# Carretera Central (Cuba)

The Carretera Central (CC), meaning "Central Road", is a west-east highway spanning the length of the island of Cuba. The route is numbered N–1, with it being split into 6 regions, being 1–N–1, 2–N–1, 3–N–1, 4–N–1, 5–N–1, and 6–N–1.

## History

Formal construction began in 1927 during the Gerardo Machado administration and its original layout of 1,139 km (707.7 mi) was completed in 1931. It runs along the island of Cuba from west to east, between Pinar del Río and Oriente. It is a two-way single road. It represented an extraordinary economic value during Machado and Fulgencio Batista's administrations. It facilitated faster transportation and effective inter-province commuting.
The road was originally signed N–1, with a prefix depending on the former province it was in, being 1–N–1 for Pinar del Río Province, 2–N–1 for La Habana Province, 3–N–1 for Matanzas Province, 4–N–1 for Santa Clara Province, 5–N–1 for Camagüey Province, and 6–N–1 for Oriente Province, although now the numbering system is largely unused, with most signs saying an abbreviated version of “Carretera Central”.

## Route
### Description

The Carretera Central starts in the village of La Fe, a hamlet of Sandino, in the western province of Pinar del Río, and links all major cities and province capitals except Cienfuegos. It runs about 1,435 km (892 mi) to Baracoa in the eastern Guantánamo province.

