Tinajones of Camagüey: Cuba's Iconic Red Clay Water Jars

The City of Tinajones

Few cities in the world are as closely identified with a single object as Camagüey is with its tinajones. These enormous red clay jars — some standing over five feet tall — have defined the urban landscape of Cuba’s third-largest city for more than four centuries.

Walking through the labyrinthine streets of Camagüey, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, means encountering tinajones at every turn: in colonial courtyards, gardens, plazas, and doorways. They are far more than decoration — they are the living memory of a city that learned to treasure water like gold.

History: From Cubitas Red Clay to National Symbol

Andalusian Roots

Tinajones trace their origins to Andalusian pottery traditions. Spanish colonizers from southern Spain brought the technique of crafting large clay vessels for storing olive oil, wine, and grain. In colonial Cuba, where fresh water was scarce, potters adapted these containers for a vital purpose: collecting and preserving rainwater.

The First Tinajones (17th Century)

From the red clay of the Sierra de Cubitas, the first tinajones were crafted around 1600. While no surviving example bears a date that early, the oldest documented piece dates to 1760. Artisans inscribed their names, personal marks, and manufacturing dates on each piece — turning every tinajón into a signed work of utilitarian art.

Rise and Decline

Production reached its peak in the mid-19th century, when virtually every Camagüey household had at least one tinajón in its courtyard. With the start of Cuba’s independence wars in 1868, production nearly ceased. It briefly recovered between 1878 and 1895 before stopping entirely.

By 1900, the city had more than 16,000 tinajones. Today only about 2,500 originals survive, though the pottery tradition has been revived since 1976 with new productions.

Anatomy of a Tinajón

The classic Camagüey tinajón has unmistakable features:

• Pot-bellied shape (amygdaloid): wide body tapering at the mouth and base
• Fired red clay: iron-rich clay from the Sierra de Cubitas
• Pronounced rim: raised crest around the mouth to channel rainwater
• Height: between 2.5 and over 5 feet
• Capacity: equivalent to a small cistern (up to 185 gallons)
• Decorations: geometric lines, reliefs, and maker’s marks

The secret to their effectiveness lay in the clay’s porosity: water stayed cool thanks to natural evaporation through the vessel walls.

Traditions and Legends

The Water Ritual

When the first rains of May fell, Camagüeyans would wash their tinajones and let those initial waters pass. Only with the second rains did they begin storing, thus avoiding embuchado — the nausea caused by water contaminated with dust from the accumulated residue in the roof channels.

The Legend of Love

Tradition holds that whoever drinks water from a Camagüey tinajón falls in love and can never leave the city. This legend has turned the tinajón into a romantic symbol, and visitors are encouraged to drink from one to ensure their return.

Hiding Place for Lovers

Numerous anecdotes tell how tinajones served as hiding spots for lovers caught in the act of romance. Their generous size allowed a man to conceal himself inside when the husband or father returned unexpectedly.

Camagüey Ceramics Today

The master potters of the past laid the foundation for Camagüey’s thriving ceramic tradition, one of the richest in Cuba. Today you’ll find:

• Traditional pottery workshops: where replicas are made using centuries-old techniques
• Ceramists’ Gathering: a biennial event bringing together artists from across Cuba
• Master Miguel Báez: recognized for recovering the original tinajón construction methods
• Contemporary decorative ceramics: artists reinterpreting the tinajón in modern art pieces

For more on Cuban craftsmanship, check out our articles on traditional Cuban crafts and stained glass mediopuntos.

Camagüey: Heritage City

Tinajones are inseparable from the urban identity of Camagüey, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008. The city stands out for:

• Labyrinthine streets: an irregular layout unique in Cuba, reportedly designed to confuse pirates
• Colonial architecture: houses with spacious courtyards where tinajones took center stage
• Historic churches: including the Cathedral of Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria
• Plaza del Carmen: with life-sized sculptures and decorative tinajones

Where to Find Tinajones and Pottery

In Camagüey

• Historic Center: original tinajones in visitable courtyards
• Ignacio Agramonte Provincial Museum: collection of historic pieces
• Carlos J. Finlay Birth House: colonial tinajones on display
• Craft Fair: replicas and tinajón-inspired ceramics

In the Diaspora

• Cuban-American artisans in Miami and other cities create scale reproductions
• Latin craft shops with pieces inspired by the Camagüey tradition

A Symbol That Transcends

The tinajón has outgrown its original function to become an emblem of identity. It appears on Camagüey’s coat of arms, in the poetry of Nicolás Guillén, in troubadour songs, and in the collective imagination of all Cubans. It is proof that a utilitarian object — born from the need for water — can become the very soul of a city.

Like Cuban coffee or rum, the tinajón is Cuba made object: resilient, generous, and full of stories.