Most travellers to Cuba skip Camagüey on their way to Santiago or Baracoa in the far east of the island. But think again. This beautiful city of churches, colonial homes and winding streets full of art studios and galleries is definitely worth a visit. And, its historic core – founded in 1514 by the conquering Spaniards – is a Unesco-protected world heritage site.
Pirates are to blame for the city’s layout – a warren of twisting colonial streets laid out in 1528. In fact, the pirates, including Welsh buccaneer Henry Morgan, were so pesky, the city has been relocated twice – once from the coast and twice inland.
You’ll want to soak up all the history first. Start at Agramonte Park dominated by an equestrian statue of Ignacio Agramonte, a hero of the fight for independence from Spain. Here you’ll find the pretty Casa de la Trova where you can hear live music, and the 18th-century cathedral. Nearby at the Workers’ Square is Agramonte’s birthplace and the impressive Our Lady of Mercy Church, also dating from the 18th century.
Later, amble about the city’s streets towards its plazas. Think enormous coloured mansions, huge doors and entrances, bronze knockers, and patios hidden behind these wooden gateways.
Plaza del Carmen is known for Our Lady of Carmen baroque-style church with two towers and its neighbouring Ursuline Convent. The pedestrianised square is dotted with tinajones, bulky terracotta jugs used to once collect rainwater, and the sculptures of locals by ceramicist Martha Jiménez whose studio is on the square.
Exceptionally pretty San Juan de Dios Square is filled with colourful colonial buildings as well as the 17th-century church and old hospital of San Juan de Dios. The remains of Ignacio Agramonte are buried here. Find artist studios including that of multi-media sculptor Magdiel García Almanza and leather artist José ‘Pepe’ Gutiérrez, and the studio ‘Gato Azul’ belonging to artists Ileana Sánchez and Joel Jover. Track down the talented ceramicist Oscar Rodríguez Lasseria, too.
More into dance than art? Don’t miss performances by the Ballet de Camagüey, the second largest ballet troupe in Cuba after Havana plus performances by the Ballet Contemporáneo de Camagüey, and the city’s Ballet Folklórico. The latter organizes the dance event Festival Olorum each year.
If curiosities are your thing don’t miss the quirky railway museum – Museo Parque Temático Ferroviario – which features restored furniture, uniforms, recreated offices of the railway bosses, and the restored ‘Watch Inspection’ room, a time-keeping unit where staff would keep accurate time and inform their colleagues. The policy was introduced following a disastrous railway accident in the US when a behind-time watch caused a collision. The tradition is more than 130 years’ old!
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