Holguín

Holguín is a municipality and city in Cuba, and the capital of Province of Holguín. It also includes a tourist area, offering beach resorts in the outskirts of the region. After Havana, Santiago de Cuba, and Camaguey, it is the fourth largest city in Cuba.

The province of Holguín is the third biggest one in Cuba and as the years go by it has become one of the main industrial areas of the island. The beauty of its fields and beaches has turned this province into the third touristic pole of the country.

Holguín covers lengthwise the different municipalities which compose it imposing natural parks, such as the Cristóbal Colón Natural Park which, at the same time, hosts perfect natural enclosure for the ecotourism as it can be the Bariay National Monument or the Naranjo Bay Park.

In the capital city, also named Holguín, you will appreciate a rich architectural structure which goes back to the 19th century, such as La Periquera, the Calixto García Park, the San Isidoro Cathedral or the Julio Grave de Peralta Park, among many other historical places in the city.

In the city of Gibara, you cannot miss visiting the Villa de Gibara, where it is still preserved its fascinating colonial structure and is kept in good condition the only Stately Home from the colonial age in the whole province of Holguín. This charming Villa hosts each year the Cine Pobre Film Festival, one of the most awaited Gibarense events.

Other important places are the Finca Mayabe Ranch or La Loma de la Cruz Hill, both close to Holguín. Another important areas are the ones of Birán, birth city of Fidel and Raúl Castro Ruz; or Banes, also known as the archeological capital of Cuba, which counts with imposing archeological remains and with perfect natural spaces to get in touch with nature.

For the sun and beach lover, along the different areas of Holguín, you have the possibility of enjoying delightful beaches such as Playa Esmeralda Beach, Playa Pesquero Beach or Playa Guardalavaca Beach where you can do different aquatic activities, among many other. You can also visit the Green Reservation Playa de Caletones Beach, in which salty natural pools have created due to old landslides from some galleries.

The province of Holguín has a huge cultural wealth and samples of this are the ton of events celebrated along the year in institutions such as the Casa de la Trova ‘El Guabayabero’ House, to perpetuate the Cuban music; the Cine Pobre Film Festival in Gibara, or the cultural activities promoted by the different municipalities. Furthermore, among the most outstanding activities of Holguín, you will find the Carnival Festivity, which takes place in the third week of August.

Enjoy one of the most beautiful cities at historical and landscape rate of the East of Cuba.

History

It was founded as San Isidoro de Holguín in 1545,^[4] and it is named after its founder Captain García Holguín, a Spanish military officer. Prior to 1976, Holguín was located in the province of Oriente. In Pope Francis's visit to the United States, in September 2015, he visited Cuba before the U.S., and while in Cuba, he visited the Diocese of Holguin to, among other things, commemorate the location where Christopher Columbus landed.

Geography

The municipality is divided into the barrios of Aguarás, Aguas Claras, Alcalá, Arroyo Blanco del Sur, Báguanos, Cabezuelas, Cacocún, Calderón, Camazán, Cauto del Cristo, Corralillo, Cruces de Purnio, Damián, Floro Pérez,Gibara, Guabasiabo, Guayabal, Guirabo, Haticos del Purial, La Aguada, La Cuaba, La Palma, La Rioja, Las Calabazas, Managuaco, Melones, Norte, Omaja, Purnio, San Agustín, San Andrés, San Francisco, San Juan, San Lorenzo, Santa Rita, Sur, Tacámara, Tasajeras, Uñas, Uñitas, Velasco, Yareyal and Yayal.

Infrastructure

There are several small city parks such as Parque Infantil, Parque San Jose, Parque San Isidoro, Parque Marti among others, most central the Calixto García in the downtown area. Close by one finds the galleries Centro Provincial de Arte and Bayado, a library, the club Casa de la Trova, the Martí cinema, the Theatre Eddy Suñol, the Province Museum La Periquera, a science museum, and a history museum. From the hill Loma de la Cruz, where a large crucifix is installed, which can be ascended by its 450 stairs, one can oversee the whole city.

Holguín has a baseball stadium. The Frank País International Airport (city code HOG) is connected to Havana and several other world destinations.

source https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holgu%C3%ADn http://www.tripcuba.org/holguin