AMANCIO [Las Tunas] | cubacasas.net

Amancio © Jose Enrique Gonzalez Modecir Flickr.com

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The quiet town of Amancio, is located 42 km south of Guaimaro in the province of Las Tunas on the way to the south coast and its seaport, Puerto Guayabal (photos below).

After the arrival of the United States as a colonial power, the sugar cane fields located in what was named Hato Viejo were sold in 1890 by Salvador Cisnero Betancourt to an Asturian family from Spain named Rionda y Polledo. These settlers started harvesting in 1902 with a first production of 67,620 sacks of 325 pounds (libras) each.

In 1930, workers organized when Arsenio Yero Alvarez founded the first communist cell. In 1949, Amancio Rodriguez, secretary general of the Sindicato Azucarero was assassinated along with colleague Jose Oviedo Chacon because of their efforts to demand better working conditions at the Central Francisco Sugar Company.

Once a meeting point of Camilo Cienfuegos and Che Guevara during their battle to liberate the island, the town used to be named San Diego de Buena Ventura.

Still a site of a huge (15,000 hectares) sugar mill installation, its local economy still depends on installations established in 1902 which produce alcohol, rhum (Conde de Cuba, Corsario and Sevilla brands), sugar, bagasse, honey, molasses and other sweet and addictive stuff.

The town thrives culturally — built as it were on old campesino legends, serenades, the trios and quartets, the bembé (religious happening of African origin), music of the organs of the east, culinary art, vegetarian habits, all the way to present-day carnavals summing up a lovely mixture of idiosyncrasies.

A song by Benny Moré is famous here if only because of its title : "Francisco-Guayabal", refering to the train route from the Francisco sugar mill to the port of Guayabal.

DISTANCES Cayo Romero, 107 Cayo Sabinal, 124 Camaguey, 122 Colombia, 30 Florida, 1162 Gibara, 203 Guaimaro, 42 Guayabal on sea, 12 Holguin, 170 Jobabo, 31 La Habana, 650 Las Tunas, 90 Marti, 57 Nuevitas, 94 Playa Santa Lucia, 132 Puerto Guayabal, 19 Puerto Padre, 142 Santiago de Cuba, 295 Santa Cruz del Sur, 57	One of locally-distilled rhums

MAPS & LINKS

Regional Map — South Coast, Camaguey - Las Tunas

Regional Map — Amancio to Las Tunas

Geography and natural attractions of province

Yaquimo, local cultural web site

Conde de Cuba rhums are made here in Amancio

Amanciero Soy, local blog by Rafael Aparicio

Weather (Cuba's Insmet)

Viazul bus stops in Guaimaro — Ruta 16 & Ruta 24

Island-wide bus connections (horariodebuses.com/)

Daily exchange rates

POPULATION 47,333 in regional municipality, of which 41,000 in Guaimaro, the town (2007)

SEE.KNOW.DO
• The large central park, town museum and other cultural venues listed below • Festival de la Juventud y los Estudiantes • Encuentro Debate Municipal del Taller Literario Mirtha Aguirre • Libreria Municipal Pedro Plaza, Calle C, S/N, reparto El Batey Tel. (31) 69-2196 • Biblioteca Pedro Plaza, Calle , No 14, entre Avenida primera y calle segunda El Batey Tel. (31) 69-3270

EVENINGS
• Casa de Cultura Sergio Reinó Calle A, No 5, e/ Avenida Libertad y Primera, reparto El Batey Tel. (31) 69-3257 • Casa de la Musica Benny Moré has many projects Antares, created to promote music from the 60's; ave 3ra entre A y B, reparto El Batey Tel. (31) 69-3290 • Casa del Escritor Nicolás Guillen, Calle A, S/N (Sin Numero, no street number), reparto El Batey • Ciné Yaquimo, Calle C, No 12, e/ ave 1ra (primera) y calle 2da (secunda), reparto El Batey Tel. (31) 69-2125 • Galería de Arte Carlos Enrique, Calle A, S/N, reparto El Batey • Museo Municipal Amancio Rodríguez Herrero, Calle A, No 13, reparto El Batey Tel. (31) 69-2697

PLAYAS
On the south coast, at some 12 km, the seaside town of Puerto Guayabal has a huge seaport and a beach as well as a campismo (beach chalets) named Playa Guayabal, reserved for Cubans.

The port town also boasts SolyArte a community involvement project which aims to keep alive the traditions of the sea farers.

YET TO BE FOUND
Cayo Rabihorcado, yet to be developed for tourism was "found" in 2014 by miradasencuba here. Map of the Guacanayabo Gulf off the Guayabal shore, is right here.

