Camagüey, Cuba, A City of History, Silence and Resistance
Photo Feature by Idania Cárdenas
HAVANA TIMES – In the heart of Cuba, Camagüey displays its unmistakable labyrinth layout, a living testament to its colonial past that has earned it the title of World Heritage Site. Its narrow, winding streets—originally designed to confuse pirates—now lead to history-filled squares like Plaza San Juan de Dios, with its red-tiled mansions and wooden porticos, and Plaza del Carmen, guarded by life-sized sculptures that seem to watch over time standing still.
As evening falls and the sun begins to fade behind the tiled rooftops, the historic center sinks into a deep silence. The streets, almost deserted, reflect the stillness of a city adapting to scarcity. Electricity arrives for barely three hours a day, usually in the early morning, between 1:00 and 3:00 a.m., when few can make use of it.
During the day, the sun presses down fiercely. Shadows become a refuge, and the open doors of houses turn into gathering spots. Neighbors sit on their thresholds seeking a bit of cool air and sharing conversations—usually about the harsh situation everyone is enduring—or taking advantage of the scarce internet connection to communicate with their families.
One of those neighbors told me that his relatives in Havana used to send him food, and he had to tell them: “No, better send money. Here we have to buy only the food we’re going to eat that day, because it spoils. The refrigerators have stopped serving their purpose and have become just another piece of furniture in the house.”
Camagüey, a symbol of colonial architecture with its soft light and daily resilience, remains a beautiful yet weary city. Its heritage, intact in appearance, conceals a reality that goes dark each night. Yet amid that dimness, its colonial plazas continue to tell stories of faith, art, and survival.
The photos are beautiful, although the context of the article is harsh. People always find a way to survive, and although it is sad that they cannot live but must merely survive, that is their reality, and they are trying to get on with the reality in which they find themselves.
Aaaaaaa!! YES!! My home away from home. I know the city well. My casa is located in the south western end of the city in the Eden barrio where my Cuban wife lives with our daughter and our 3 large boxer dogs. Camagüey city is a jewel in Cuba where foreigners can still be a fly on the wall when walking the streets anywhere they please, without any hassles from the locals. It’s so easy to completely immerse one’s self within the culture there too when interacting with the entire city’s population. A place where you can become one with everyone. I’m feeling homesick just writing about it. It’s a wonderful feeling, and a wonderful place for anyone to visit. Camagüey will have you always wanting to return – it’s that intoxicating.