The property market in Mayabeque: Havana’s eastern belt

Mayabeque, created in 2011 alongside Artemisa, is one of the smallest provinces in the country and one of the most closely tied to Havana. San José de las Lajas, its capital, is a short motorway ride from the city and has an agricultural university that generates some demand of its own.

Güines is the other major urban centre: a farming town with a centre of traditional houses and a market of family transactions. Jaruco, Madruga, Bejucal and the southern towns round out a market of simple homes and low prices.

The northern coast — Santa Cruz del Norte, Jibacoa, Boca de Jaruco — is the closest beach market to the capital after Playas del Este, with holiday homes and seasonal rental demand. The southern coast, with Batabanó and its port of Surgidero, is more modest and exposed to flooding from storm surges.

As in Artemisa, the equation is transport versus space: the same money buys more house, but daily life is organised around the distance to Havana.

Neighbourhoods and areas

• San José de las Lajas
• Güines
• Jaruco
• Santa Cruz del Norte
• Jibacoa
• Bejucal
• Batabanó

What to check before buying here

• check_circleActual transport to Havana if you will commute daily.
• check_circleOn the southern coast, the history of flooding from storm surges.
• check_circleOn the northern coast, corrosion and salt damage, and proximity to industrial and power facilities.
• check_circleIn rural areas, tell an owned home apart from land held in usufruct.

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