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Its capital is the namesake city that received this title in 1752, although its origins date back to the establishment in 1545 of the Hato de San Isidoro de Holguín by Don Francisco García  de Holguín. It is considered the third tourist destination of the Island. Being its infrastructure concentrated in the northern coast and in the capital city known like “Ciudad de los Parques” ("City of the Parks") it offers a varied and complete tourist product.
Capital: Holguin
Extension: 9 293 sq. km
Municipalities: Holguín, Antilllas, Banes, Sagua de Tánamo, Mayarí, Gibara, Moa, Rafael Freyre, Urbano Noris, Báguanos, Cueto, Frank País, Cacocum and Calixto García
Denonym: holguinero/a
Limits: it limits to the north with the Atlantic Ocean, to the east with the province of Guantánamo, to the south with the provinces of Granma and Santiago de Cuba, and to the west with the province of Las Tunas.
Access: by air it can be accessed through the international airport Frank País, while by land it can be accessed by the Carretera Central (Central National Road.) By sea its main access is the International Marina Puerto de Vita.
Places of interest
 Parque Calixto García (Park)
Frexes, Libertad and Maceo streets
Designed between 1719 and 1720, this park was once the city's main square. In 1898 it was named Calixto García. Its main feature is a statue of the namesake hero of independence erected in marble in 1916. Today it is an eminently cultural square and around it are the main buildings of the city.
 La Periquera, Museo Provincial de Historia (Museum)
198 Frexes between Libertad and Maceo streets, Tel 024 46 3395
It is a famous neoclassical building in the city, with large arcades and spacious halls. Its construction was initiated in 1860 by Spanish Francisco Rondán and served as barracks for the colonial troops during the mambises attacks. At the moment, it houses a museum that exhibits aboriginal archaeological collections, as well as documents and testimonies of the independence. In its interior, it treasures the symbols of the city and important works of art.
 Casa Natal de Calixto García
147 Miró, Tel 024 42 5610
It is a Memorial Museum that honors the memory of Major General Calixto García. It was his official residence and keeps photos, documents and objects related to the biography and military deeds in which this patriot was involved in. It has an information center specialized in the wars of independence.
 Centro Cultural Plaza de la Marqueta (Cultural Center)
Martires, Martí, Máximo Gómez and Luz Caballero streets
It is an important cultural space that goes beyond the functions of market place for which it was created in 1848. It is the point of passage and meeting of the inhabitants of the city.
 Museo de Historia Natural Carlos de la Torre y Huerta (Museum)
129 Maceo between Martí and Luz Caballero streets,
Tel 024 42 3935
Founded on May 31, 1969, it offers a vision of the Cuban nature and, above all, of the northeastern region of the country. Most of the pieces of his collection come from donations made by Professor José García Castañeda and from the Guamá Museum, the first of the city of Holguín. Among its main collections, it treasures some of malacology, ornithology, Lepidoptera, rocks, minerals and one of paleontology that includes the most perfect fossil found in Cuba.
 Catedral San Isidoro de Holguín (Cathedral)
Manduley, between Luz Caballero and Aricochea streets
Its construction dates back to 1720 and took its name from the patron saint of the city. In it are the preserved books of registrations of baptisms, marriages and deaths since 1731.
 Loma de la Cruz
A 261 m.a.s.l. height that takes its name from a wooden cross placed on its summit. The first cross was placed in 1790 by Franciscan friar Antonio de Alegría, prior of the community of Holguín. With 458 steps, the ascent to the viewpoint is really difficult, although at the back of the hill was built a road that facilitates access. The present cross is made of caguairán, like the previous ones, because this wood abounds in the forests of Bariay. Every May, during the celebration of the Romerías de Mayo (May Pilgrimages,) an impressive procession climbs up the steps carrying a giant replica of the Hacha de Holguín (Holguìn Axe).
Mirador de Mayabe (Viewpoint)
Tel 024 42 2160
Just 8 km from the city center, in the Valle de Mayabe, is the famous farm that has a unique beer-loving donkey, and where visitors can enjoy exquisite dishes of local cuisine. The complex has a viewpoint from which you can see the valley that borders the city.
Gibara, La Villa Blanca de los Cangrejos.
It is characterized by the white facades of their houses that have earned it the nickname “La perla del Oriente” ("The pearl of the Orient".) Among its main charms are the Museo de Artes Decorativas (19 Independencia street/Tel 024 84 4687) located in a restored neoclassical mansion, displaying its original furniture and works of art; as part of its defensive system it has the Batería de Fernando VII and the ruins of Fuerte El Cuartelón; the Museo de Ciencias Naturales (23 Luz Caballero/Tel 024 84 4458); the Iglesia de San Fulgencio, with domes of Byzantine style dating from 1850; and the Parque Calixto García with its Statue of Liberty. Named “El Pueblo Fantasma”, ("The Ghost Town",) it retains its charm because time was stopped at its doors.
