Holguin Highlights
Situated in the east of Cuba and the 4th largest city: Holguin, otherwise known as the City of Parks, waits to be discovered. The pleasant plazas, galleries, commemorative monuments, colonial buildings and a few museums lie waiting for explorers, to probe further, beyond the lively public squares, over-sized baseball stadium, parks and shiny vintage Chevy-filled streets.
One of which, is the prized Museo de Historia Provincial, nicknamed The Parrot Cage, La Periquera, owing to the green, yellow and red uniforms that the Spanish soldiers who stood guard wore. The most valued exhibit being the Holguin Axe, the head of which is carved into the likeness of a man; it is thought to date back to the 1400s.
The more pious, may appreciate Loma de la Cruz. In 1790, a cross was raised at the summit; a desperate attempt to relieve the city of drought. On the 3rd of May, devotees pilgrimage to the summit and enjoy a special mass. The stairway, built in 1950, appeals to many with its impressive views, restaurant and 24-hour bar.
An interesting and very typical provincial capital, Holguin is worthy of an overnight stay when exploring eastern Cuba.