Holguin

Holguin one of the beautiful Cuban cities, was part of the former province of Oriente.  Since 1976 there has been a new political-administrative structure in Cuba.  The name of the city of Holguin is the same as that of the province where it is located, and therefore, is its capital.  Holguin is located about eight hundred miles from Havana, and was called City of Parks historically.
History

Bariay Port, which today is within the territorial limits of the province of Holguin, in the month of October 1492, was the site of the landing of the Great Admira, Christopher Columbus.

According to testimonies of the time Columbus first set foot on Cuban soil, and was impressed by the beauty of its beaches and exuberant vegetation, uttering a phrase that has been remembered to this day: “It’s the most beautiful land human eyes have seen.”  Years later in 1525, Captain Garcia Holguin founded the city, which developed, and by the eighteenth century the port of Gibara was one of the main ports in the East for the slave trade and sugar.

Attracted by the wealth of the colony, Holguin was also the scene of pirate attacks.   There still remain the ruins of the fortifications that were constructed in order to protect it from the siege.
On January 18^th 1752, Holguin was declared a municipality, becoming with the passage of time, the major city that it is today.  Its townscape is dominated by several parks, and it is why it is known by Cubans as the “City of Parks”.

These include the Children’s Park, Park San Jose, San Isidoro Park, Parque Marti, Parque de las Flores, among others, particularly Galixto Garcia Park located in the center of the city.  Nearby are the galleries Bayado Moncada, Alex Urqiola Provincial Library, the Casa de la Trova club, film Marti Sunol theater, the Provincial History Museum and The Periquera Museum of Natural Sciences.
The mountain Loma de la Cruz with its 464 steps can be seen throughout the city. Holguin has a great ballpark and Frank Pais Airport is connected to the capital Havana, as well as almost all provinces and several international airports.

There are city wide corridors and corrugated roofs with cisterns to collect rainwater.  It is a city of solid and straight streets.  For the exquisite and strict conservation of colonial architectural structure which they have, Holguin’s parks are also a beautiful uptown local identity.

There are many parks at the disposal of Holguin locals and visitors alike.  The biggest of all is the Calixto Garcia.  Its name is a perpetual tribute to a noble Cuban, born in this region; he became Lieutenant-General of the Mambi Army troops and engaged in three wars for national independence.

Indeed, a few meters from the famous site, is the flagship campus of the city: The Periquera. This is an old house belonging, upon completion of construction, to the Spanish Don Francisco Rondan.  It was also, for more than a century, the official residence of the local government. The Periquera is revered as the most important venue in the city.