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Cuba🇨🇺 | citiesFloridaCarretera Central, sugar chimneys, railway halt, baseball talk | things to do and best time to go

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Backpacking in Florida
👀 For curious travelerscity ranked #19
By Johan Kruseman 🇳🇱 | Updated October 22, 2026

Florida has almost no tourist infrastructure, so a bed here means a casa particular or a move on. The town sits in Camagüey province, in central Cuba, along the Carretera Central. When I arrived, horse carts clattered past a quiet park and nobody tried to sell me anything. Skip it if you want sights. Sleeping over costs more time and a little more money than passing through from Camagüey, but it gives you the most real daily life. Your first day could be a park loop, a long lunch, then an evening on a neighbor’s porch.

Discover everything you want to know in the 📖 Cuba Travel Guide.


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✨ Why go?
Ranked #19 city in CubaWhat makes it a must-see city

Florida earns its place as a pause between Camagüey and the Ciego de Ávila side of the island, not as a destination in itself. Backpackers come because the town is a working sugar and cattle center where prices stay local and few people hustle. A couple of casas particulares give you a bed away from the tourist circuit, and the main road makes a bus or shared taxi easy to catch. Plan a night, use the Carretera Central corridor to keep moving, and expect quiet evenings instead of nightlife.

💡 HighlightsMust-see experiences and standout moments

  1. Parque Central: The social heart of town, with benches, shade trees and locals talking baseball. Go in the early evening, when it fills up. Free, 30 to 60 minutes.
  2. Carretera Central streetscape: The old main road passes through town lined with columned, pastel houses and horse carts. Walk it in the morning before the sun climbs. Free, about an hour.
  3. Sugar mill area (Central Argentina): The sugar industry shaped the area, and the mill’s chimneys and cane trucks show it. View from outside in the morning. Free, 30 to 45 minutes.
  4. Railway station: A working stop on the main line, good for watching Cuban rail life and checking timetables. Free, 20 to 30 minutes.
Florida also works as a base for Camagüey’s UNESCO-listed historic center, the beach at Santa Lucía and the wildlife flats of Cayo Sabinal. … read more 👉
  1. Parque Central: The social heart of town, with benches, shade trees and locals talking baseball. Go in the early evening, when it fills up. Free, 30 to 60 minutes.
  2. Carretera Central streetscape: The old main road passes through town lined with columned, pastel houses and horse carts. Walk it in the morning before the sun climbs. Free, about an hour.
  3. Sugar mill area (Central Argentina): The sugar industry shaped the area, and the mill’s chimneys and cane trucks show it. View from outside in the morning. Free, 30 to 45 minutes.
  4. Railway station: A working stop on the main line, good for watching Cuban rail life and checking timetables. Free, 20 to 30 minutes.
Florida also works as a base for Camagüey’s UNESCO-listed historic center, the beach at Santa Lucía and the wildlife flats of Cayo Sabinal. For a first visit, the Parque Central at dusk is the best use of your time.
Spotted a mistake or missing something? Contact us.

🏘️ NeighborhoodsHow different areas shape the experience

Florida is a small town in Camagüey Province, and you can cover all of it on foot in half a day. Don’t plan on more than that.
  • Town center around the Parque and Calle Maceo: This is the one area worth your time. The central park, the shaded benches and the Casa de la Cultura host evening music and dances, and it costs nothing to sit and watch. Paladares and peso snack counters sit within a few blocks, so you spend little and walk almost nowhere.
  • Residential grid and the sugar-mill edge: Quiet streets of low houses, horse carts and bicycle taxis. Skip it unless you want a look at ordinary Cuban life, since there are no sights and nothing to eat. The old sugar-mill area is a short bike ride away and gives the best glimpse of local industry for the least effort.

