Holguín Province

HOLGUÍN PROVINCE 359 © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © Museo Chorro de Maita AREA : 9300 SQ KM 9300 SQ KM : AREA Parque Nacional Monumento Bariay „ Manacas Finca Las Holguín Gibara POPULATION: 1.04 MILLION 1.04 MILLION POPULATION: „ Get an eyeful of Get an eyeful of Take a peep behind the mask at Fidel’s childhood home, the Finca Las Las childhood home, the Finca a peep behind the mask at Fidel’s Take See Holguín spread See Holguín spread Visit one of Cuba’s most most one of Cuba’s Visit Go to Gibara in April for the cutting-edge Festival Internacional de Cine Pobre de Cine Pobre Internacional Go to Gibara in April for the cutting-edge Festival important archaeological sites at Museo Chorro de Maita ( p375 ) p375 at Museo Chorro de Maita ( important sites archaeological Festival Film ) p372 text, (see boxed Taíno Artifacts Taíno del Comandante Casa out like a map beneath you from the Loma out like a map beneath you from the Loma ) p365 de la Cruz ( Columbus Rediscovery Columbus first landed in the Parque where ) p373 Nacional Monumento Bariay ( Manacas ( p380 ) View from the Cross View

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„ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS HIGHLIGHTS „ Further south the hills become craggier before giving way to the purple-hued giving Sierra del before south the hills become craggier Further Timeless and benevolent in their mystery, the hills are still here, though the forests were were though the forests still here, the hills are in their mystery, and benevolent Timeless Holguín’s beauty was first spotted by Christopher Columbus who, by most historical Columbus who, by most historical by Christopher first spotted Holguín’s beauty was Outside its dazzling north know much about this hard- non-Cubans coast resorts, few

„ Mensura guards a mountain research center and the island’s highest waterfall. center Mensura guards a mountain research as a child. Pine-clad and bursting with wild orchids, the area around the Parque Nacional La around the Parque and bursting with wild orchids, the area as a child. Pine-clad Cristal, a fresh-scented alpine-flavored wilderness where an adventure-seeking roamed Castro alpine-flavored wilderness where Cristal, a fresh-scented Guardalavaca, Esmeralda and the superposh Playa Pesquero. Playa Pesquero. Guardalavaca, Esmeralda and the superposh times sprawling resorts have sprung up along the coast forming three distinct enclaves – distinct enclaves sprung up along the coast forming three times sprawling resorts have cleared long ago by United Fruit and other sugar-hungry plantation owners. In more recent recent In more plantation owners. Fruit and other sugar-hungry long ago by United cleared shapely coastal hills as the ‘most beautiful land he had ever laid eyes on.’ he had ever shapely coastal hills as the ‘most beautiful land accounts, docked here in October 1492, describing the region’s broccoli-green forests and forests broccoli-green in October describing the region’s 1492, accounts, docked here American-owned United Fruit Company. American-owned United only registered its first city in 1752 and, until the late 1950s, was a virtual 1950s, was a until the late its first city in 1752 and, fiefdom of the only registered have been ruling over Cuba since 1934 (Batista-Castro-Castro). that for a province Not bad Cuba been ruling over have working but hard-to-fathom province. It’s a sad, if excusable, oversight. Native Holguiñeros Native working excusable, oversight. It’s a sad, if but hard-to-fathom province. or the inherent Cuban-ness of Gibara versus the tourist swank of Guardalavaca. the tourist of Gibara versus Cuban-ness or the inherent Moa nickel mines; the tranquility of Cayo Saetía versus the bustle of the provincial capital; capital; provincial the bustle of the Saetía versus Moa nickel tranquility of Cayo mines; the the pine-scented purity of the Sierra del Cristal versus the environmental degradation of the the the pine-scented purity of the Sierra del Cristal versus Holguín is a region of extremes, and if you delve a little deeper you’ll find a few more. There’s There’s more. a little deeper you’ll find a few and if you delve of extremes, Holguín is a region With native sons as polar opposite as Fidel Castro and Fulgencio Batista, it’s no surprise that Batista, it’s no surprise and Fulgencio Castro as Fidel polar opposite sons as With native Holguín Province ὄὄὄ

HOLGUÍN PROVINCE of the 19thcentury when much of the land sugar-growingan important area at the end Mexican conquistador. The province became García Holguín,a north of toCaptain Bayamo Velázquez deCuéllar gifted thehillyterrain Spanishexplorer inBaracoa, Diego capital years uptheirnewcolonial later whentheyset infavorBoycotting Bariay of Guantánamo20 back toEuropeasscientific‘specimens.’ Indians andtheycaptured 13of themtotake Spaniards were welcomedashore bySeboruco (now inHolguínprovince). Thegold-seeking near PlayaBlanca,justwestof PlayaDonLino Bariay in CubaonOctober 28,1492atCayo 360 Christopher Columbusfirst madelandfall Most historiansandexpertsagree that History (23km) To LasTunas HOLGUÍN PROVINCE Barranca Mabay Uno Marañón P rovince G ranm Malagueta Bahía de L asTun OGÍ RVNE • itr ••History HOLGUÍN PROVINCE P rovince Embalse del Paso Cauto ὄ 21º00'N Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Mir Buenaventura Covarrubias Punta Airport Padre Puerto Bayamo Chaparra Bahía de

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Naranjal Central Presa Baire Frank País Cacocum Las Palmas Airport Dos Ríos Pérez Floro See GuardalavacaAreaMap(p374) Aguas Claras Holguín ὄ S antigodeCub Playa Caletones Urbano Noris Motel Mirador de Mayabe Contramaestre by less comfortable local buses ortrucks. localbuses by lesscomfortable canbereached GibaraandBanes between. Havana, Santiagoand allthemaincitiesin trucksand slowertrainsheadingto buses, byVíazul The cityof Holguín iswellserved Getting There&Around near Playa Pesquero. National Parks. Rocazul isasmallbio-park Mensuraprotected andLa intheSierraCristal southernregionHolguín’s mountainous is Parks &Reserves a province initsownright in 1975. part of theOriente territory, Holguínbecame Gibara Las Biajacas La Caridad US-owned United FruitCompany.Formerly upandclearedwas bought of forest bythe Río P rovince 76º30'W Cedro Loma del Blanca Playa

Cauto Gibara Bahía de Charco Prieto Bajos Playa Los Embalse Gibara Benito Fray Embalse Protesta ὄὄὄ Blanca Playa Tacamara de Baraguá Báguano Marcané Embalse Tacajó de Vita (Santa Lucía) Rafael Freyre Playa Pesquero Bahía Cueto Alto Cedro Tacajó Finca Las Manacas Santa Isabel Naranjo Bahía de Cortaderas Palmas Cuatro de Nipe Mella To Santiagode Cuba (40km) Seboruco Caves Bijarú Farallones de Birán Al tip Los Pasos Cañadón la ὄὄ ὄ Herrera

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