Baracoa
| Baracoa | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Coordinates: 20 ° 21 ′ N , 74 ° 31 ′ W Baracoa is located in the far east of Cuba on the Atlantic side.
|
||
| Basic data | ||
| Country | Cuba | |
| province | Guantánamo | |
| City foundation | August 15, 1511 | |
| Residents | 81,968 (2012) | |
| City insignia | ||
 |
||
| Detailed data | ||
| surface | 974.36 km² | |
| Population density | 84.1 inhabitants / km 2 | |
| Waters | Bahía de Miel, Atlantic Ocean | |
| Post Code | 97310 | |
| prefix | (0053) -21 | |
| Time zone | UTC -5 | |
| Website | ||
| Swell: | ||
 |
||
Baracoa (formerly: "Villa de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa") is a city and a municipality in eastern Cuba and belongs to the province of Guantánamo . It is located on the "Bahía de Miel" (Spanish for: "Honey Bay") and is surrounded by the "Sierra del Purial". The wide mountain range is also the reason for the seclusion of the city. Before the revolution , Baracoa was only accessible by sea.
The Spanish conqueror and first governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez , founded the city of Baracoa in 1511 on the very spot where Christopher Columbus anchored on his first expedition on November 27, 1492. This makes Baracoa the oldest Spanish settlement on the island.
The city name has its origin in the indigenous language of the Arauaca . Accordingly, "Baracoa" stands for "Presence of the Sea". The fact that Baracoa was the capital of the Caribbean island at the time gave it the nickname “Ciudad Primada” (Spanish for “First City”).
The historic old town has a mix of styles of classicist buildings with strong French influences. This is what distinguishes Baracoa from many of the colonial-style cities in Cuba.
geography
The municipality of Baracoa has a total area of 974.36 km², 95% of which is mountainous terrain. The city advertises with the sentence: "Baracoa means nature". And indeed, Baracoa is probably the greenest city in Cuba. The lush vegetation of the surrounding mountain range "Sierra del Purial" can be seen far into the city. The surrounding area is home to one of the best preserved ecosystems on the island.
The community borders the Atlantic Ocean to the north . The city itself lies on the "Bahía de Miel". The municipality of Yateras forms the western border, San Antonio del Sur and Imías the southern. The municipality of Maisí connects to the east .
climate
| Baracoa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate diagram | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Average monthly temperatures and rainfall for Baracoa
Source: Climate-Data - Baracoa
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
With over 85% the humidity is very high.
history
Discovery by Christopher Columbus
On October 28, 1492, Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba on his first voyage of discovery. As a result, he explored the Caribbean and finally reached the place of today's city of Baracoa on November 27, 1492. There he noted in his logbook : “[...] Under a south-westerly wind I reached the point where I had perceived the supposed entry into the sea inlet. Here I could see that it was a spacious bay closed in the extreme south-east by a promontory from which rose a high, four-sided mountain, which from afar had simulated the existence of an island. [...] "
Columbus erected Christian crosses in 29 locations in America . The Cruz de la Parra , which he set up in Baracoa, is the last remaining cross and thus the oldest Christian symbol in the New World . It can be viewed today in the "Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Asunción".
City foundation
On August 15, 1511, the Spanish conqueror and first governor of Cuba, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, founded the city of Baracoa. The founding was preceded by fights with the indigenous people living there, led by Hatuey , the chief of the Taíno . This was crossed with 400 Indians before Diego Velázquez from Hispaniola and wanted to warn the Cuban natives of the cruel Spaniards. But only a few joined his guerrilla warfare and so Hatuey was captured on February 2, 1512. They tied him to a stake and burned him alive.
Years of isolation
As the first city in Cuba, Baracoa immediately became the capital. However, the remote location quickly turned out to be a hindrance for the Spanish conquerors. As early as 1515, Diego Velázquez moved his residence to Santiago de Cuba and Baracoa lost its capital city status.
