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| Camaguey

"La
Ciudad Confusa"
The Maze
Because
of it's difficult street alyout Camaguey is called "The
Maze". You have to be a good navigator driving arround
this city.
A characteristic
feature of this city is the large number of squares and parks,
including San Juan de Dios Square, built in the 18th cent.,
and Ignacio Agramonte Park, which used to be the parade grounds
in colonial times. A sober colonial architecture and a traditional
inclination for the arts have enriched the spiritual and cultural
life of the people of Camagüey.
Large
earthenware jars (Tinajón), used in the past and at
present to store rainwater in the patios of many houses, are
a distinguishing feature of the city.
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The
city of Camaguey, which was founded early in the 16th
century, is one of the cradles of Cuban culture. The oldest
part of the city is unique because of its narrow, twisting
streets and alleys, which start or end in public squares
and form a complicated labyrinth-that was deliberately
designed this way to confuse pirates and other raiders
in the past. Most of the buildings have cool, leafy inner
patios which contain large earthenware jars- the symbol
of the city. |
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other things, Camaguey
contains the narrowest street in Cuba - Funda del
Catre Alley, 7.2 feet (2.2 m) wide and 252.6 feet
(77m) long. Other attractions include the Principal
Theater (built in 1850); the Puerto Principe Cemetery
(created in 1814 and the oldest of the cemeteries
that are being used in Cuba); the Ignacio Agramonte
Museum (history and decorative arts); the Amalia
Simoni Manor (decorative arts and pieces of furniture
that illustrate 19th century costumes) |
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| Ignacio
Agramonte Park (the former Arms Square, created
in 1528); churches and public squares of great architectural
and artistic value; Troubadours' House; art galleries;
handicrafts exhibits; the house where Ignacio Agramonte,
a general in Cuba's Wars of Independence against
Spain in the 19th century, was born (it contains
furniture and decorations dating from the end of
the 18th and the beginning of the 19th century;
and the house where Nicolas Guillen, Cuba's National
Poet, was born. |
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The
city has a prestigious dance company, the Ballet of Camaguey.
It hosts an International Theater Festival and the traditional
Festivals of San Juan, which date from the 18th century
and consist of a week of dancing and parades of colorful
floats, street-dance groups and congas. There are several
hotels and a large network of restaurants,
bars, cabarets,
clubs, cafe's and discoteques.
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To Do
in Camaguey City
Antiguo
Cuartel de Caballería del Ejército Español
Museo
Ave. de los Mártires #2
Camagüey
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Ballet
de Camagüey
Institución
Carretera Central #3331
Camagüey |
From
Parque de los Trabajadores head for the Teatro Principal
on Padre Valencia. the building itself is attractive
and interesting enough with it's stained-glass windows
and chandeliers in the foyer. It is also the home of
the internationally renowned Camaguey ballet
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Casa
Natal Nicolás Guillén
Calle Hermanos Agüero 58 e/Cisneros and Príncipe
Camaguey
Tel: 32/29-3706 |
Camagüey's
most important literary figure, considered Cuba's national
poet, was born in this house, which stands as a simple
tribute to his life and enduring work. Guillén,
an Afro-Cuban born here in 1902, only lived in the house
for 2 years, though he returned to Camagüey after
studying law in Havana and worked as a journalist for
a local paper. The house now functions primarily as
a research and cultural center, with occasional poetry
readings and concerts. A smattering of photographs,
personal memorabilia, and copies of a handful of poems
connect the house to the life and work of Guillén.
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Casa
Natal de Ignacio Agramonte
Museo
Ave. Ignacio Agramonte #459
Camagüey |
Opposite
La Merced is the Casa Natal de Ignacio Agramonte, the
birth-place and family of home of Camaguey's number-one
hero, the 19th century revolutionary general, killed
in action against the Spanish in 1873. The museum traces
Agramonte's life, career, and campaigns and has exhibits
such as his letters and guns. The story is told entirely
in Spanish but even if you can't speak a word of Spanish
and you're not remotely interested in Ignacio Agramonte
(which, I imagine, would describe most of my readers)
it's still worth paying to get in (and it costs less
than £1 anyway) as the house has been restored
to how it would have looked in the mid-19th century
complete with authentic period furniture.
