| Santa María del Puerto del Príncipe was the name | | | | hamper the efficiency of the raids. |
| given to the village once founded on the northern | | | | Camagüey is also known as the City of Churches. |
| coast of the island one February 2nd, the day of our | | | | Having a very traditional catholic faith, its citizens |
| "Señora de la Candelaria", the patron saint of the | | | | devoted themselves to the foundation of chapels, |
| village. However, the area chosen for the foundation | | | | churches, and convents. Most notable are the |
| was extremely arid and it was transferred to the | | | | Parroquial Mayor, San Juan de Dios, San Francisco de |
| shores of the Caonao River in 1516 and, after an | | | | Asís, Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, and Nuestra |
| uprising of aborigines, they definitively settled down | | | | Señora de la Merced. In the outskirts, there are |
| between the Tínima and Jatibonico rivers in 1528. | | | | additional churches to be highlighted, including the |
| The new settlement was located in the center of a | | | | Church of Nuestra Señora de Santa Ana, Santo |
| large plain of Camagüey's chieftainship. The name is | | | | Cristo del Buen Viaje, Nuestra Señora de la Caridad, |
| believed to originate from the Indo-Cuban term of | | | | and Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria. |
| "arauco" or CAMAGUA + EY. Camagua is a wild tree | | | | Camagüey is also the cradle of notable Cuban |
| of low soils found widely throughout the island, and | | | | patriots who joined the independence wars of 1868 |
| the ending –EY indicates a lineage origin or | | | | and 1895. One figure to be highlighted among them is |
| descendent from. This is why the term | | | | Ignacio Agramonte, known as "EL Mayor" (The |
| CAMAGÜEY could indicate that caciques of the | | | | Major), who took a leading role in numerous heroic |
| region were considered descendents from the spirit | | | | deeds, and whose love history with Amalia |
| of that tree. | | | | constitutes an epic poem in the Cuban history. His |
| Besides the geometrical order around the Plaza de | | | | birthplace can be visited in the city, now a museum. |
| Armas and the Main Church, Camagüey is a city | | | | |
| that has grown without an apparent order, hence the | | | | The symbols of the Camagüey are, without a |
| labyrinthian layout of its streets. Camagüey was | | | | doubt, the "tinajones" (large earthenware jars). These |
| subject to continual harassment from pirates, | | | | huge pieces of red pottery were introduced by |
| corsairs, and bandits who more than once tried to | | | | Catalans and Andalusians to collect water in rainy |
| sack the city for the wealth of its economy, | | | | days. They can be as large as 2 meters in diameter |
| particularly based in cattle raising. Because of these | | | | and they are commonly seen in gardens, parks, and |
| regular attacks, additional security was desired, and it | | | | especially in the yards of Camagüey's Colonial |
| is believed the confusing layout of streets helped to | | | | houses where they are still used to collect water. |