A Look at Holguín

Some say that it was in Holguín where Latin America was born. One of the most important, if not the most significant, encounters of humanity in the New World occurred when Columbus landed at Bariay on his first voyage to the western hemisphere. In a narrow bay on the north coast of the province, he made contact with the native community living in the area.

"This the most beautiful land human eyes have ever seen," wrote the Admiral in his diary and with it delivered the first praise to the eastern region of Cuba. Holguín really is beautiful. We can only marvel at the sight of its sea and mountain landscapes, pine trees, beaches, virgin forests, natural parks, and the coastline. The view from the Mayabe vantage point is a breathtaking. There are no words to describe the surroundings of Key Saetia. But Holguín is not only about nature. It is also its history and culture, it's past and present. The majority of the people visiting may be looking for its dreamlike sea, but there are also other interesting places to go. Holguín is not only sun and sea, beach and mountain. It's more than that.

Holguín, according to locals, is the tourist province par excellence. This is maybe a little exaggerated but it has become one of the most important tourist areas of the largest island in the Caribbean. During high season, there are at least 50 flights a week arriving to its airport.

History and Legends

Holguín, capital of the province with the same name and located 770 km to the east of Havana, is a pretentious city. When the whole of the eastern region was only one province called Oriente, Holguín was competing with Santiago de Cuba to become the capital of the province. It does not have Santiago's history or fame, but it does have a booming economy making it the centre of one of the largest sugar growing regions of the country and with vast deposits of nickel and cobalt.

The city was founded by Spanish colonizer, Captain García Holguín, who named it after himself in 1545 and seven years later, it was officially registered as a city. From that moment on