Public space in memory of Amancio Rodriguez © tank6b, flickr.com

Casa de la Cultura is located Calle A, No 5, entre Avenida Libertad y Primera in reparto El Batey © sundero Panoramio

Campismo on the coast, 12 km south is not open to tourists (so they say, but give it a try), only Cuban workers and is named Playa Guayabal © Sundero, panoramio

Casa de la Musica, ave 3ra entre A y B El Batey © sundero Panoramio

Villa Consuelo © tank6b (Jose Enrique Gonzalez Modecir) on Flickr.com

Arboles y Hombre © tank6b (Jose Enrique Gonzalez Modecir) on Flickr.com

The old sugar mill casa now belongs to the people for the people © oquendo mora

Puerto Guayabal 18 km south, has a huge seaport and a beach as well as a campismo.

Puerto Guayabal, the seaport, 18km south •|• Swimming in Guayabal

The dock on the water at Puerto Guayabal, 18 km south.

El Museo municipal de Amancio presenta — Fotograma de Nuestra Historia
Photo archives of the local museum.

calle D is ready for annual carnaval;

workers' quarters; in Puerto Guayabal,

unloading sugar from Macareño mill;

Amancio Rodriguez Herrero and colleague Jose Oviedo Chacon, both murdered in 1949, victims of anti-union management of the town's Francisco mill;

house of sugar mill administrator

masses on main street during San Francisco carnaval.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
::: Since January 2021, the CUC (Cuban Convertible) currency no longer is valid; all tourist services are payable only in foreign currency, cash or credit card. ::: Bring cash Euros or US dollar$, etc because Cuban banks and Foreign Exchange Bureaus (CADECA) will only exchange your currency (CAD, CHF, EUR, GBP, JPY, MXN, USD) for the local currency - the CUP (US$1 = 24 CUP) which might be useful for local stuff; get other details here. ::: Make sure that in your first email or phone call you specify that you want to book a room in that particular casa and that you will reconfirm your booking on arrival in Cuba. ::: So as to not abandon expecting owners with empty rooms, reconfirm (or call ahead to cancel) your booking by phone as soon as you can after arriving in Cuba ::: Please write or phone a casa owner to cancel a booking. As late as it may seem, it allows them a chance to rebook. ::: Children under the age of 16 may share a bedroom with adults for free. Specify the child's age when booking. ::: At the end of the casa name, the V signals the casa was suggested by travelers or owners but not verified by us in person. If you try it and like it, write us about it. ::: Unless otherwise mentioned, the average room rates and service prices are : 25-30€/US$ per bedroom per night [up to 40€/US$+ for 4 in a room]; breakfasts 3-5€/US$, dinners 8-15€/US$. ::: Any casa particular anywhere in Cuba must have a hot water shower, otherwise it cannot have a permit to rent ::: Please share your Complaints, comments & suggestions webmaster [@]cubacasas.net

BOOK BY PHONE From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by 31 for Amancio). • From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by 31 for Amancio) ••• HOW TO DIAL A CUBAN PHONE NUMBER HERE ••• CELL PHONE NUMBERS on our town lists and casa pages are preceded by 05 for calls originating Havana; from anywhere else in Cuba, dial 015 + the 7 digits of the cell.

BOOK BY EMAIL :

Click on logo to open a message addressed to that casa in your email application; or right-click to copy address. Spanish vocabulary here. Google translate here.

PASTOR y MARIA V
Four ac bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
Avenida Sergio Reynó # 177b, in centre of town in reparto La Carretera. Tél. (31) 69-3641

Meals can be served for affordable prices.

Rates : 20€/$US per night per bedroom

DAYRON SL V
Calle 26 de Julio, # 13, between Rodolfo Ramírez and Antonio Maceo in centre of town in reparto La Carretera. Tel. (31) 98-0106

On the upper storey of this home, two bedrooms which are air-conditioned and boast ensuite baths; parking available. Meals can be served for affordable prices.

Rates : 20€/$US per night per bedroom

DAYRON SL • www.cubacasas.net •|• Amancio

AGUSTINA MARTINEZ HERNANDEZ V
Calle Barrio de Oro # 37, near the baseball stadium in reparto El Batey. Cel 52 24 86 99

" Until Agustina started renting in 2007, most tourists coming here had to overnight in Guaimaro. Up for rent is one aircon bedroom with private bathroom outside the room. Very clean amenities.

" Possibility of car parking. Located near the center of this charming little town; from main road, take the calle facing the estadio. Agustina's daughter Arisbel was on hand to greet us.

Rates : 20€/$US for bedroom per night.

Suggested by Claude Boisjoly 04.09.07

ALE & LIA V
Four ac bedrooms, ensuite bathrooms
At entrance of village in reparto. Tel. (31) 69-3817

Very-well, totally modernized and luxuriously redecorated casa with ac bedrooms and modern bath/showers. (Call casa direct if you don't want to pay two commissions, ie, airbandb and a Cuban agent...)

Rates : 20€/$US per night per bedroom

Ale & Lia • www.cubacasas.net •|• Amancio

Updated 08.06.2021