Camaguey [Camaguey, Cuba] •|• www.cubacasas.net

Iglesia San Francisco (right) and Estadio Cándido González (background, center) in Camagüey. Danleo took the picture. [edit]

Elsewhere in the central region

Established in 1514 as Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe in the centre of what is now Cuba's cattle country, long known as the town of tinajones (large earthen jars), the third largest city on the island was long isolated from the rest of the island until the railway passed through in 1903, then the Carretera Central, trans-island highway in 1931.

Its local historical hero is an army general, Ignacio Agramonte who died fighting in 1873. Camaguey boasts a wide architectural heritage with some 300 hectares of buildings in good condition, and the largest contingent of Catholics in the country who pray in its numerous baroque churches. On June 8, 2008, the town center's 54 hectares were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Details here.

The influence of its settlers from Andalucia has given Camaguey some lovely ornate small plazas surrounded by colonial mansions. The country's great contemporary poet Nicolas Guillén (1902-1989), exiled under Batista, eulogist of negritude, interbreeding and the Revolución as well as first president of the UNEAC (Cuban writers and artists) is remembered on calle Hermanos Agüero in his childhood house, now a museum.

Its ballet troupe of 75 dancers, Ballet Folclórico de Camagüey is the second most important in the country, having created works more than 130 times around the world since its foundation in 1968. Its theatre, music, puppet and magic venues and groups also attract spectators regularly.

DISTANCES (km) Bayamo, 211 Cayo Coco, 200 Cayo Sabinal, 75 Ciego de Avila, 111 Esmeralda, 87 Holguin, 208 Guáimaro, 80 La Habana, 543 Las Tunas, 124	Minas, 35 Moron, 148 Nuevitas, 79 Playa Santa Lucia, 110 Santa Clara, 269 Santa Cruz del Sur, 82 Santiago, 331 Sierra de Cubitas, 32 Trinidad, 257 Vertientes, 30
Video works by artists from Canadá, España, Germany, Italia, France, Colombia and Cuba 25-29 November 2011

MAPS & LINKS

Map - Streets & Spots : New, large and detailed

Map - City Street names

Map - City Tourist spots

Map - Province from Sierra de Cubitas to Santa Lucia

Map - North Coast Cayo Romano, Sabinal, Santa Lucia

Map - South Coast - Santa Cruz del Sur & Guayabal

Map - Region and South Coast to Las Tunas

Weather forecast

Train schedule, national routes

Train schedule, regional (Florida, Ciego, Nuevitas)

Bus schedule - Viazul route 24 (Havana-Santiago)

Bus schedule - Viazul route 16 (Havana-Holguin)

Island-wide bus connections (horariodebuses.com/)

Photos of town - Local web portal

Oriente Circuits - Our itineraries & Top Casas

Daily exchange rates

Playa Santa Lucia Photo Page

UNESCO World Heritage Notes

All that's natural in Camaguey province

Music hits of the month - Radio Cadena Agramonte

Lovely photos (Dec 09) by Robert Bilodeau - Picasa

POPULATION 326,918 (2007)

SEE.KNOW.DO
Mercado Agropecuario El Rio, the farmers market — fruits, vegetables including ñames, boniatos, malangas, yuccas and all varieties in between, meats, sandwiches, freshly-squeezed orange juice for pennies : unique in Cuba • Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria - photo • Casa de Jesus Suarez Gayol who led student movement against Batista, was first Minister of Sugar and died in Bolivia with the Che : a small but moving museum • Casa Natal de Ignacio Agromonte • Casa Natal de Nicolas Guillen on calle Hermanos Agüero • Casino Campestre (nice large park in centre : see box below) • Museo Hospital San Juan de Dios, Plaza San Juan de Dios • Iglesia del Carmen a rare two-steepled church; in pink • Iglesia de la Soledad near narrowest street in Cuba : callejon de la Soledad • Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Merced with some ceiling paintings • Museo provincial Ignacio Agromonte, avenida de los Martires, La Vigia • Plaza San Juan de Dios • Monasterio de las Ursulinas • Galeria Alejo Carpentier • Tifereht Israel Synagogue