Playa Blanca and Parque Monumento Nacional Bariay (Beach and National Park)
Tel 024 43 3311
Playa Blanca, known for the beauty of its sand and the quiet of its waters, is located on the Bay of Bariay, and is considered the site of the first landing of Christopher Columbus on the Island. This National Monument Park was inaugurated in 2002 in honor to this historical event and has the Monumento al Medio Milenio that commemorates the discovery of the New World, inaugurated in 1992. The site also has the reconstruction of a Taíno Village described by Columbus in his travel journal.
Beach Circuit
The beaches of Don Lino, Pesquero, Esmeralda, Guardalavaca and Yuraguanal feature calm turquoise waters suitable for scuba diving in its coral reef, underwater fishing, and other water sports. Surrounded by mountains of dense vegetation, they make a diverse landscape. A modern hotel network integrated to the coastal scenario is complemented by the Marina Internacional Puerto de Vita where excursions that take the route of Columbus along the coast are organized.
Banes, Archaeological Capital of Cuba.
Banes coincides in its location with the aboriginal settlement of Maniabón, the first human settlement in Cuba, 6 or 7 thousand years old. In its territory, it has two museums dedicated to the aboriginal culture on the Island, the Museo Indo Cubano de Baní (305 General Marrero/Tel 024 80 2487) and the Sitio Arqueológico Chorro de Maíta (Tel 024 43 0201,) the latter described as the largest aboriginal cemetery where all forms of burial found in the Caribbean are evident. The site presents the Aldea Taína, a replica of a settlement of this aboriginal ethnic group located near the Chorro de Maíta.
Parque Natural Bahía del Naranjo (Natural Park)
Characterized by a lush vegetation, crystal-clear waters, unspoiled nature and extensive mangroves. Its easternmost part can be accessed following the Sendero Eco- Arqueológico Las Guanas, which leads to Cueva Ciboney, an aboriginal burial site with petroglyphs. The park has towers that allow the observation of its flora and fauna. One of its main attractions is the Acuario Cayo Naranjo (Tel 024 43 0132), located on a thin strip of land in the middle of the bay, where sea lions and dolphins perform an acrobatic show.
Museo Conjunto Histórico Birán (Museum)
Finca Las Manacas, Tel 024 28 6114
Open to the public as a Sitio Histórico Nacional (National Historical Site,) it is the birthplace of Fidel Castro. The set consists of the main house built on stilts, a bakery, a shop and other secondary buildings such as the school where the children of the family had their first basic education. The original main house was destroyed by a fire in 1954. Today it is replaced by a replica that retains part of the original furniture as well as the bed in which Fidel was born and some of his personal objects. Several members of the family are buried nearby.
Parque Natural Cayo Saetía (Natural Park)
Conceived as a Natural Reserve, it is located at the entrance of the Bay of Nipe. It has several beaches and an Open Natural Park. This area is characterized by the presence of the polymites (Polymita picta) terrestrial mollusks considered living jewels of the endemic nature. The island is home to exotic animals such as antelopes, zebras, giraffes, camels and wild bulls. The visitor may enjoy jeep tours or horseback riding with specialized guides. The sea is another of its great charms, distinguished by beautiful colors, the warmth of its waters and the vegetation that populates its coasts.
Unexplored Nature
To the east of its territory, the province has an invaluable natural wealth. An example of it is Pinares de Mayarí; dazzling by its unique landscape located at 995 m.a.s.l. in the Parque Nacional de la Meseta de la Mensura. Hiking lovers may enjoy places such as El Guayabo 240 m waterfall, or the Sendero Ecológico La Sabina. Likewise, in the mountains of Nipe-Sagua-Baracoa is located the best preserved nature of the Insular Caribbean. In this territory is also located the Gran Parque Natural Alejandro de Humboldt, declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site in 2001.

10 suggestions where to eat

1910 Restaurante & Bar
Calle Mártires No. 143
Telf.: +53 24 423994

Delicias Cubanas
Calle Dositeo Aguilera No 78, e/ Garayalde y Agramontes
Telf.: +53 5 2557014

El Aldabón
Calle Mártires No. 81, e/ Frexes y Aguilera
Telf.: +53 5 2466425

Los Lindones
Carretera Mirador de Mayabe, Km. 2 Circunvalación No. 38
Telf.: +53 5 4797042

Restaurant 1720
Calle Frexes, e/ Manduley y Miró
Telf.: +53 24 468150
Los Toneles
Avenida Capitán Urbino No. 170
Telf. +53 5 3142187

Parrillada San José
Calle Agramonte No.188
Telf.: +53 24 424877

La Torre
Calle Martí No. 137 e/ Máximo Gómez y Mártires
Telf.: +53 24 465347

El Edén
Cuatro Caminos, Guardalavaca
Telf.: +53 5 5679394

The Passion
Calle libertad n. 9
Telf.: +53 5 2550611