Camagüey is the largest province of Cuba with 15,750 Km2, located in the central-eastern zone of Cuba at 550 km away from Havana by road and at one hour by plane.

Getting There The most direct way is by plane at the Ignacio Agramonte international airport situated at 8 km away from Camagüey City. The air terminal is located at less than an hour from Havana. The Central Highway links this province with the rest of the country. A wide network of secondary roads connects all the municipalities and not-to-be-missed places of Camagüey.

Climate Camagüey like the rest of Cuba has a moderate climate, the average annual temperature fluctuates between 24 and 27º C.

Not-to-be-missed Camagüey City: It is the political-managerial, economic and socio-cultural center of the province. National Monument. Colonial atmosphere in the streets, squares, houses and churches. Several interesting places. Santa Lucía Beach: It’s the main tourism resort of the region. It is located in the northerneast tip of the province, at 680 km away from Havana and at 110 km from Camagüey city. It has an airport of 1,800 metres long for medium and small aircrafts. Palmas de Lucía community is the starting point of an important population settlement, which is of outmost importance for the exploitation of the beach. It has 21 km of crystal-clear beaches of fine beige sands. An extensive and well-kept coral reef, the largest of the western hemisphere which extends along 2 km of the coast and borders the area for swimmers. El Real, a sandy dune situated on the South, is abundant in pink flamingos. Small aircrafts can land in its airport. Cayo Sabinal: The fourth island of Cuba with an extension of 335 Kms2, joined to the mainland by a causeway which extends from Nuevitas. Thirty-three kilometers of beach make up the North littoral where the following beaches are found: Brava, Los Pinos and Bonita. Faro Colón (Watch Tower) which dates back to 1848, situated at Punta de Maternillos. On the Eeast, the ruins of the so-called Torreón de San Hilario (1831), a military fortress. It used to be a pirates’ and privateers’ base of operations. Cayo Caguama: Located on the South of the Caribbean Sea at some 50 km from Santa Cruz del Sur in the southeastern tip of a set of small cays by the name of Cayerío de las Doce Leguas. Extending some 12 Kms2 wide and some 14 Kms long along its southern shore and of them around six beaches of high quality, have extensive stretches of fine sands between 5 and 20 m deep. It has excellent water landscapes very close to the shore. There is an airport whose ecological airstrip of compacted sand and is the only one of this type found in Cuba. Nuevitas: Located at 75 km of Camagüey City, is the closest urban settlement to Santa Lucía tourism resort. Sierra de Cubitas: This hill is the main orographic group of the province as well as the major reserve of tropical forests. There are over 300 underground formations of high speleological value, Aboriginal Pre-Colombian pictographs and those dating back to the first years of the conquest.

Cuisine El Ajíaco: This is the symbol of Camagüey par excellence, the dish named ajíaco always refers to: root vegetables (sweet potato, cassava or yucca, plantain, etc), corn and meat as beef, pork, etc.) with plenty of broth, with lemon juice and green pepper. The dish is generally consumed in the central and eastern provinces. Another typical dish is "tasajo" (jerked meat), usually eaten accompanied by rice, stripped with sauce or mince or spread like a steak or in rolls. "Matajíbaro" (Mashed half-ripe plantain with pork crackling) is a delicious dish prepared by locals that visitors should not missed. Also typical of Camagüey are desserts made of fruits with syrups and a sweet made of bee honey.

Where to Eat In the City. El Colonial: Commercial Compound. Creole food Restaurant. Parador de los Tres Reyes: Creole food. La Principeña: Light food. Santa Lucía: Las Brisas Bar Restaurante. International Food. Casa de la Langosta. Especialized in lobster. Casa del pescador. Seafood and fish. Luna Mar. Italian cuisine. Los Pinos Beach. Fish and seafood. Brava Beach. Fish and seafood. Parador Santa Isabel. Creole food.

Commercial Centers Camagüey City: Mixed stores at Camagüey, Plaza, Colón hotels. Interesting to visit Parador Los Tres Reyes Souvenir Store and Casa del Artesano/The House of Craft Workers. Santa Lucía: You can find specialized coffee and rum stores at the Santa Lucía Commercial Center. Also sportive articles, boutiques and fur shops. Stores from the following hotels: Cuatro Vientos, Mayanabo, Club Santa Lucía and Vita Club Caracol.

The Night Camagüey City: Casa de la Trova. At a colonial house from 18th century, where you can enjoy the traditional Cuban trova. Café Cuba Ball House. El Cambio Bar. Santa Lucía: Flamingo Ball Hall Hola Ola Discotheque Cuatro Vientos Ecodisco La Jungla Discotheque Marverde Cultural Center. A cultural complex with different atmospheres, a bookshop, an art gallery, piano-bar, handicrafts shops and terrace.

activities Water Sports: There are swimming and diving courses, underwater photography and excursions by catamaran along the beaches, including animation on board. Santa Lucia Beach, Camagüey. Telefax: (02) 8915 9290. Hunting: Florida and Corral de Rojas hunting lodges: tree ducks, rabiche dove, wild dove, guinea, quails, woodcocks and migratory ducks. North Cays (Sabinal, Romano and Guajaba): stags, wild pigs, wild cattle and other species of this kind. Fishing: On the northern shelf of the island are bonefishes, snappers, skip jacks, needle fishes, stripped marlins and swordfishes. Jardines de la Reina: snappers, sawfishes and other species. Nearby dams are found near Camagüey City, a total of 14, among which excel Porvenir and Muñoz dams: trouts.

Transportation Agencies Many companies offer transfer to the airport, local travels and rent-a-car, they are among others: Veracuba, Taxi OK Tararaco, Playa Santa Lucía. Camagüey. Telf.: 3 6284, 3 6464. E-mail: vera@sunnet,stl.cyt.cu Cubacar: At buroes of Cubanacán hotels and Club Amigo. Tel.: 36 5216. Transtur. Horizontes Camagüey Hotel. Cubasol. Photoclub Service. Casa No. 6 Residencial. Telefax: 36 5241. Email: cubasol@sunnet.stl.cyt.cu

further information Mintur delegation in Camagüey. Carretera Central y Céspedes. Reparto Jayamá. Camagüey. Tel.: (537) 0322 271851, 272162. Fax: (537) 0322 287149. E-mail: mintur@esicm.colombus.cu Also in the Cuban travel agencies located in Camagüey: Cubatur. Avenida Principal. Polo Turístico Santa Lucía, Camagüey. Tel.: (537) 032 36291. Fax: (537) 032 365303. Cubanacán. Casa No. 38, Zona Residencial, Playa Santa Lucía, Nuevitas, Camagüey. Tel.: (53 32) 36412, 36226, 36406, 36449. Fax: (53 32) 365207. E-mail: transfer@sunnet.stl.cyt.cu Visit the caribbean excellences web site: www.excelencias.com