PALADARES
El Cardenal, calle Marti 309 for its great (best in Cuba?) comidas criollas; La Terraza, calle Santa Rosa 8 for mutton, chicken and pork; El Califa, calle San Clemente (Raul Lamar) 49 : hearty meats for the macho in you. Lonely Planet says its "food is fantastic"; La Mandarina Roja on Padre Olallo 731 offers Chinese food in pesos;

RESTAURANTS
Best choice is La Isabela in what used to be a cinema, honors Cuba's movie directors and serves lasagna, fettucine and a good pizza : always crowded since it opened in April 08, corner Agramonte and Independencia; El Retorno very affordable fare (fried yucca, piglet) on calle Bella Vista; Bodegan Don Cayetano calle Republica 79 for prawns, tuna and chorizo, tavern-style; lovely Parador de Los Tres Reyes on Plaza San Juan de Dios for chicken and next door in a fab location : La Campana de Toledo in courtyard, main courses from 7cuc to 18cuc; Don Ronquillo, Calle Ignacio Agramonte 406 expensive but in a nice setting on Galeria Colonial's shaded patio; payable in moneda nacional : El Ovejito in Plaza del Carmen for lamb chops; the very popular menu at Rancho Luna on Plaza Maceo; La Volante for its version of the national dish, ropa vieja (mashed pork);

DINING ROOMS in local hotels : Salon Caribe on 5th floor of Gran Hotel, calle Maceo 67; the dining room at the Hotel Colon, calle republica 472; Hotel Plaza, calle Van Horne 1; Hotel Puerto Principe, ave de los Martires;

LUNCHES, ETC
Snacks, pastries or ice cream Meson for local beer on calle Republica; Impacto (sundaes and cake) on Republica 366; Calle Republica's ice creams; fried chicken at Cafeteria Las Ruinas on Maceo; Cafeteria El Ferro near the estacion de tren; Panaderia Doña Neli, facing the Gran Hotel, a good bakery; burgers in the Gran Hotel snack bar; Vicaria Pollito's chicken specialties (5km on way to Nuevitas)

SERVICES
Tourist info center Infotur (too rare in Cuba) on Agramonte 448 also harbors the organized tours desks of Havanatur 28-8604 offices and wimming pool at the Gran Hotel (2cuc); Rent a bike at Cafeteria Las Ruinas or at Islazul, corner Maceo; car rental at Hotel Camaguey : Havanautos (32) 27-2239, Cubataxi (32) 28-1247, Public library : Biblioteca Publica Cisneros 177 (32) 29-37-73, Policlínica Centro's medical services, calle República 211 (32) 29-7810

TRANSPORTATION
Bus for Playa Santa Lucia (3xday) • Bus Viazul link above and below (32) 27-0194 terminal is named Alvaro Barba, 3 km southeast on way to Sibanicu • Planes airport is 9km northeast on way to Nuevitas with a daily flight to La Habana Aeropuerto Ignacio Agromonte (32) 26-1862 • Trains (local and national links above) Estacion de Ferrocaril, Avenida Carlos J. Finlay (32) 28-3214) Worthy of note : a day train leaves for Moron — 148 km northeast of here through Florida and Ciego de Avila. Moron is the gateway to cayos Coco, Guillermo, Paredon Grande and Romano — at 15h30 every afternoon.