⌛️ 1 dayHow to make the most of one day

8:00 AM, Casa breakfast: Eat with your host, who can explain local buses and shared taxis. Then walk five minutes to the main road.
9:30 AM, Carretera Central: Stroll the old highway past columned houses and horse carts. It is the most honest look at the town.
11:30 AM, Sugar mill outskirts: Head out to see the chimneys and cane trucks from the road. It is not a tourist stop, which is why it is worth it.
1:30 PM, Lunch: Return for a home-cooked meal at a paladar or your casa.
4:00 PM, Railway station: Watch the afternoon activity and check onward options.
6:00 PM, Parque Central: Settle on a bench as the town gathers. Chat, listen to music from open doors, and end the day here.

🌤️ When to go?Choosing the right time of year

November to April is the comfortable window for Florida, with dry days around 24 to 29°C (75 to 84°F) and cool evenings.
  • Dry season (Nov to Apr): Little rain, about 11 hours of daylight, and the highest casa particular prices.
  • Wet season (May to Oct): Afternoon downpours, heat of 31 to 35°C (88 to 95°F), thick humidity and cheaper rooms.
  • Hurricane risk (Aug to Oct): Storms can close roads and cancel buses.
Book onward buses a day early in January and February.

source: climatestotravel.comJANJanuary: excellent for travelingFEBFebruary: excellent for travelingMARMarch: highly recommended for travelingAPRApril: highly recommended for travelingMAYMay: highly recommended for travelingJUNJune: fair for travelingJULJuly: fair for travelingAUGAugust: fair for travelingSEPSeptember: below average for travelingOCTOctober: highly recommended for travelingNOVNovember: excellent for travelingDECDecember: excellent for traveling
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🛏️ Where to stay?Where staying makes the most sense

Stay in the town center near the central park, where nearly all rooms in Florida are. Rooms are private casas particulares at roughly US$15 to 25 a night, and there are no real hostels, so expect a double room rather than a dorm bed. Streets are calm after dark, noise is limited to music from the park on weekends, and taxis and pickup points for Camagüey are a short walk away. The residential outskirts have a few rooms but little transport, so stay central.
Best hostels in Florida


Best quality hotels in Cuba

🚌 Getting aroundTransportation options and practical tips

Florida sits on the Carretera Central, and the costliest error is waiting for a bus that never comes instead of arranging a ride the day before. Public transport is thin, so plan ahead. The town itself is flat and compact, and most visitors walk.
  • Walking: Free and fast, since the center takes ten minutes to cross. It is the best option for every errand in town.
  • Bici-taxi and horse cart: US$0.50 to 1 for a short hop. Cheap and slow, fine for luggage, pointless for distances you can walk.
  • Colectivo taxi: A shared old car to Camagüey costs roughly US$3 to 6 per seat and takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. This gives backpackers the most for the money, faster than any bus and only slightly pricier.
  • Viazul and national buses: Seats on the Havana to Santiago route may pass nearby, but stops here are unreliable
… read more 👉
Florida sits on the Carretera Central, and the costliest error is waiting for a bus that never comes instead of arranging a ride the day before. Public transport is thin, so plan ahead. The town itself is flat and compact, and most visitors walk.
  • Walking: Free and fast, since the center takes ten minutes to cross. It is the best option for every errand in town.
  • Bici-taxi and horse cart: US$0.50 to 1 for a short hop. Cheap and slow, fine for luggage, pointless for distances you can walk.
  • Colectivo taxi: A shared old car to Camagüey costs roughly US$3 to 6 per seat and takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. This gives backpackers the most for the money, faster than any bus and only slightly pricier.
  • Viazul and national buses: Seats on the Havana to Santiago route may pass nearby, but stops here are unreliable and often full. Don’t count on them; a taxi is less hassle.

👛 Costs (as of 22 October 2026)What things cost and how to budget

Florida costs a backpacker about US$44 a day in high season.
CategoryBudget RangeLocal Reality
Dorm accommodation (high season)US$15 to 20Private room in a casa particular, as there are no dorms.
Dorm accommodation (off-season)US$12 to 15Rooms are easier to bargain for.
MealsUS$12 to 18Casa breakfast and dinner, snacks at counters.
Local transportUS$1 to 3Bici-taxis for short hops.
City transport passUS$0None exists.
Basic activities/entry feesUS$2 to 4Mostly free park life and small museum fees.
MiscellaneousUS$3 to 5Water, tips, coffee.
Total Daily BudgetUS$44High season total.
Eat dinner at your casa, since it costs less than most restaurants and the portions are large.

source: cubatravel.cu
⚠️ Prices can change and everyone travels differently, so take this as a rough guide. Hope it helps you plan your adventure!

