Camaguey
Travel Guide Caribbean Cuba Camaguey
Sights and Activities
- The historic centre of Camaguey is the largest in Cuba. There are several museums and churches, including the Museo Provincial Ignacio Agramonte, the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Soledad and the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Merced.
- You can climb the tower at the Cathedral de Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria off of Plaza San Juan de Dios.
- he park Casino Campestre just over the river is Cuba's largest urban park and has plenty of shade.
- The local market is on the banks of the Rio Hatibonico at the south end of the historic centre.
Weather
Camaguey has a tropical climate with average highs around 30 °C and average lows around 20 °C. June to September is the slightly warmer periode and also the wettest time of the year. November to March is a better time for a visit.
Getting There
By Plane
Ignacio Agramonte International Airport (CMW) offers flights to/from Miami, Toronto, Montreal, Havana, Ottawa, Quebec City and Winnipeg.
By Car
Carretera Central, Cuba's major highway, passes through.
By Bus
Viazul provides service to Havana, Sancti Spiritus, Santa Clara, Santiago de Cuba, Trinidad, and Varadero. Viazul tickets are purchased from an office right in front of where the buses stop near the far end of the terminal.
Getting Around
There are a few local buses running, but they tend to be infrequent and overcrowded. Some taxis are available, and there are many bicycle-taxis. The historical centre is small enough to walk around.
Sleep
- Hotel Plaza, Carretera Central Este km. 4 ½, ☎ +53 32 282413.
- Gran Hotel Camagüey.
There are several casas particulares, private houses licensed to offer lodging services, in town.
- Casa de Delgado, Apt 71 / Level 7 - Calle Republica 216, ☎ +53 32 291284, e-mail: [email protected]. This casa is run by two doctors - Anabel and Royler. It is a private room with adjoining private bathroom inside their penthouse apartment that features an amazing view of the town. Anabel speaks fluent English and is extremely friendly and helpful. It is on the 7th level of an apartment building (it's the highest one on Calle Republica - look for the blue Casa sign) so it can be tricky to find. Calle Republica runs parallel to the Gran Hotel and it's about 100 metres down from the fork between the two roads. There is a buzzer you ring or normally a door attendant. 25 CUC.
Keep Connected
Internet
In many cities the only way for tourists to access the internet is through the government's communications centers. Look for buildings bearing the name "ETECSA", which stands for Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba S.A. ETECSA also has internet stations in some of the larger government hotels and resorts. The connection speed is comparable to analog dial-up speed in Havana or slower in smaller locations, at a cost of 6 CUC/hour. This is payable by purchasing a prepaid scratch card with a PIN code granting you access for one hour. The same card can be used throughout the country at any ETECSA terminal, allowing you to disconnect after your session and use the remaining time on the card further at the next hotel/city you go to.
WI-FI in hotels and restaurants is certainly uncommon if not non-existent and tourists should not rely on this being available when planning their means of communication.
Phone
See also International Telephone Calls
The country calling code to Cuba is 53. To make an international call from Cuba, the code is 119. The emergency number is 116 and information number 113.
GSM cell phones will work in Cuba (900 MHz). Cuba is one of the most expensive countries in which to communicate. When bringing your own cellphone, incoming phonecalls to Cuba cost about $1/minute. Outgoing calls from Cuba are similarly expensive, and can be as high as $5 per minute for making international when roaming with your cellphone from overseas.
A better way is to rent cellphones, which is possible at several stores in Havana, including one in the airport. The rates are 9 CUC per day (6 CUC for the phone and 3 CUC for the SIM card), plus about 36 cents a minute for prepaid cards. If you bring an unlocked GSM phone operating at 900 MHz (or quad-band world phone) you can buy a SIM card for 111 CUC, plus your prepaid minutes. If you're staying two weeks or more it makes sense to bring a cheap phone, buy a SIM card and prepaid minutes, then give the phone to a Cuban friend when you leave. Cellphones are among the most desired items for Cubans (bring a case for the phone too, Cubans are very fussy about keeping their phones scratch-free). You will have to go to a cellphone store with your friend and sign a paper to give the phone to your friend.
Post
Correos de Cuba operates the Cuban postal service. They are generally quite slow, and delivery is never guaranteed. Mail is read by Cuba’s censors; avoid politically sensitive comments. Also, never send cash! Post offices (correos) usually are open weekdays 8:00am to 6:00pm and on Saturday 8:00am to 3:00pm, but hours can vary widely. Most tourist hotels accept mail for delivery as well, which might be a better option. International airmail (correo aereo) averages from at least 2 weeks to over one month, and even domestic posts might take 1-2 weeks. When mailing from Cuba, write at least the country destination in Spanish (as well). International postcards, cost CUC 0.50 to all destinations; letters cost CUC 0.80. Within Cuba, letters cost from 15 centavos (20 grams or less) to 2.05 pesos (up to 500 grams); postcards cost 10 centavos. Stamps are available in US dollars as well (if buying at hotels, this is actually your only option) and can be bought at hotels and blue and white kiosks labelled Correos de Cuba. Parcels from Cuba must be unwrapped for inspection. It is far better to send packages through an express courier service, like DHL or the Cuban local one (called EMS), although the same regulation applies.
External Links
Accommodation in Camaguey
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This is version 10. Last edited at 14:42 on Aug 27, 18 by Utrecht. 5 articles link to this page.
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