Viazul goes by here both ways 8 x day to/from Varadero, Santiago, Havana and Trinidad via Santa Clara, Sancti Spiritus, Trinidad (twice), Ciego de Avila, Camaguey, Las Tunas — Rutas 16 + 24 + 25 + Cardenas & Colon (to/from Varadero) - Ruta 26

The too vast (when too empty) Plaza de la Revolucion its neighbour, the Estadio de Beisbol (baseball stadium) and to its left, under tree cover, the city park named Casino Campestre © René Estevan, panoramio •|• Facing the Casa de la Trova, dominating his namesake plaza, the omnipresent local hero and prodigal son, Ignacio Agramonte © camaguey.cu, Didier Padron

Centro de Cultura Comunitaria, calle Popular a museum showing modern art and upstairs, various shows © sogestour •|• Mercado agropecuario El Rio, the large outdoors market is one of most pleasant on the island © linda - picasa

Raul Castro accepting a bible from local Bishop Miguel Angel Ortiz during the ceremony witnessed by 30,000 participants of the beatification on November 29 2008 of Cuban José Olallo, brother of the Order de San Juan de Dios, who looked after the body of Ignacio Agramonte.

"A gift for all", "a significant turn", "a memorable milestone", "an historic event", the beatification on November 29 2008 of Cuban José Olallo, brother of the Order de San Juan de Dios, who looked after the sick and the dying for over five decades. "He's the saint of charity, of service to the sick." ••• Photos : Raul Castro accepting a bible from local Bishop Miguel Angel Ortiz during the ceremony witnessed by 30,000 participants •|• Portrait of José Olallo Valdés (1820-1899)

Mercado on wheels © sogestour •|• Teatro Principal © adelante

Plaza de los Trabajadores seen by photog Eyanex © eyanex, panoramio

Freshly repainted edificios at one end of the central Plaza de los Trabajadores, the workers' plaza, Ernesto watching. © sogestour

The Glorieta in central park Casino Campestre © davidcesar71,

The Glorieta in Camaguey's lovely central park named Casino Campestre is the same as when it was inaugurated with a concert in 1928 © davidcesar71, panoramio

On the plaza of the same name, Museo San Juan de Dios where Padre (now Saint) José Olallo Valdés arrived as a brother in 1835 and spent the next 54 years taking care of the sick. Now a museum of local architecture with a Sala de Medicina, an homage to its recent past as a childrens' hospital © robert bilodeau, picasaweb

Legendary bar El Cambio also named House of Luck where a winning lottery ticket was sold in 1947 : as enchanting if not more than Havana's Bodeguita del Medio. © melisa barrera, picasaweb

In city center on Plaza de los Trabajadores, the grand Iglesia Nuestra Señora de la Merced where legend tells of a miraculous flying figure seen in 1601; a coffin made of solid silver, the Santo Sepulcro and the catacombs are must-sees © meneldor, picasaweb

In this devoutly catholic city, most kids in the 50's had to be educated by religious orders. Here Colegio Champagnat and mouseover, the Colegio Salesiano. Both have been restaured recently; exiled nostalgic graduates of these alma maters have web sites honouring their rites of passage © unk

Click at left to open an article in PDF form
from the UNESCO Courier

by Marilyn Bobes, Cuban poet.

ECOTOURING : A HANDFUL OF DAY TRIPS
Casas particulares can book you passage on an 8-seat Viazul minibus to La Boca (Los Cocos), a quiet spot at the entrance of the canal de Nuevitas. One can see Cayo Sabinal on the horizon. Departs at 8:30, returns at 5 p.m. Tickets 12cuc p.p. return. Otherwise, drive to Santa Lucia : there is a 12km-long playa.

••• Local agency Ecotur can handle visits to Cayo Sabinal as well as the regional parks and responsible tourism which includes an excursion named Cocodrilo which visits a tiny settlement once populated by aborigines along rio Maximo where a corcodile nursery can now be found. It's only 50 km away near Minas.

A newer offering goes to the old sugar mill works in the town of Brasil where a 30's era house — La Casona — has been restaured to offer 8 bedrooms for outdoors people who have to get up early for catch & release fishing off Cayo Romano. In Cuba, dial 0 32 60-6380

Still another proposed excursion is called Flamencotur which is a catamaran cruise among the cayos where flamingos thrive — the largest nesting of these birds in the Caribbean — near Nuevitas. And a popular visit is the one to a farm, Finca La Belen about 30 miles or 50 km from Camaguey with a menu of trekking, bird watching with a restaurant and swimming pool to relax.