Baracoa fell into oblivion and fell into a long period of isolation. To protect against pirates, the Spaniards built the "Fortaleza la Matachíne", a "Castillo de Seboruco" and the "Fuerte de la Punta". As a result, residents engaged in illegal trade with the British and French. In the 19th century, French settlers from Haiti brought cocoa and coffee cultivation to the city.
In the Cuban Wars of Independence, Baracoa served as a retreat. Today's national heroes Antonio Maceo and José Martí stayed in the city for a while.
Cuban Revolution
Until shortly after the Cuban Revolution , Baracoa could only be reached by sea or by small, unpaved roads. In 1964 and 1965, the revolutionaries around Fidel Castro had La Farola built - a 120 km long mountain road. The difficult route across the "Sierra del Purial" extends the Carretera Central and connects Baracoa with the rest of Cuba by land for the first time. The street is considered a prime example of the achievements of the revolutionaries.
Attractions
Ciudad Baracoa
The "Castillo de Seboruco" is located on a hill in the center of the city. Just like the "Fortaleza la Matachíne" and the "Fuerte de la Punta", the Castillo was built to protect against pirates . The good view over the entire bay was decisive for the construction. Today the guests of the hotel "El Castillo" can enjoy the view.
The "Fortaleza la Matachíne" is a fortress at the southeast end of the " Malecón ". It was built during the period of Spanish colonial rule to protect against pirates. Today the fortress is also home to the "Museo Provincial", which deals with regional history. Among other things, pre-Columbian artifacts and finds from the colonial era are exhibited. The scientific part of the exhibition shows the peculiarities of Cuban flora and fauna .
The "Fuerte de la Punta" is a small fortress at the northwest end of the "Malecón". In the colonial times it also served to protect against piracy. Today it houses a small restaurant.
The El Malecón embankment stretches the entire length of the city. It starts at the "Fuerte de la Punta" and ends at the "Fortaleza la Matachíne". A colorful farmers market takes place here every Saturday.
The "Hotel La Rusa" is located directly on the "Malecón" Baracoas. It once belonged to the Russian princess Magdalena Rowenskaja, who fled Russia to Cuba after the October Revolution in 1917 . She opened a restaurant and gave singing lessons. As an enthusiastic supporter of the Cuban revolution, she gave shelter to the guerrillas Fidel Castro and Ernesto Che Guevara, among others . In the entrance area of the hotel, personal items and some photos of Rowenskajas are on display. The hotel achieved international fame through Alejo Carpentier's novel “La consagración de la primavera” (title of the German translation: “Le Sacre du Printemps”).
The “Parque de la Independencia” is Baracoa's central square. The most important cultural buildings in the city are located here. In the “Fondo de Bienes Culturales” the works of regional sculptors and craftsmen are shown. The "Casa de la Trova" invites its guests to live Cuban music. The colonial event building is the "Casa de la Cultura". In the center of the square, a bust commemorates the Indian chief Hatuey. Not far from the square is the "Casa del Chocolate" in "Calle Maceo". There, guests can taste hot chocolate made from locally grown cocoa.
The church "Catedral Nuestra Señora de la Asunción" - also located at the "Parque de la Independencia" - is one of the oldest buildings on the island. It was consecrated on the day the city was founded. In 1833 the building was completely restored. It houses the Cruz de la Parra , which Christopher Columbus built on his first voyage of discovery at the site of today's city of Baracoa.
To the east of the baseball stadium is the "Boca de Miel" - the mouth of the Miel River. You can take a rowing boat to get to the village of the same name. This is the starting point for hikes, including to a water-filled grotto.
Municipio Baracoa
About 27 km east of Baracoa is the traditional fishing village "Boca de Yumurí". From there you can take boat trips upstream through the canyon, which is up to 180 m deep.
