Holguín City

Holguín - Other Cities and Attractions

The city of Holguín is is widely known as the city of parks, because of the existence of a great number of these open spaces that serve as ornaments and distinctive elements, and it is identified by the Loma de la Cruz (Hill of the Cross), a hill which marks the geographic north and whose top is crowned with a gigantic wooden cross.

It is precisely at the base of this mountain, an excellent lookout, where people from Holguín carry on every year their celebrations of Las Romerías de Mayo, a traditional event which together the Party of the Iberian American Culture held in October, have become 2 of the most important moments of the diverse cultural activities of the city.

In this city are 2 religious places with an admirable architecture, the churches of San Isidoro (dating form the 18th century) and San José (built in 1815). The city also has one of the most important museums of natural history of the country and unique centers for the rehabilitation of drug addicts, El Quinqué and El Cocal. Close to the city, Mayabe Valley offers many options for rest and recreation.

Other attractions include the straight but narrow streets in the oldest part of the city; the Museum of Natural Sciences; the house in which calixto Garcia, one of the most important generals Cuba’s War of Independence, was born (now a museum); and Marqueata Square Cultural Center, which has a print shop and exhibit and sales areas for handicrafts, works of art and books. There are several hotels, cabarets, discos and restaurants with a wide range of offers.