••• Local Ecotur phone : (32) 27-4995 Ask for Francisco — email ecotur @ caonao.cu

Libertador Desconocido

Footpath in Limones - Tuabaquey

CASINO CAMPESTRE, SITIO DE INTERES LOCAL
Since its creation in 1902, the central city park named Casino Campestre has enchanted visitors who can enjoy its sights while walking by a children's park, a mini zoo and some monumentos : the one celebrating Salvador Cisneros Betancourt named President by the revolutionaries of 1898; the monument to the Libertador Desconocido (the unknown liberator, at left), the monumento dedicated to Barberan & Collar and a cave like those found in European city parks at the beginning of the last century : La Gruta, influenced by Catalan Modernism. Other statues include Manuel Ramon Silva and another representing Gonzalo de Quesada, José Marti's assistant and, in red and white, the same colors it had in 1928, an eclectic-styled gazebo, the Glorieta. The stage called El Castillito is the scene of actors and comics such as Sir Clown a local troupe presently touring the island with a show named Ambulantes.

DOWN SOUTH : a town reborn, beaches and cayos
About 82 km southeast, via Santa Rosa and La Daseada, the town of Santa Cruz del Sur, (Holy Cross of the South) on the Caribbean coast, from where one may find playas Bonita 2,5km off town or Las Playuelas 8k away. Town was totally wiped out (2,000 dead) in 1932 but now thrives with fishing and land grazing and food growing shared by a population of 49,904 (2007). Contact with the sea by playas Bonita 2,5km away and las Playuelas 8 km off the town. Fishermen still ply (with tourists and travellers, luckily) some of the hitherto unknown 36 cayos offshore of the province of Camaguey. Closest to the coast : Carnero, Muerto, Pinipiniche, Mate Adentro, Bergantines, Pasa Honda or Güincho; furthest : Rabihocardo et Loma).

SIERRA DE CUBITAS
Some 26 km northeast of town via Paso de Lesca (map), in the middle of the Sierra de Cubitas lies the newly-appointed Reserva Ecológica Limones-Tuabaquey A nature interpretation centre is to start in 2010 to welcome up to 60 visitors overnight with forests to explore and nature to observe.

(Photo at left links to Cuban web site with details (in Español).


EVENINGS • Every saturday evening in San Juan de Dios park, travellers (some all the way from the cayos) gather to enjoy songs, dances and traditional Afro Cuban music which resound and abound in the great square. Colours and movements mix with drums and congas and captivate the spectators in a show that includes rites and santeria music in Cuba. It's called Wemilere and it's followed by an invitation to dinner at La Campana de Toledo for typical fare. LA VIDA LOCA Noche Camagueyana is a weekly "saturday nite folly" street fiesta (food and alcohol stalls, loud music for lookers, shakers and minglers) stretching on calle Republica from the train station to La Soledad; BARS include tiny but so atmospheric El Cambio on Marti corner Independencia. Opened in 1909, named "Casa de la Suerte" or House of Luck : go see why • La Terraza where locals abound, blaber and drink • Patio Colonial in Galeria Colonial • Taberna Bucanero on Republica has a pirate theme • La Bigornia for barely-adult and flashily-clad chicas; the piano bar at the Gran Hotel is best spot for, as says Lonely Planet "cross-cultural fertilization" between tourists and jiniteras; there may be a 9 pm show in the swimming pool • Hotel Colon's bar is also enticing and nice to gawk in