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Camagüey
Teatro Principal
Teatro
Padre Valencia #64
Camagüey |
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Las
Clavelinas
Monument
Carretera Camino Las Clavelinas
Camagüey
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Conjunto
Monumentario Ignacio Agramonte
Sitio de interés
Plaza de la Revolución
Camagüey
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Hospital
y Plaza San Juan de Dios
Monument |
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the road at the southwest corner of Parque Agramonte
(Cisneros, by the Cathedral's tower); keep going until
you see either Angel or Pacio Recio on your right, take
one of these and then at the next corner go left on
Doctor Emilio Gonzales, which goes to Hurtado and this
will lead you to probably the highlight of Camaguey,
the Plaza San Juan de Dios, now a National Monument.
Either that or you could follow the signs that they've
put up since my last visit. Alternatively you'll now
realise that you're hopelessly lost and have to ask
someone for directions.
Either
way, with luck you'll end up at the Plaza San Juan de
Dios and you can stand there for a minute or so and
think how worthwhile it was coming down here. This is
an 18th century square which has been completely restored,
as have all the colonial-era buildings than surround
it. The fact that all the buildings have been paint-washed
in different colours only makes it even more photogenic
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Iglesia
de Nuestra Señora de La Merced
The most significant structure on the rather plain Plaza
de los Trabajadores is this massive 18th-century brick
church, Camagüey's most distinguished and in its
day the largest in Cuba. A chapel existed on this spot
in 1601; the present structure dates to 1748 (it was
reconstructed in 1848 and again in 1909 after a fire).
To one side of a lush cloister is the old convent, which
still houses a rapidly decreasing number of nuns. The
church is an eclectic architectural mix. Adorning the
ceiling are surprising Art Nouveau murals, added in
the 20th century. Also of note are the painted wood,
neo-Gothic altar and the Santo Sepulcro, a 1762 casket
elaborately fashioned from 25,000 silver coins and carried
high by eight men during Easter processionals. Down
narrow stairs behind the principal altar is a mysterious
crypt, the remains of an extensive underground cemetery.
Most of it was closed off after fire damage, but six
macabre tombs with skeletons remain and are on creepy
view alongside a small museum of 18th- and 19th-century
objects uncovered at the church.
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Museo
de la Lucha Estudiantil
República #69
Camagüey
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Museo
Provincial Ignacio Agramonte
Ave. de los Mártires #2 e/Ignacio Sánchez
and Rotario
Camagüey
Tel: 32/28-2425
Housed in a striking building that was once a Spanish
cavalry barracks. The museum was closed for renovations
on both my previous visits to Camaguey but apparently
it contains exhibits on local history, flora and fauna
(looking through the window I could see a few display
cases of stuffed animals). Don't expect any information
in English either. This may be the sort of museum where
it's worth going in just to get a better look around
the building.
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| Plaza
San Juan de Dios
Plaza San Juan de Dios
Camaguey
Tel: 32/29-1318
A
National Monument and one of the most remarkable colonial
relics in Cuba, this elegant and serene square looks
like a meticulously designed movie set. Its charms are
subtle but undeniable. The colonial arches, cobblestones,
and houses with red-tile roofs and window grilles speak
volumes about Camagüey's colonial past. The square,
whose present design dates to 1732, holds great significance
for Cubans: The body of the national independence war
hero Ignacio Agramonte was brought here, after being
burned by the Spaniards, for identification in 1873.
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Plaza
del Carmen
Plaza del Carmen
Tel: 32/29-6901 |
A
narrow pedestrian-only street of pastel-colored colonial
row houses opens on to an irregularly shaped square.
Renovations have revamped the 18th-century square with
street lamps, huge tinajeros, and slightly larger-than-life
sculptures of locals in various poses of daily work
and pleasure. The restored spot has done much to uncover
a classic Camagüey colonial plaza.
Not
long ago, the church and convent at the end of the open
square stood roofless, in utter ruins. The baroque-style
Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, which dates
to 1825, is now immaculately restored. It is the only
church in Camagüey, and indeed in the whole eastern
half of Cuba, topped by two towers. The early-19th-century
Monasterio de las Ursalinas (Ursuline Convent) next
door is now an architectural showpiece distinguished
by handsome arches framing the expansive patio. Built
in 1829, the convent later became a refuge for hurricane
victims and a school for the poor after the sisters
transferred their headquarters to Havana. In the years
subsequent to the Revolution, it served several purposes;
most recently it was a nondescript warehouse. The building
was taken over in 1999 by the City Historian's office,
and today the convent is an eye-pleasing beauty, well
worth a peek inside
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Quinta
Amalia Simoni
Museo
General Gómez No. 608
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Santa
Iglesia Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
Cisneros #168
Camagüey |
Head
South down Republica past the railway tracks and
you come to one of Camaguey's churches the 18th
century Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Soledad.
