Getting There
Air
Any bus/truck going to Nuevitas, Minas or Playa Santa Lucía from Parque Finlay by the railway station will pass the Ignacio Agramonte International Airport (CMW). The airport is 9 km from the centre on the road to Nuevitas, T32-261000. There are 2 terminals, for domestic flights, T32-267202, and for international flights, T32-267150. Cubana flies daily from Havana, and once a week from Montréal. There are also charter flights from Toronto, Venezuela, Miami and Europe depending on the season. There is a small airstrip at Playa Santa Lucía, Joaquín de Agüero. There are car rental agencies at the airport.
Airlines
Cubana, República 400 esq Correa, T32-292156/291338, Mon, Wed, Fri 0815-1600, Tue, Thu 0815-1830, Sat 0830-1130. Also at Playa Santa Lucía, in Club Mayanabo, T32-365352.
Bus
The Interprovincial bus station is southwest of the centre along the Carretera Central Oeste, esq Perú. Víazul, T32-270396 (24-hr service for reservations at the terminal or go to Cubatur), stops here on its Havana– Santiago, Havana–Holguín, Varadero– Santiago and Trinidad–Santiago routes. Buses and trucks to Playa Santa Lucía and other municipalities leave from opp Parque Finlay. Bus to Playa Santa Lucía 0500 and 1400, 3.25 pesos cubanos.
Car hire
Havanautos is at Céspedes y Carretera Central opp Hotel Camagüey, T32-272239, at Plaza Joaquín de Agüero (Plaza de Méndez), T32-257537, and at the airport T32-261010/ 287068. Cubacar, manager’s office at Av Jayama y Carretera Central este, opp fuel station near Hotel Camagüey, with branches at Hotel Plaza, T32-282413, at Parque Casino Campestre beside Restaurante DiMar on the edge of the Río Hatibonico, T32-297472, at Plaza de los Trabajadores, Ignacio Agramonte 448, T32-285327, at Martí y Carretera Central oeste T32-257538, and at the airport, T32-287067. Rex at the airport, T32-262444, the best for luxury cars such as Audi, with prices from CUC$70-160 a day, although other makes are available for less. Vía Gaviota, at the airport, T32-241806, probably the cheapest in the city, with good deals on weekly rentals. At Playa Santa Lucía, there are rental desks at the hotels or just outside them. Havanautos, T32-26188, commercial office at Av Residencial, T32-336368. Cubacar, T32-336109, commercial office, T32-365216. Also offices at Martí y Medrano, Nuevitas, T32-416486; Carretera Central, Florida, T32-516260; Martí 89 entre Victoria y Olimpo, Guaimaro, T32-813290.
Petrol stations: There are Servi Cupet 24-hr gas stations: Libertad, by the river on Carretera Central with Av de la Libertad; Vía Blanca, a couple of blocks further south on the other side of the Carretera Central; at Carretera Central este, beside Hotel Camagüey; at Av Saratoga, 300 m from Av Finlay; at Carretera Central oeste y Gen Gómez by the hospital; at Carretera Central este by the provincial bus station, and several others around the city; at the junction as you arrive at Playa Santa Lucía; Carretera Central y Francisco V Aguilera, Florida; Carretera Central y Martí, Guáimaro; Agramonte entre Albisa y Medrano, Nuevitas; Carretera de Santa Cruz del Sur 304 and Carretera Central y Vía Blanca, Camagüey.
Taxi
Cubataxi, Av de los Mártires in the same block as Hotel Puerto Príncipe, T32-281247/ 298721 in Camagüey. Av Principal La Concha, T32-336196 in Playa Santa Lucía. An official taxi will cost CUC$60 (CUC$0.50 per km) from Camagüey–Playa Santa Lucía, 1 way. You can probably negotiate a round trip with waiting time for CUC$70, depending on your bargaining skills, as the driver can earn extra money while you are at the beach. A private car will cost about the same as it is illegal and if caught by the police the driver will have to pay a fine or a bribe. You may have to call a Cubataxi for the rest of your journey. Ask at your casa particular. From Playa Santa Lucía to Playa los Cocos, expect to pay CUC$5-6.
Bicitaxis
in the city charge CUC$0.40 per block, double that at night (plus surcharge after midnight). However, it is illegal for tourists to travel in private bicitaxis. There is an official, state-run agency: Andariegos, which tourists can use. Contact the manager, Alcides, at Calle Cristo, beside Restaurante Tinajita, T32-295484/ 295598. If you are in a group he can arrange for a fleet of bicitaxis to take you around town in a caravan.
