PLACES OF INTEREST
The former Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe was founded on February 2, 1514 in an area of the northern coast near Nuevitas, and later in 1528 it was relocated in its current site. It has one of the best preserved Historical Centers of Cuba, the reason why in 2008 it was declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. Characterized by a complex layout of streets and a wide system of squares and numerous ancient churches, it has a great historical-cultural tradition as the birthplace of prominent intellectuals and patriots.
Capital: Camagüey
Extension: 15 615 sq. km
Municipalities: Camagüey, Esmeralda, Nuevitas, Guáimaro, Santa Cruz del Sur, Florida, Sierra de Cubitas, Minas, Sibanicú, Najasa, Vertientes, Jimaguayú and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes.
Denonym: camagüeyano/a Limits: it limits to the north with the Old Channel of Bahamas, to the east with the province of Las Tunas, to the south with the Caribbean Sea, and to the west with the province of Ciego de Ávila.
Access: by air it can be accessed through the “Ignacio Agramonte” International Airport, while by land the access is through the national road network. There is an aerodrome in operation in Santa Lucía capable of handling medium and small aircraft.
1 PARQUE AGRAMONTE
Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, Independencia, Martí and Luaces streets
It is an attractive square that has in its center the Monumento al Mayor General Ignacio Agramonte, a realistic bronze life-size statue that represents the hero of the independence of Cuba on horseback and machete in hand.
2 CATEDRAL DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DE CANDELARIA
Tel 032 29 4965
Located on the southern side of the plaza, it was built in 1864 over the remains of its predecessor that had been built in 1530. In 1688, the pirate Henry Morgan locked up the nobility of the city in the church and once they revealed the hiding place of their riches he destroyed it.
CASA NATAL DE NICOLÁS GUILLÉN
57 Hermanos Agüero between Cisneros and Príncipe,
Tel 032 29 3706
The place of birth of the Cuba`s National Poet, Nicolás Guillén, who was president of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba since its founding. The museum house exhibits personal objects of this nationalist poet, as well as a
complete collection of his works in different editions.
CASA NATAL DE CARLOS J. FINLAY
5 Cristo, Tel 032 29 6745
The museum shows the original home of the famous Cuban scientist who discovered the carrier of yellow fever. In its halls, it exhibits part of the original furniture, as well as the instruments used by Finlay in his experiments.
3 PLAZA DEL CARMEN
Hermanos Agüero, Honda and Carmen streets
It is an intimate and attractive square, adorned with life-size clay figures that recreate the spirit of the city: an old man pushing a cart, three women drinking coffee, two elderly lovers talking, and a statue of Norberto Subirat Betancourt reading a newspaper. The small square is surrounded by admirable pastel-colored buildings.
4 CONVENTO DE NUESTRA SEÑORA DEL CARMEN
Located on the west side of the square, it is the only church in the city that has two towers. It stands out for the beauty and simplicity of its style, as well as for the successful restoration of which it has been subjected to that has returned its original splendor.
5 PLAZA SAN JUAN DE DIOS
San Juan de Dios and San Rafael streets
Its construction dates back to 1728, revealing itself as the city´s first architectural ensemble of importance. It is today the epicenter of the activity of the City´s Historian Office.
6 ANTIGUO HOSPITAL DE SAN JUAN DE DIOS, MUSEO DE ARQUITECTURA COLONIAL
Tel 032 29 1388
Its construction predates the establishment of the square in 1728 and was conceived as a military hospital. It currently houses the Museo de Arquitectura Colonial (Museum of Colonial Architecture) and it exhibits collections of art of the colonial period as well as pieces related to the local architecture.
7 IGLESIA SAN JUAN DE DIOS
It stands out for the presence on its main altar of the Holy Trinity, the only anthropomorphic representation of the Holy Spirit on the Island.
8 PLAZA DE LOS TRABAJADORES
Located three blocks north of Parque Agramonte, it is a small triangular square that stands out for having in its center a centennial ceiba tree, and for having on its east side the
9 Catedral Nuestra Señora de la
Merced
(Tel 032 29 2740), whose construction was concluded in
1748 and keeps numerous relics that the illustrious people of the city donated like offering. Its magnificent altar has beautiful murals and elaborate ornaments.
10 CASA NATAL IGNACIO AGRAMONTE
459 Ignacio Agramonte between Independencia and Cisneros, Tel 032 29 7116
Located in a building representative of the manorial mansions of the eighteenth century, the museum provides a vision of the domestic life of the Agramonte family and specifically of one of its most illustrious children, Major General Ignacio Agramonte, who was born in a room on the second floor of this house on December 23, 1841. It was inaugurated as a museum in 1973 and has seven rooms that display photostatic copies, documents, photos, furniture, and personal objects of their original owners.
11 TEATRO PRINCIPAL
64 Padre Valencia between Tatán Méndez and Lugareño