"Unbelievable but true! This is what the famous Santa Lucía beach in Camagüey looks like today."



Santa Lucía Beach in Camagüey is in an alarming state, with murky waters and seaweed, reflecting the environmental and tourism deterioration in Cuba, raising concerns among locals who depend on tourism.

Santa Lucía in CamagüeyPhoto © @lizmariamcubanita / TikTok

A Cuban user on TikTok shared a video highlighting the concerning current state of Santa Lucía beach, located in the province of Camagüey, one of the most famous along Cuba's northern coast.

“Look at how Santa Lucía is, sir… the famous Santa Lucía of Camagüey. There are no people, it's filled with seaweed and trash,” commented the young woman in the video, where the sea can be seen with murky waters, devoid of bathers and with debris along the shore.

The clip, originally shared on the account @lizmariamcubanita, has made an impact on social media by showcasing the visible decay of the beach resort, which was once one of the main tourist destinations in the central-eastern region of the country.

The images show areas with foam, debris, and patches of sargassum, as well as a gray environment devoid of visitors, contrasting sharply with the idyllic image this beach in Camagüey once had.

The neglect and lack of maintenance in beaches and tourist hotspots in Cuba have become a source of concern for local residents, particularly in areas that relied on tourism for their economic livelihood.

Santa Lucía, known for its crystal-clear waters and extensive coral reef, today seems a reflection of environmental degradation and the crisis in the tourism sector in Cuba.

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Yare Grau

Originally from Cuba, but living in Spain. I studied Social Communication at the University of Havana and later graduated in Audiovisual Communication from the University of Valencia. I am currently part of the CiberCuba team as an editor in the Entertainment section.