Camuy is known as "La Ciudad Romántica" (romantic city) and "La Ciudad del Sol Taíno" (city of the Taino sun). The town was founded in 1807, when it was disassociated from Arecibo by Petrolina Matos.

It is said that Camuy derives its name from a word used by the Indians "camuy", which means sun, at the same time others think that it was the name that the Indians gave to the river that crossed this region.