SHOWS Galeria Uneac on Cisneros 159, trova and rumba shows with two saturday-only concerts • Casa de la Trova at Cisneros 171 in front of Agramonte statue in park in a lovely and compact setting. Sunday mornings, seniors gather to sing the old standards • El Colonial is a cabaret with a 7cuc cover for local artists performing variety shows and standup comedy • Sala Teatro José Luis Tasende on Ramon Guerrero with stage plays by professional troupe Conjunto Dramatico • Teatro Principal on Padre Valencia 64 where you can with luck see the ballet troupe of 75 dancers, Ballet Folclórico de Camagüey having performed works more than 130 times around the world since its foundation in 1968; the troupe toured Italy in May 2010; other local dance troupes include Ballet de Camaguey and Ballet Contemporaneo Endedans • Copacabana is a discoteca on main road facing the ballet center • Teatro Cubano de la Magia (Cuba's magic theatre on General Gomez 364) • Teatro Guiñol de Camaguey (Puppets on Lugareño, corner San Clemente) • Baseball at Estadio Candido Gonzalez, avenida 26 de Julio • Cinemas : the last one standing is the Encanto on calle Agramonte. ANNUAL CULTURAL EVENTS Jornadas de la Cultura Camagueyana (Dozens of events and shows during the first two weeks of February) • Since 1997, the month of May sees another great edition of the Festival Nacional de Teatro Camagüey held in local venues Teatro del Viento, Teatro de la Enseñanza Artística, el Principal, Casino Campestre, the Guiñol Theatre and the Edad de Oro theater featuring (in 2010, 21 plays were presented) by authors and actors from all over the island Other local annual cultural events include : Festival de Teatro Carlos Moctezuma (Childrens' Theater in June) • Carnival San Juan Camagueyano (African music, parades, dancing, late June) • Encuentro de Cultura Popular Tradicional (Folk Dances in July) • Cruzada Literaria (Literary crusade in August) • Salón Provincial Fidelio Ponce de León (Provincial Plastic Arts Fair in September) • Feria Provincial de Arte Popular (Provincial Popular Art Fair in October) • Fiesta de la Joven Guitarra (Young guitarists, solists or in groups in October) • Fiesta de las Flores (Flower arrangement contests, poetry, conferences in November) • Festival Internacional de Videoarte (Art on Video in November) with hundreds of works from Canadá, España, Alemania, Italia, Francia, Colombia and Cuba in 2010, the 3rd annual edition.

The city cemetery •]• A view of a Santa Lucia beach at sunset

HEED THE HINTS IN THIS FINE PRINT
::: Make sure that in your first email or phone call you specify that you want to book a room in that particular casa and that you will reconfirm your booking on arrival in Cuba. Unless you only want a room in any house which may be of the same quality, not the specific casa you booked through photos on these websites ::: So as to not abandon expecting owners with empty rooms, reconfirm (or call ahead to cancel) your booking by phone as soon as you can after arriving in Cuba ::: Please write or phone a casa owner to cancel a booking. As late as it may seem, it allows them a chance to rebook. ::: Children under the age of 16 may share a bedroom with adults for free. Specify the child's age when booking. ::: Since October 2010, maximum bedroom capacity is not limited to two adults ::: Also, large casas are not limited to renting only two bedrooms per night. ::: At the end of the casa name, the V signals the casa was suggested by travelers or owners but not verified by the website staff. If you try it and like it, write us about it. ::: Unless otherwise mentioned, the average room rates and service prices are : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night [up to 40+ for 4 in a room]; breakfasts 3-5cuc, dinners 7-10cuc. ::: Note : monthly taxes have increased 15-50% for owners; this may be reflected on the aforementioned rates. ::: Any casa particular anywhere in Cuba must have a hot water shower, otherwise it cannot have a permit to rent.

::: On certain occasions in the past year, overbooking may have inadvertently hurt some travellers, some casa owners and some webmasters more than would appear and this prompted this webmaster to overreact by generalizing about individual realities; having hurt most casa owners, this webmaestro's self-righteous attitude [all action, no talk] was uncalled for. Lo siento mucho I am truly sorry and apologies given, Marcos 070112 ::: Please share your Complaints, comments & suggestions webmaster [@]cubacasas.net

BOOK BY PHONE
• From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by 32 for Camaguey) • From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by 32 for Camaguey) HOW TO DIAL A CUBAN PHONE NUMBER HERE

BOOK BY EMAIL : Click on logo to open a message addressed to that casa in your email application; or right-click to copy address showing at bottom of browser window. Spanish vocabulary here. Google translate here.