Horse-drawn carriages
are used in Camagüey and at Playa Santa Lucía for local taxi journeys; around town on official routes the price is 1-2 pesos cubanos, fix price in advance, Playa Santa Lucía to Playa los Cocos, CUC$20 return; a 2-hr tour is also CUC$20.
Train
Schedules and fares must be confirmed, trains cannot be relied on. Railway station, T32-292633/281525. Train ticket agency, T32-283214. Foreigners pay in CUC$ at Ladis office upstairs above the main ticket office opposite Hotel Plaza. The station is divided into long distance, south of the railway by Hotel Plaza, and short distances within the province, north of the railway between Joaquín de Agüero and Manuel Benavides. Camagüey is on the routes Havana–Santiago, Havana–Bayamo and Havana–Guantánamo.Stay In Touch
Banks
Most banks are open Mon-Fri 0800-1500, Sat 0800-1100, except Banco Popular de Ahorro on Av Mártires, T32-283268, which is open Mon-Sat 0800-1900, with ATM. Other branches of BPA at República 294 entre San Estéban y Callejón de Magdalena, T32-297687, ATM; Cisneros 224 entre Hermanos Agüero y Martí, T32-296777, ATM; Av Libertad 33, T32-292632, ATM. Banco Financiero Internacional is on Plaza Maceo, T32-294846. For all financial and exchange services including cash advances on credit cards. Efficient, cool, Mon-Fri 0800-1500 except last working day of the month 0800-1200. There is a Cadeca for currency exchange and TCs on República 353 entre Primelles y Santa Rita, T32-295220, Mon-Sat 0800-1800, Sun 0800-1300, also at Av de la Libertad inside the grocery, T32-286840, same hours, at the airport, in Hotel Camagüey and in hotels at Playa Santa Lucía. Charges are higher at the Cadecas in hotels and at the airport than in town. The Banco de la República is on República opposite Iglesia La Soledad. Bandec is on Plaza de los Trabajadores, T32-291875, ATM, Cisneros esq Plaza de los Trabajadores, T32-293932, Joaquín de Agüero 2, T32-288537, and Residencial, Playa Santa Lucía, T32-336383.
Immigration
T32-336225.
Internet
Etecsa, Avellaneda 271, daily 0830-1630 and Telepunto, República entre San Martín y San José, near Hotel Colón, T32-251559, daily 0830-1930, both offer internet access at CUC$6 per hr. The hotels have internet service for guests.
Medical services
The Policlínico Finlay is on Av Carlos J Finlay heading towards the airport. Policlínica Pirra is squeezed between the railway station and the Agramonte museum. The Provincial Hospital is west of the centre, T32-291902 /282012. Amalia Simoni Clinic is out on the road to Nuevitas, just past the junction with Circunvalación, T32-261051/261041. Surgery, Ignacio Agramonte 449, beside Isabela restaurant, T32-251952, Mon-Fri 0900-1700, Sat 0900-1300, consulting room and pharmacy, pay in CUC$, Dr Víctor Sousa (T32-287476 home phone) and dentist Dr Yadira Ulloa (T01-5233 4087 mob) are in charge of medical services for tourists in Camagüey. At Playa Santa Lucía there is an International Clinic, Residencial 14, T32-336203, http://www.servimedcuba.com. Pharmacy, Maceo 8, 15 m from Plaza Maceo, 0900-1700 Mon-Fri, 0900-1500 Sat, CUC$. There are lots of pharmacies where Cubans pay in pesos cubanos, but it is illegal to sell medicines to tourists, who have to pay in CUC$ at the places listed.
Post
The central post office is just on the corner of the Plaza de los Trabajadores on Cisneros, next to Casa Natal Ignacio Agramonte, T32-293277. There are others on Los Mártires entre Julio Sanguily y Tomás Betancourt, T32-282309, on the corner of Plaza Joaquín de Agüero opp the children’s theatre and on Carretera Central opp Hospital Provincial. At Playa Santa Lucía there is a post office by Servi Cupet at the main junction, the main post office is in Residencial and all hotels have an office.
Telephone
Etecsa is on Avellaneda 271 and 308, T32-281709, daily 0830-1630, phones, accessories, pre-paid cards, internet and fax. Telepunto, República entre San Martín y San José, near Hotel Colón, T32-251559, daily 0830-1930, phone cards, accessories, international calls, fax, internet access, CUC$6 per hr. At Playa Santa Lucía Etecsa is by Servi Cupet at the main junction. Email is available.