### Table

The table below shows the route of the Carretera Central. Note: Provincial seats are shown in bold; the names shown under brackets in the section "Municipality" indicate the municipal seats.
| Settlement | Municipality | Province |
| La Fe | Sandino | Pinar del Río |
| Sandino | (Sandino) | Pinar del Río |
| San Julián | Sandino | Pinar del Río |
| Isabel Rubio | Guane | Pinar del Río |
| Sábalo | Guane | Pinar del Río |
| San Juan y Martínez | (San Juan y Martínez) | Pinar del Río |
| Río Seco | San Juan y Martínez | Pinar del Río |
| Santa María | San Luis | Pinar del Río |
| Pinar del Río | (Pinar del Río) | Pinar del Río |
| Consolación del Sur | (Consolación del Sur) | Pinar del Río |
| Entronque de Herradura | Consolación del Sur | Pinar del Río |
| San Diego de los Baños | Los Palacios | Pinar del Río |
| Los Palacios | (Los Palacios) | Pinar del Río |
| Santa Cruz de los Pinos | San Cristóbal | Artemisa |
| San Cristóbal | (San Cristóbal) | Artemisa |
| Candelaria | (Candelaria) | Artemisa |
| Las Mangas | Artemisa | Artemisa |
| Artemisa | (Artemisa) | Artemisa |
| Guanajay | (Guanajay) | Artemisa |
| Caimito | (Caimito) | Artemisa |
| Bauta | (Bauta) | Artemisa |
| Havana | The CC crosses the municipal boroughs of La Lisa, Marianao, Cerro, Centro Habana, Regla, San Miguel del Padrón, Cotorro | Havana |
| Jamaica | San José de las Lajas | Mayabeque |
| San José de las Lajas | (San José de las Lajas) | Mayabeque |
| Catalina de Güines | Güines | Mayabeque |
| Madruga | (Madruga) | Mayabeque |
| Ceiba Mocha | Matanzas | Matanzas |
| Matanzas | (Matanzas) | Matanzas |
| Guanábana | Matanzas | Matanzas |
| Limonar | (Limonar) | Matanzas |
| Coliseo | Jovellanos | Matanzas |
| Jovellanos | (Jovellanos) | Matanzas |
| Perico | (Perico) | Matanzas |
| Sergio González | Colón | Matanzas |
| Colón | (Colón) | Matanzas |
| Agüica | Colón | Matanzas |
| Los Arabos | (Los Arabos) | Matanzas |
| San Pedro de Mayabón | Los Arabos | Matanzas |
| Cascajal | Santo Domingo | Villa Clara |
| Mordazo | Santo Domingo | Villa Clara |
| Manacas | Santo Domingo | Villa Clara |
| George Washington | Santo Domingo | Villa Clara |
| Santo Domingo | (Santo Domingo) | Villa Clara |
| Veintiseis de Julio | Santo Domingo | Villa Clara |
| Jicotea | Ranchuelo | Villa Clara |
| Esperanza | Ranchuelo | Villa Clara |
| Antón Díaz | Santa Clara | Villa Clara |
| Santa Clara | (Santa Clara) | Villa Clara |
| Manajanabo | Santa Clara | Villa Clara |
| Falcón | Placetas | Villa Clara |
| Placetas | (Placetas) | Villa Clara |
| Oyo de Agua | Placetas | Villa Clara |
| Cabaiguán | (Cabaiguán) | Sancti Spíritus |
| Guayos | Cabaiguán | Sancti Spíritus |
| Sancti Spíritus | (Sancti Spíritus) | Sancti Spíritus |
| El Majá | Jatibonico | Sancti Spíritus |
| Jatibonico | (Jatibonico) | Sancti Spíritus |
| Majagua | (Majagua) | Ciego de Ávila |
| Guayacanes | Majagua | Ciego de Ávila |
| Jicotea | Ciego de Ávila | Ciego de Ávila |
| Ciego de Ávila | (Ciego de Ávila) | Ciego de Ávila |
| Colorado | Baraguá | Ciego de Ávila |
| Gaspar | (Baraguá) | Ciego de Ávila |
| Piedrecitas | Céspedes | Camagüey |
| Céspedes | (Céspedes) | Camagüey |
| Florida | (Florida) | Camagüey |
| La Vallita | Florida | Camagüey |
| Camagüey | (Camagüey) | Camagüey |
| Vidot | Jimaguayú | Camagüey |
| Ignacio | Jimaguayú | Camagüey |
| Siboney | Sibanicú | Camagüey |
| Sibanicú | (Sibanicú) | Camagüey |
| Cascorro | Guáimaro | Camagüey |
| Martí | Guáimaro | Camagüey |
| Guáimaro | (Guáimaro) | Camagüey |
| Jobabito | Las Tunas | Las Tunas |
| Bartle | Las Tunas | Las Tunas |
| Las Tunas | (Las Tunas) | Las Tunas |
| Calixto | (Majibacoa) | Las Tunas |
| Gaston | Majibacoa | Las Tunas |
| Las Parras | Majibacoa | Las Tunas |
| Buenaventura | (Calixto García) | Holguín |
| Las Calabazas | Calixto García | Holguín |
| Yareyal | Holguín | Holguín |
| Holguín | (Holguín) | Holguín |
| Frank País Airport | Holguín | Holguín |
| Cacocum | (Cacocum) | Holguín |
| Limpio Chiquito | Cacocum | Holguín |
| Cauto Cristo | (Cauto Cristo) | Granma |
| Babiney | Jiguaní | Granma |
| Bayamo | (Bayamo) | Granma |
| Santa Rita | Jiguaní | Granma |
| Jiguaní | (Jiguaní) | Granma |
| Baire | Contramaestre | Santiago de Cuba |
| Contramaestre | (Contramaestre) | Santiago de Cuba |
| Guaninao | Contramaestre | Santiago de Cuba |
| Palma Soriano | (Palma Soriano) | Santiago de Cuba |
| La Clarita | Palma Soriano | Santiago de Cuba |
| El Cobre | Santiago de Cuba | Santiago de Cuba |
| Santiago de Cuba | (Santiago de Cuba) | Santiago de Cuba |
| El Cristo | Santiago de Cuba | Santiago de Cuba |
| Dos Caminos | San Luis | Santiago de Cuba |
| Alto Songo | Songo-La Maya | Santiago de Cuba |
| La Maya | (Songo-La Maya) | Santiago de Cuba |
| Yerba de Guinea | (Songo-La Maya) | Santiago de Cuba |
| Niceto Pérez | (Niceto Pérez) | Guantánamo |
| Guantánamo | (Guantánamo) | Guantánamo |
| Grajales Airport / Paraguay | Guantánamo | Guantánamo |
| Maqueicito | Manuel Tames | Guantánamo |
| Yateritas | San Antonio del Sur | Guantánamo |
| Tortuguilla | San Antonio del Sur | Guantánamo |
| Baitiquiri | San Antonio del Sur | Guantánamo |
| San Antonio del Sur | (San Antonio del Sur) | Guantánamo |
| Imías | (Imías) | Guantánamo |
| Cajobabo | Imías | Guantánamo |
| La Farola (viaduct) | Imías | Guantánamo |
| Sabanilla | Baracoa | Guantánamo |
| Cabacú | Baracoa | Guantánamo |
| Baracoa | (Baracoa) | Guantánamo |

## Gallery

* Carretera Central near Santo Domingo, Villa Clara province
* Through Santo Domingo, Villa Clara province
* Through Santa Clara
* Through Santa Clara
* Carretera Central in Villa Clara province
* Traffic jam on Carretera
* Political poster on Carretera
* La Farola mountain pass between Imías and Baracoa