing etc).
8Getting There & Away
Choose from private car, taxi or boat. The dirt road to Cayo Sabinal begins 6km south of Nuevitas, off the Camagüey road. It's best to check ahead (in Nuevitas) if you are planning on using it as it's prone to impromtu closures – and bring your passport to show at the security checkpoint. The 2km causeway linking the key to the mainland was the first of its kind constructed in Cuba and the most environmentally destructive.
The vast majority of people access Cayo Sabinal on boat trips from Playa Santa Lucía. Trips run most days and cost from around CUC$69 including transfers and lunch. You'll be dropped off and picked up on Playa Bonita. Book through the Playa Santa Lucía hotels.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
REFUGIO DE FAUNA SILVESTRE RíO MáXIMO
Few know about it, and still fewer come here. The wetlands between the Ríos Máximo and Cagüey on the northern coast of Camagüey province are the largest flamingo nesting ground in the world. Add in migratory water fowl, American crocodiles and a healthy population of West Indian manatees and you're talking special, very special. Protected since 1998 as a Refugio de Fauna Silvestre (Wild Fauna Refuge) and, more recently, as a Ramsar Convention Site, the Río Máximo delta faces a precarious future due to human and agricultural contamination coupled with occasional droughts. The area is roadless and hard to reach, but trips in can sometimes be organized courtesy of Ecotur.
Playa Santa Lucía
Playa Santa Lucía is an isolated resort strip that's seen better days, situated 112km northeast of Camagüey on an unbroken 20km-long stretch of pale-yellow beach that competes with Varadero as Cuba's longest. Travelers generally come here to scuba dive on the north coast's best and most accessible coral reef, lying just a few kilometers offshore. Another highlight is the beach itself – a tropical idyll, most of it still deserted – though it collects more seaweed the further you wander from the hotels.
The area around Playa Santa Lucía is flat and featureless, the preserve of flamingos, scrubby bushes and the odd grazing cow. Aside from the microvillage of Santa Lucía that serves as lodging for itinerant hotel workers, and the ramshackle hamlet of La Boca near the area's best beach (Playa los Cocos), there are no Cuban settlements of note. The swimming, snorkeling and diving are exceptional, however, and the four all-inclusive resorts lay on activities aplenty for those with time and inclination to explore. Packages to Playa Santa Lucía are usually cheaper than other resort areas, although the resorts themselves are less luxuriant and have a cheaper holiday-camp feel. In fact, the whole strip, which predates Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa María, is overdue for an extensive refurb. In peak season the clientele is primarily Canadian.
1Sights
Playa los CocosBEACH
This comma of beach at the end of 20km-long Playa Santa Lucía, 7km from the hotels at the mouth of the Bahía de Nuevitas, is a stunner, with yellow-white sand and iridescent jade water. Sometimes flocks of pink flamingos are visible in Laguna el Real, behind this beach. The great El Bucanero restaurant is located here.
A horse and carriage from the Santa Lucía hotels to Playa los Cocos is CUC$20 return plus the wait, or you can walk it, jog it, bike it (free gearless-but-adequate bikes are available at all the resorts) or jump in a taxi. This is a fine swimming spot, with views of the Faro Colón (lighthouse) on Cayo Sabinal, but beware of tidal currents further out.
The small Cuban settlement here is known as La Boca. There's a good restaurant (in the pink, smart-looking house) where the fishers' just-landed catch is cooked up. Sometimes the locals roast a pig on a spit and will invite you across.
2Activities
Playa Santa Lucía is a diving destination extraordinaire that sits alongside what is, purportedly, the world's second-longest coral reef (after Australia's Great Barrier Reef). The 35 scuba sites take in six Poseidon ridges, the Cueva Honda dive site, shipwrecks, and the abundant marine life, including several types of rays at the entrance to the Bahía de Nuevitas. A much-promoted highlight is the hand-feeding of 3m-long bull sharks (June to January). The hotels can organize other water activities, including a full-day catamaran cruise along the shoreline (CUC$57 with lunch and snorkeling), a flamingo tour (CUC$59) and deep-sea fishing (CUC$200 for the boat for 3½ hours).
Centro Internacional de Buceo Shark's FriendsDIVING
(www.nauticamarlin.com; Av Tararaco; shark feeds CUC$69)
Shark's Friends is a professional outfit with dive masters speaking English, Italian and German. The center, on the beach between Brisas Santa Lucía and Gran Club Santa Lucía, offers dives (from CUC$30) and the famous shark feeds (CUC$69), where cool-as-a-cucumber dive guides chuck food into the mouths of 3m-long bull sharks.
November through January is the best time for the shark-feeding, or dive boats go out every two hours between 9am and 3pm daily (though the last dive is contingent on demand). The open-water course costs CUC$315; a resort course is CUC$74. It also has snorkeling excursions for CUC$25.
