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The panorama of Camagüey is uniformly flat,
broken up only by palm trees, whilst the soil, some of the
most fertile in the land, makes it suitable for the growing
of sugar cane. The area is also cattle country-home to herds
of cattle, primarily Cuban Charolais, which are bred for beef,
and Zebu, bred for their milk.
This province is also home to one of the
most important port towns in the country, Nuevitas, which
handles the transportation of the many thousand of tons of
sugar produced by the 13 provincial sugar mills. Camagüey
also boasts the up and coming beach resort of Santa Lucia,
some 100km north of the city.
Camagüey City:
It was one of the most important cities in
the colonial period, nowdays it has a wealth of fine baroque
churches and some picturesque nooks and crannies, such as
the restored Plaza San Juan de Dios.
Sightseeing in the city will inevitably bring
you to a closer appreciation of the life of the city's hero,
Ignacio Agramonte, as there is both a park and a museum dedicated
to his memory. The city itself is one of the prettiest in
Cuba, full of architectural gems testifying to its colonial
past.
Near the train station you can find The Museum of the Birthplace
of Ignacio Agramonte. Visit the La Merced church opposite to see
its peeling frescoes and the venerated objects stored in its crypt,
finally the best of this city is Plaza San Juan de Dios which is
an old cobblestoned square surrounded by brightly hued, single-storey
buildings and a lovely yellow church alongside a restored former
hospital.
Nuevitas:
Situated around 68km norheast of the city, much
of the area is blighted by heavy industry and the thermoelectric
generating stations, which form part of the industrial complex,
are the biggest in Cuba.
There are some decent beaches close by where you
can swim in the waters around here.
Playa Santa Lucia:
It is fast becoming a popular holiday destination
for western package tourists and is an excellent place for scuba
diving as there are more than 50 different species of coral in the
waters. The sunsets over this area are spectacular. The only other
drawbacks are the mosquitoes, as voracious as anywhere on the island.
It is recommend the coral reef off La Boca, which
is a tiny fishing village 5 miles west of the main resort. La Boca
is one of the most lovely spots in Cuba. It is impossibly picturesque
with a glorious crescent of sand that knocks spots off the strip
at Santa Lucia.
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