🚌 Day tripsEasy escapes and nearby places

Florida is a low-key base, and Camagüey city makes the easiest outing by shared taxi.Camagüey: The UNESCO-listed old center has winding lanes, plazas and churches, and it is worth a full day. Shared taxis take 1 to 1.5 hours and cost US$3 to 6 each way. Go from November to April, and start early, because the return rides thin out by late afternoon.
👉 Explore CamagüeySanta Lucía beach: Cuba’s north coast has a long reef and white sand about 2 to 3 hours away by hired car. A taxi share costs roughly US$10 to 20 each way. Visit in the dry season, and agree on the return pickup before you leave.
Ciego de Ávila: A provincial capital with quiet plazas and cheap food, reached in about 1.5 hours by taxi for US$5 to 8. First-timers often arrive without a plan for the way back.
👉 Explore Ciego de Ávila

🍲 FoodWhat to Eat & Drink

Florida sits in cattle and sugar country, so the local pork and roast pork plates are the thing to order, usually with rice and beans, yuca and cabbage salad. Fresh guarapo, pressed sugarcane juice, is sold at street stands for under US$1, and you can watch the press run. Casas particulares serve the best meals, with big breakfasts of eggs, fruit and coffee at US$4 to 6 and dinners at US$8 to 12. For snacks, small peso counters near the park sell pizza and sandwiches for pocket change. Evenings are social around the park.

🛡️ SafetyScams, Hazards, and Annoyances

Florida is quiet and low in crime, and walking around at night is comfortable for most solo travelers. Keep your bag zipped in the park crowd and don’t flash cash. The main annoyance is persistent touts offering cigars, rides or rooms; a polite no is enough. Be wary of unlicensed taxi drivers quoting inflated fares, and agree on a price before you get in.
Check Country Safety

FAQTraveler FAQ

One night is enough for Florida, though two days works if you add a trip to Camagüey. The town center takes a few hours on foot, and Camagüey is about 1 to 1.5 hours away by shared taxi for US$3 to 6.
Florida is calm and low in crime, so solo backpackers generally feel comfortable there, including after dark around the central park. Expect persistent offers of rides and cigars, and agree on taxi fares before you set off. Casas particulares at US$15 to 25 a night make a safe base.
Florida is known as a small Camagüey Province town on the Carretera Central, surrounded by cattle and sugar land. Its main draw is the central park, with evening music and local life. Visitors mostly pass through on the way to Camagüey, 1 to 1.5 hours away.
⚠️ Things can change over time, so always validate details locally before you go.

Other Cuban cities near Florida

Explore more nearby:

  • Camagüey—Tangled lanes, clay tinajones, sculpted plazas, ballet| 35 km away
  • Ciego de Ávila—Midway stop, Boulevard benches, trova nights, bicycle taxis| 67 km away
  • Morón—Bronze rooster, milky lagoon, cays gateway, sugar museum| 76 km away

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We 💚 feedbackIs it worth it?

Florida deserves one night, two at the very most. I would arrive in the afternoon, eat at your casa, and leave the next morning for Camagüey. Bring small bills and patience, because nothing here runs on a tourist schedule.

✈️ When did I visit Cuba?
As part of my 1.5 year travel around the world trip, I visited Cuba for 6 weeks in February, March 2016, being extremely lucky that that coincided with the free concert of The Rolling Stones.

✍️ Help improve this page!
The information on this page is based on my own backpacking experience in Cuba, supplemented with up-to-date research and feedback from other travelers. Travel details can change, so if you notice anything outdated or incomplete, feel free to let me know.



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