From the outside it's huge but it's run-down,
peeling appearance may put you off, as might the
fact that it's often closed (although since the
Pope's visit to Camaguey most of the churches
are open more than they used to be). The interior
though makes it well worth the trouble of trying
to get in, with a large collection of statues
and idols and some great if not particularly religious
floral murals. Like many of Camaguey's churches
it's usually a lot cooler inside than out
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Villa
de Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe
Centro Histórico Urbano
Camagüey
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| Banks |
Banco
de Credito y Comercio
Plaza de los Trabajadores
Open Mo/Fri 8am to 2pm
Sat 8 am to 12 am |
Banco
Financiero Internacional
Independencia
Open Mo/Fri 8am to 3pm |
Cadeca
(Casas de Cambio)
Republica #353 |
| Mail |
Post Office
Av Agramonte #461 |
Phone |
Tele Centro
Avellaneda #308 |
Medical |
Policlinico Integral
Rodolfo Ramirez Esquival |
Farmacia
Alvarez Fuentes
Avellaneda #249 |
Farmacia
Turno Especial
Republica #269
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Clínica Internacional
de Santa Lucía
Residencia No. 4, Nuevitas |
Shops |
Camagüey
Tienda Departamental
Hotel Camagüey, Camagüey |
Centro de
Buceo
Tienda Departamental
Puerto Náutico,
Playa Santa Lucía
Nuevitas |
El Volcán
Tienda Departamental
General Gómez No. 351,
Camagüey |
Ilusión
Tienda Departamental
Maceo No. 80, Camagüey |
La Gran Señora
Tienda Departamental
Padre Valencia y
Plaza Trabajadores,
Camagüey |
Los Corales
Boutique
Micro I, Nuevitas |
Puerto Príncipe
Tienda Departamental
Hotel Puerto Príncipe,
Camagüey |
Tienda ARTex
Camagüey
Música
Hotel Camagüey
Camagüey |
Caonaba
Tienda Departamental
Vita Club Caracol, Nuevitas |
Complejo El Colonial
Tienda Departamental
Camagüey |
Ensueño
Tienda Departamental
Hotel Cuatro Vientos, Nuevitas |
La Caribeña
Tienda Departamental
Carret. Central y República,
Florida, Camagüey |
La Sirena
Tienda Departamental
Nuevitas |
Mayanabo
Tienda Departamental
Hotel Mayanabo, Nuevitas |
Santa Lucía
Centro Comercial
Playa Sta. Lucía, Nuevitas |
Tienda ARTex
Caonaba
Música
Hotel Caonaba, Nuevitas |
Caracol
Tienda Departamental
Vita Club Caracol, Nuevitas |
Complejo Trayler
Tienda Departamental
Tararaco, Playa Sta. Lucía,
Nuevitas |
Florida
Tienda Departamental
Hotel Florida, Florida |
La Elegante
Tienda Departamental
6, e/. Línea y A, Vertientes |
La Yarda
Tienda Departamental
Maceo No. 26, Camagüey |
Photoservice
Camagüey
Fotografía
General Gómez,
e/ Independencia y Maceo,
Camagüey |
Santa Lucía
Tienda Departamental
Playa Sta. Lucía, Nuevitas |
Tienda ARTex
Cuatro Vientos
Música
Hotel Cuatro Vientos,
Nuevitas |
Casa del Tabaco
Santa Lucía
Tabaquería
Playa Sta. Lucía, Nuevitas |
El Globo
Mercado
Maceo No. 70, Camagüey |
Fotovídeo Camagüey
Fotografía
Maceo No. 76, Camagüey |
La Flor de Cuba
Ferretería
Indep. y General Gómez,
Camagüey |
Plaza
Tienda Departamental
Hotel Plaza, Camagüey |
Tararaco
Tienda Departamental
Villa Tararaco, Nuevitas |
Tienda ARTex
Tararaco
Música
Villa Tararaco, Nuevitas |
Tienda Magazine
Tienda Departamental
República No. 192,
Camagüey |
Links
& Sources:
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