Click on our street map with street names here. Consult our vocabulary for inspiration here.

See casas in sequence.

Click this logo to move to next on list.

MIRIAM GUERRA DE LA CRUZ V
Two aircon bedrooms, private baths
Calle Joaquin de Aguero 525, entre 25 de Julio y Perucho Figueredo in reparto La Vigia. Tel. (32) 28-21-20 Cell (5) 270-3252

ALBA FERRAZ
Two aircon bedrooms, private ensuites
Calle Popular (Ramon Guerrero) 106, e/Lopez Recio y San Esteban, two blocks from Plaza de los Trabajadores. Tel. (32) 29-7897 c/o neighbour Janitza

LOS VITRALES V
Two aircon bedrooms, private baths
Calle Avellaneda 3, e/General Gomez y Marti, town center near Parque Marti. Tel. (32) 29-58-66

LOS HELECHOS V
One aircon bedroom, private bath
Calle República No. 68, entre Pobres y Luaces, facing the Museo Estudiantil Tel. (32) 29-48-68 Cell (5) 231-1897

ELSA y HENRY
Two aircon bedrooms, private baths, lovely patio
Calle San Fernando # 62, entre Tio Perico y Triana, some 200 meters from Plaza de la Juventud, in the heart of town. Tel (32) 29-8104

DELFIN y ELENA V
One aircon bedroom, ensuite, lovely patio
Calle E.J. Varona (San Ramon Norte) # 171, entre Santa Rita (El Solitario) y San Esteban (O. Primelles), in town center a few meters from Museo Ignacio Agromonte. Tel (32) 29-72-62

CASA BLANCA
Two aircon bedrooms, shared bath
Calle E.J. Varona (formerly San Ramón Norte) # 201, entre Heredia y Santa Rita, near Estacion de Tren. Tel (32) 29-3542

ANGEL CÉSAR BRITO DUARTE V
Two aircon bedrooms, private baths
Calle Maceo 62, entre General Gómez y Ignacio Agramonte, upstairs, next door to Gran Hotel. Tel. (32) 29-8271 cell (5) 284-7754

MAYRA y GASPAR V
Two aircon bedrooms, private baths
Calle General Gómez No. 546, almost on corner of calle Amalia Simoni, near Plaza de La Habana. Tel. (32) 29-6725 cell (5) 289-1590

LA CASA DE CARIDAD V
Two aircon bedrooms, private baths
Calle Oscar Primelles #310 A, e/Bartolomé Maso y Padre Olallo in centre, five blocks from Plaza de los Trabajadores. Tel. (32) 29-1554

CASA LANCARA V
Two aircon bedrooms, private baths
Calle Avellaneda 160 e/ Jaime y Ignacio Agramonte, behind La Soledad church. Tel. (32) 23-31-87 Cell (5) 281-0375

JUAN E CRESPO MULEN V
Centrally-located one-bedroom apt with balcony
Calle Maceo 68 (upstairs) entre Republica y General Gomez, steps from Gran Hotel. Tel. (32) 29-8049 @ Footprint 191210

ALFREDO y MILAGROS V
Two aircon bedrooms, private baths
Calle Cisneros 124, esquina (corner) Raúl Lamar (San Clemente) between the Catedral and restaurant el Califa steps from Parque Agramonte. Tél. (32) 29-7436

The charming host couple's daughter teaches French; the couple speaks English ands trents two large bedrooms in light open spaces each well-decorated with private ensuite baths onto a pink and green marbled patio. Photos pending.

YAMILET y EDGAR V
One aircon bedroom, private bath
Calle San Ramon 209, entre Heredia y Santa Rita (El Solitario), near the train station (Estacion de ferrocariles). Tel. (32) 25-2991

Edgar works at the Gran Hotel. While spouse Yamilet runs the casa where the couple rents one aircon bedroom with ensuite bath. Small living area opens onto the comedor where breakfasts and dinners may be savoured . Photos pending.

Updated 23.01.2012