4Sleeping
The small hotel strip begins 6km northwest of the roundabout at the entrance to Santa Lucía. The four big ones are Cubanacán resorts, the star ratings and quality of which decrease as you head northwest. Due to Playa Santa Lucía's size and isolation, it's good to book a room beforehand.
Hostal Coco BeachCASA PARTICULAR
(%52-48-83-59; La Boca; r CUC$20-25; a)
For a bit of seclusion away from the all-inclusive strip, try this homestay right on the beach in the village of La Boca with its two well-equipped rooms and wraparound porch.
Club Amigo MayanaboRESORT
(%32-36-51-68; s/d/tr all-incl CUC$35/58/79; pais
c)
You are the weakest link – goodbye! Doing a good impersonation of a tacky postwar British holiday camp, the Mayanabo has seen better days – a long time ago. But if budget's your prime consideration, it's cheap and right on the beach.
Club Amigo CaracolRESORT
(%32-36-51-58; s/d all-incl CUC$47/72; paisc)
The Caracol has a large kids program and is usually promoted as the beach's family favorite. Ocean-view rooms are fractionally more expensive.
Gran Club Santa LucíaRESORT
(%32-33-61-09; s/d all-incl CUC$75/100; paisc)
Gran Club comes out top on the strip for its 249 colorfully painted rooms (in well-maintained two-story blocks), prettily landscaped grounds and poolside action. Discoteca la Jungla is the not-overly-inspiring nightclub that offers an evening music/comedy show (which tries way too hard to be funny).
Brisas Santa LucíaRESORT
(%32-33-63-17; s/d all-incl CUC$80/120; paisc)
This resort has 412 rooms in several three-story buildings. Covering a monstrous 11 hectares, it has the strip's top rating – a hugely flattering four stars, though with its overjaunty holiday-camp atmosphere (mic-happy pool entertainers and a show where everything is repeated in three languages), it rarely justifies the billing. There is special kids programming and Shark's Friend dive center is next door.
5Eating
Aside from the hotel buffets, your choices are limited. There's an El Rápido on the roundabout at the western end of the hotel strip that serves cheap (for a reason) fast food.
oEl BucaneroSEAFOOD
(Playa los Cocos; meals around CUC$12; h10am-10pm)
Located on Playa los Cocos at the Santa Lucía end of the beach, this place is in a different class, serving seafood – lobster and prawns (CUC$12) is the house special – which is enhanced immeasurably by the setting.
Restaurante Luna MarSEAFOOD
(Playa Santa Lucía; fish dishes CUC$7-20; hnoon-9pm)
This place, flush up against the beach and wedged between Gran Club Santa Lucía and Club Amigo Caracol, offers a seafood menu in an easy-to-reach setting.
3Entertainment
Outside of the resort entertainment, nothing much happens on the hotel strip although the Mar Verde Centro Cultural (admission CUC$1; h10pm-3am) has a pleasant patio bar and a cabaret with live music nightly.
More spontaneous stuff can ignite in the small settlement of La Boca in and around Los Cocos beach where sunset cocktails are de rigueur.
7Shopping
The Mar Verde Centro Comercial in between the Gran Club Santa Lucía and Club Amigo Caracol has an ARTex store, a bookstore and a couple of government-run Caracol outlets selling Che Guevara T-shirts, rum, cigars and the like.
8Information
There's a Cadeca (h9am-4pm) in the Mar Verde shopping center where you can change money. In the Cuban residential quarter east of the hotels is the Clínica Internacional de Santa Lucía (%32-33-62-03; Ignacio Residencial 14), a well-equipped Cubanacán clinic for emergencies and medical issues. The best pharmacy is in Brisas Santa Lucía. Etecsa, 1.5km further east along near the entrance to the hotel zone, has internet access for CUC$4.50 per hour and international phone capabilities. For tour agencies, Cubanacán, which owns four of the five hotels here, is well represented with a desk in each hotel. There's a good Cubatur office just outside Gran Club Santa Lucía.
8Getting There & Around
Anything is possible in Cuba, even getting to Playa Santa Lucía without your own transport. The only regular bus heads out from Camagüey every Friday at noon, arriving at Playa Santa Lucía at 1:30pm (it's for workers but they'll normally let you on). A return bus leaves the resorts at 2pm on Sunday and arrives in Camagüey at 3:30pm. Check in advance at Cubatur ( GOOGLE MAP ; Av Agramonte No 421, btwn República & Independencia). Another option for independent travelers is to jump on one of the charter bus links with spare seats. Ask at your hotel desk. You shouldn't have to pay more than CUC$20 to Camagüey Airport. A taxi from Camagüey to Playa Santa Lucía will cost you CUC$70 one way. The extremely patient can get a train to Nuevitas from Morón or Camagüey and taxi it from there.
The Servi-Cupet gas station is at the southeastern end of the strip, near the access road from Camagüey. Another large Servi-Cupet station, with a Servi-Soda snack bar, is just south of Brisas Santa Lucía.
You can rent cars or mopeds (CUC$25 per day, including a tank of gas). Cubacar has desks in all the hotels.