Camagüey travel guide

History

The capital of the province was originally called Puerto Príncipe, until 9 June 1903. The village of Santa María de Puerto del Príncipe was first founded in 1515 at Punta del Guincho in the Bahía de Nuevitas, but the site was unsatisfactory for development because of a lack of water and poor soil fertility. In 1516 the first settlers moved to Caonao (an Amerindian word for gold or place where gold can be found), an aborigine chiefdom near the Río Caonao. However, in 1527 enslaved Amerindians rose up against the Spanish colonizers and burned down the town. The settlers then moved again, further inland, between the Río Tínima and the Río Hatibonico, where the village was finally established.

Moving inland was no protection against pirate attacks. During the 17th century, as the settlement became prosperous on the back of raising livestock, and later sugar, it was the target of the Welshman Henry Morgan in 1668 and of French pirates led by François Granmont in 1679. However, despite the looting, the town continued to grow throughout the 18th century, although its architects took the precaution of designing the layout to foil pirate attacks. No two streets run parallel, and this creates a maze effect, which is most unlike other colonial towns built on the grid system. On 12 November 1817, Fernando VII, the king of Spain, declared Puerto Príncipe a city with a coat of arms.

Several revolutionary events of the 19th century are remembered in Camagüey. In 1812 eight black slaves fighting for independence under the command of José Antonio Aponte, were executed. In 1826, revolutionary Agüero Velazco was hanged in what is now Parque Agramonte. Joaquín de Agüero y Agüero and his followers took arms against the colonial power in 1851, but their movement failed and they were executed by firing squad. In 1868, when Carlos Manuel de Céspedes initiated the struggle for independence, many Camagueyans supported him, including Ignacio Agramonte, Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, Maximiliano Ramos, Javier de la Vega and others who are remembered in street names, monuments and museums.

Getting around

The active will be able to walk to most sites of interest in the city, otherwise you can pick up a bicitaxi. Note that many streets have two names, one an old colonial religious name and the other a replacement from the early 20th century. People use both . Many provincial towns and Playa Santa Lucía can be reached by bus, but check your return journey before setting off. Car hire is available, or you can arrange for a Cuban to drive you in his car.

Getting there

All major routes pass through Camagüey province and as the city is squarely in the middle, it is well located as far as communications are concerned. The international airport is 9 km north of the city and you may be lucky enough to find a bus that will bring you into Parque Finlay, otherwise you will have to catch a taxi, state or private, CUC$5. Most tourists arriving at the airport are taken by bus straight to their resorts on the north coast, not into Camagüey. There are flights from Havana and international scheduled and charter flights, although these vary with the season. The railway station is just north of the centre, within walking distance of several hotels and casas particulares, and on the main line from Havana to Santiago. The bus station is further out, the other side of the river from the centre, with several daily buses from Havana and Santiago, as well as good connections with neighbouring towns. Taxi from here to the town centre, approximately CUC$5.