Cuchillas del Toa Biosphere Reserve
The table mountain El Yunque (Spanish for: "the anvil") can be seen from afar . Like the surrounding area, the 575 m high limestone cliff is covered with rich vegetation. The mountain was sacred to the once resident Taíno. Due to its distinctive formation, it always served as a guide for Spanish sailors.
The Parque Nacional Alejandro de Humboldt (Spanish for "Alejandro de Humboldt National Park") is since 2001 UNESCO - World Heritage Site . Due to its scenic diversity and the large number of endemic species in flora and fauna, the national park is one of the most important nature reserves in the world. It covers terrestrial and marine areas, mangrove forests , offshore reefs , rainforests and the summit of "El Toldo". About 20 km northwest of the city is the “Bahía de Taco”. The visitor center located there offers guided tours through the national park on land and water.
The Salto Fino is the highest waterfall in the Caribbean in this municipality. It is created by a sudden drop in the Arroyo del Infierno (Hell's Stream), a tributary of the Quibijan River. This in turn flows together with 71 other currents into the Río Toa , the largest river in Cuba.
economy
The natural resources of the surrounding area have always formed the economic basis of Baracoa: In the dense forests at the gates of the city, there is extensive timber industry. Numerous cooperatives also cultivate palm, cocoa, coffee and banana plantations. The cocoa is processed directly in Baracoa's chocolate factory into Hatuey brand chocolate . In addition to agriculture, there is limited small boat fishing .
Since the 1990s, international tourism has also developed into an important industry. In addition to the numerous private accommodations (casas particulares), Baracoa has five larger hotel complexes:
- "Hotel El Castillo" (3 * / former fortress on the mountain slope above the city)
- "Hotel Porto Santo" (3 * / next to the "Gustavo Rizo" airport)
- "Hotel La Rusa" (2 * / directly on the "Malecón")
- "Hostal La Habanera" (3 * / at the "Parque de la Independencia")
- "Hotel Villa Maguana" (3 * / from Baracoa about 21 km in the direction of Moa)
traffic
Baracoa can be reached by land from the south via the well-developed La Farola pass road (part of the Carretera Central ), which was built in 1964, and from the north-west via a road to Moa that is unpaved but passable on some sections . The nearest train station is in Guantánamo , 150 km southwest of the city.
The regional airport " Aeropuerto Nacional Gustavo Rizo " offers domestic flights to Havana , among other things .
The state bus companies Viazul and Astro offer, among other things, direct trips to Santiago de Cuba and Havana at the bus terminal near the "Fuerte de la Punta" at the tip of the Baracoa headland.
A number of lorries that carry passengers run regularly to Moa and Guantánamo.
Also the public transport within the city is with a variety of buses and trucks, as well as numerous horse-drawn carts and Bicitaxis served.
Personalities
- Chombo Silva (1913–1995), violinist and saxophonist
- María Caridad Colón (* 1958), javelin thrower
Web links
- Baracoa - "Cortesillo" and the oldest Spanish city in Cuba
- "Baracoa" the city in eastern Cuba (photo collection from 2003)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas: Población total por zona de residencia, grado de urbanización, densidad de población y variación intercensal según provincias y municipios 2012. Accessed September 18, 2017 (Spanish).
- ↑ a b Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas: Extensión Superficial, Población y Densidad, año 2010. (No longer available online.) Archived from the original on March 17, 2012 ; Retrieved September 18, 2017 (Spanish). Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ GeoData Limited: dataset Cuba. Retrieved September 18, 2017 .
- ↑ Cubanisches Tourist Board: telecommunications. Retrieved September 18, 2017 .
- ↑ EcuRed: Baracoa. Retrieved September 18, 2017 (Spanish).
- ↑ baracoa.org: Baracoa. Retrieved September 18, 2017 (English).
- ^ Norbert Fiks: The log of the first trip. Retrieved September 18, 2017 .
Baracoa | Caimanera | El Salvador | Guantánamo | Imías | Maisí | Manuel Tames | Niceto Pérez | San Antonio del Sur | Yateras