Camagüey

Dette er Cuba's største, men kanskje en av de fineste regioner. I Camagüey finnes det mange flotte sandstrender på nord og sørkysten. Eksempelvis det fine strandområdet Santa Lucia som ligger nord-øst i regionen, og ikke så veldig langt fra den koselige byen Nuevitas.

I denne regionen (på nordkysten) er det mange flotte naturlige laguner som kan friste enhver sportsfisker. Hele regionen har et forholdsvis flatt landskap uten særlig med fjell og større høydedrag.

Regionens næringsliv er i hovedsak storfedrift og sukkerplantasjer men har også mye innen fjærfe"produksjon", risdyrkning, fruktkonservering og ikke minst produksjon av både øl og mineralvann. Turismen er i dette området lite utviklet. Mange på Cuba beskriver Camagüeyn "cowboyregionen" bl.a. på grunn av de mange mange rodeo-arrangement.

Du kan lese mer her - (spansk): Nettside til Camagüey By * Nettside til provinsen Camagüey

Santa Lucía Beach

(Litt mer info - Eng. Kilde: )

in the Caribbean as well as a wide spectrum of interesting Cuban coastal flora and fauna species. Also, one of the most covetted zones of Santa Lucia de Cuba is Coconut Beach in La Boca, which is a semi-isolated place near to a picturesque settlement of fishermen in the very mouth of Nuevitas Bay, one of the biggest bays in Cuba.

sand. So, if while walking in the morning along the beach you find a tiny flake, do not be surprised, is just a piece of all the winter buried here.

Camaguey City

The province of Camaguey is placed in the center of the Island. The area is a vast prairie and is Cuba's largest province. Its capital is the city of Camaguey, formerly named Santa Maria del Puerto del Principe (Port Prince), it is the third most important city regarding population and industrial development. It also has the largest old city of the country and the Caribbean.

Its central position allows the visitors an easy access to the renowned history and culture, which are closely linked to the life of one of the first seven villas founded by Diego Velázquez in the 16th century.

Camaguey is known as the city of tinajones, the big clay vessels originally located in the colonial courts to store the rain water in order to cope with the habitual droughts. According to the old legend, whoever drinks the water from a tinajon will never leave Camaguey, or at the very least, will be uncontrollably drawn back here again and again.

Such legendary city still preserves the ambience of the colonial epoch, that is to say, the tradition of its streets, its buildings, its churches, its parks, its railings, its doors or its roofs. Many of its facilities have endured time; therefore, the provincial capital is one of the most traditional cities in the country.

Camaguey is also a magnificent opportunity for cultural, sport, scientific and business events.

If compared to the inhabitants of other regions, the spirit of the
¨Camagüeyanos¨ is remarkable due to its patriarchal culture and a language full of Castilian archaisms. Faithful lover of his land, the Camaguey-born citizen is an educated and cultured and hospitable person who is proud of his origin. If you glance at our gorgeous and well-preserved city, then you will surely realize about it.

What does Camaguey mean?

Regarding the old Indocuban language, its origin might be:

CAMAGUA + EY

The camagua [Wallenia lauriformia (Jacq.), Sw.] is a nether-land wild bush. It is found throughout the island and it receives several popular names. The ending EY (EX, EL) was used to state the origin, e.g., the lineage, the ancestry. Therefore, the voice CAMAGUEY might state the magic-religious origin of this bush which it was regarded as the cradle of the caciques of this territory which at the same time was called after them.

Culture

Culture is an emblematic feature of Camaguey, not only because of the fact that Silvestre de Balboa wrote here, in 1608, "Espejo de Paciencia", the first epic poem of the Cuban literature, or because this is the cradle of renowned artists like the writers Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda and Nicolás Gillén (Cuba’s National Poet), the painter Fidelio Ponce de Leon, transcendental example of Cuban fine arts or the composer Jorge González Allué, author of the universally known "Amorosa Guajira", but because beyond its old and illustrious traditions, the people of Camaguey has a special vocation to everything that may enrich spirit and intellect.

Camaguey might show off from an architectural patrimony built throughout centuries. The high conservation degree of the historical old city with its squares, alleys, churches and colonial houses still echoes the sound of past epochs. Indeed, the harmony of such urban scenery seems to let time still.

This secular taste for culture encouraged the settlers of these regions, devoted to cattle-raising and agriculture, to began building the Theater Principal in 1847, a coliseum that has hosted the most varied cultural expressions that consolidated the Cuban identity for more than 150 years.

This marvelous construction, which has silently witnessed a wide spectrum of artistic trends, hosts the National Theater Festival that gathers the very best companies of Cuba every two years; international festivals of contemporary music such as the famous Boleros de Oro Festival. Moreover, this is the permanent headquarters of the laureate Camaguey Ballet, who was founded and run by Master Fernando Alonso, also founder of the Cuban National Ballet together with his ex-wife Alicia Alonso.

Camaguey is also provided with dozens of places where different dances and plays are staged by prestigious and talented dance and drama companies, for instance, Conjunto Artístico Maraguán, the Folk Ballet of Camaguey; Caidije, La Edad de Oro, The Guiñol, The Dramatist and Theater of the Wind, just to quote a few of these avant-garde companies.

There are relevant musical groups such as Dessandan, which has received outstanding acknowledgements worldwide, e.g., a nomination to the Grammy; the Symphony Orchestra; the municipal bands of concerts; the Chamber Orchestra; the Maravillas de Florida Band, representative of the most genuine dance music; the star Candita Batista and dozens of solo singers.

Many plastic artists such as Orestes Larios, Joel Jover, Ileana Sánchez and Gabriel Gutiérrez are widely recognized both in Cuba and abroad due to their highly valuable aesthetic works. Many of their masterpieces are exhibited annually in the Provincial Exhibition Hall Fidelio Ponce of León.

When talking about Cuban ceramics it is really impossible to ignore Camaguey's motto: "the land of tinajones". These big vessels made out of clay that at present are ornaments in patios, parks and public buildings. Famous Camaguey potters like Nazario Salazar, Oscar Rodríguez Lasserie, and Martha Jiménez have been awarded several times for their works. The secret to achieve this goal...? Simply to be nourished by the tinajon tradition.

A select group of Camaguey writers like Roberto Méndez, Luis Alvarez and Luis Suardíaz belong to the very best of the Cuban literature.

The Camaguey people is fan and expert on the so-called Seventh Art, that is why every year it holds the Warehouse of the Image Festival, which hosts film directors, actors, producers, critics and investigators who take part in the Meeting of the Cinematographic Critique.

Camaguey has several libraries, museums, bookstores, houses of culture and other institutions that promote activities in neighborhoods and communities. Such activities organized and advised by instructors and promoters of art, bring about the development of the artistic aptitudes of a massive movement of fans that is dignified and improved by these programs.