Holguín

Holguín City - Other Cities and Attractions

Basic Information
Area: 9,300 sq. km
Capital: Holguín
Population: 1,013,600

Such a beautiful thing has never been seen, were the words; according to historical testimonies, said by the great admiral of the oceans, Christopher Columbus, on October 27 of 1492 after setting foot on Cuban soil for the first time; in a far place of the eastern waterside, Bariay, located today within the territorial limits of the province of Holguín.

Holguín Province is Cuba's fourth largest. With more than 9,300 square km of surface, 25% of which is covered by forests, this province is located in the northeast of Cuba and, despite of the advanced development of its tourism infrastructures, the sugar agricultural industry and the exploitation of its enormous nickel deposits are 2 of the province's most important economic supports.

The mountains of the region are home to deposits of nickel and cobalt which have been, and still are being, extensively mined. These industries play an important role in the productivity and wealth of the area, the main nickel mines and processing plants are situated around the town of Moa on the north coast, east of the city of Holguín.

Holguín provides its visitors with the opportunity of enjoying unforgettable days in the most diverse natural scenarios. Guardalavaca, Playa Esmeralda and Pesquero are beaches of limpid, warm and transparent waters; fine sand, abundant coastal vegetation, surrounded by a particularly irregular topography.
Here are excellent conditions for snorkeling in a garden of corals grown in the midst of an irregular and complex sea bottom.The closeness to other places of interest reinforces in a considerable way the beach resorts of Holguín. In the outskirts of Playa Esmeralda you will be able to visit the natural park known as Bahía de Naranjo, also located very close to Guardalavaca, el Chorro de Maita (large archaeological site with a unique museum of its kind in the West Indies); the Taino Village, a replica of the way of life the potter Aruaca natives; and the city of Banes, known as the capital of archaeology in Cuba.

The untouched beauty of Playa Blanca and 2 hills that called the attention of Christopher Columbus himself: La Silla de Gibara (The Sattle of Gibara), named so because of its similitude to a sattle; and La Mezquita (The Mosque), named so because of likelihood to the Peña de los Enamorados de Andalucía; are some other attractions of Bariay, a place of interest for historic and cultural tourism.

A little further east, the white villa of Gibara is another place worth seeing, because it preserves the most important urban architectural complex of the province and ruins of great value, such as: El Cuartelón and La Batería de Fernando VII.