| Known as the first Cuban village, Baracoa is a magical | | | | kilometers. The population is circa 82 thousand |
| city full of color and adventure, the first town in the | | | | inhabitants in which most of them live in the urban |
| island, famous for being an indispensable place for | | | | area and the rest is rural. |
| visiting. | | | | This area is located in the Sagua-Baracoa |
| It's now known by tourists from all over the world | | | | mountainous system, famous by the density of its |
| that this eastern and remote city has plenty | | | | foliage. In the country there are only two areas |
| attractive charms for those who love ecotourism | | | | where vegetation has remained practically untouched: |
| holidays. | | | | In the center of the island (Sierra del Escambray)and |
| Its complete name is Nuestra Señora de la | | | | in the Baracoa area. |
| Asunción de Baracoa and it's a place with urban | | | | The main rivers, especial to be navigated with tourist |
| constructions located in a small space surrounded by | | | | ships, are Miel, Duaba, Yumurà and Toa, the last |
| abrupt coasts, woods, mountains and rivers. | | | | one the most copious in the country, composed by |
| The Taino aborigines (descendants of the | | | | several cascades one of them 17 meters high called |
| Araucanians) were the main inhabitants of this region | | | | "El saltadero", a very special one for rafting. |
| when the admiral Christopher Columbus arrived in | | | | Towards the east side, the mouth of the river |
| 1492. It was the trip where he discovered America | | | | Yumurà is the remarkable part with a wide |
| and landed twice by that area. | | | | canyon the makes the landscape very quite and with |
| It's said that the word Baracoa is an aborigine term | | | | fishermen settlements around it, places where you |
| meaning "existence of the sea"; it was a reference, | | | | can spend a wonderful afternoon. |
| made by its original inhabitants, to the marine | | | | Although the path conducting to the city doesn't |
| ambiance that surrounds the place, in contrast with | | | | belong to Baracoa, but to ImÃas, a place close |
| the mountains and the rivers of the zone. | | | | to it, it's a very peculiar road that goes through the |
| Baracoa is located in Guantánamo, the most | | | | mountains called La Farola. |
| eastern Cuban province -around one thousand km to | | | | The construction of this asphalted road was finished |
| the east side of the capital- and was founded by the | | | | in 1965 and the most interesting point of the trip is |
| Governor Diego Velázquez on August 15, 1511, | | | | Altos de Cotilla, more than 600 m over the sea level, |
| becoming the first capital and diocese in the island. | | | | a real feast for those on a trip around Cuba. |
| Afterwards the city lost this condition and the capital | | | | The main natural resource is the Yunque of Baracoa, |
| was transferred to Santiago de Cuba first and then | | | | a flatted mountain -with 575 m high- just like a |
| to Havana due to requirements of the Spanish | | | | blacksmith's work that is very well seen from the |
| colonization. | | | | small village. |
| It's a very colorful place that covers 921.2 square | | | | |