Plaza del Carmen

Description:

• A narrow, pedestrian-only street of pastel-colored colonial row houses opens onto an irregularly shaped square. Renovations have revamped the 18th-century square with street lamps, huge tinajones (clay pots used for storing water), and slightly larger-than-life sculptures of locals in various poses of daily work and pleasure by ceramacist Martha Jiménez. The restored spot has done much to uncover a classic Camagüey colonial plaza.

  Not long ago, the church and convent at the end of the open square stood roofless, in utter ruins. The baroque-style Iglesia de Nuestra Señora del Carmen, which dates to 1825, is now immaculately restored. It is the only church in Camagüey, and indeed in the whole eastern half of Cuba, topped by two towers. The early-19th-century Monasterio de las Ursalinas (Ursuline Convent) next-door is now an architectural showpiece distinguished by handsome arches framing the expansive patio. Built in 1829, the convent later became a refuge for hurricane victims and a school for the poor after the sisters transferred their headquarters to Havana. In the years subsequent to the Revolution, it served several purposes; most recently, it was a nondescript warehouse. The building was taken over in 1999 by the city historian's office, and today the convent is an eye-pleasing beauty, well worth a peek inside from the entrance, but the main building is now closed to visitors.

• © Frommer's 2013

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Highly Recommended 2010