Cuba's first village, founded in 1511 by Spanish settlers, exhibits in its discreet streets the simple and natural elegance that caused its first settlers to claim it as a land of unparalleled beauty. Its landscapes and quiet life hide the secret of the traditional cocoa cultivation of eastern Cuba, while sponsoring the continuity of Taino traditions, because the presence of the pre-Hispanic inhabitants of these lands remains vibrant in the cultural mix reflected in the dance, music, food and customs of its inhabitants.

Founded in 1511 by the Spanish colonisers, the primeval settlement of Our Lady of the Assumption of Baracoa is located in a port of the north-eastern region of the province of Guantánamo, in the so-called Antillean Caribbean. Baracoa has an impressive natural heritage that stands out because of the richness of its biodiversity, the surrounding mountains, the rivers with crystal-clear waters, the lush landscape and the high endemism of its fl ora and fauna, which gives it an unparalleled beauty. No wonder the Admiral Christopher Columbus described the place on his log as “the most beautiful thing in the world”.

However, the consolidation of the urban image of the settlement, which had been the fi rst capital and seat of the island’s bishopric, did not take place until the second half of the 19th century when the boom of the banana plantations in the region led to a period of marked economic prosperity. 

Having an essentially eclectic urban architecture with prevailing low one-storey buildings which evoke both the Hispanic tradition with the courtyards and red tile roofs and the Caribbean infl uence with the wooden houses without a patio separated by surrounding gardens. Lacking the sumptuous buildings that are characteristic of other Cuban settlements, Baracoa’s historic centre treasures important values in its heritage, which led to the declaration as National Monument in 1949, an acknowledgement later ratifi ed in 1978. 

The linear layout of its urban tissue, its system of triangular squares, the presence of military constructions inherited from a colonial defensive system and the homogeneity of types and volumes in its buildings give the city a special charm that bears witness to its roots, its history, transculturation and its singular contribution to the national identity. 

In the rural areas, Baracoa has vernacular constructions of aboriginal tradition and the surroundings possess a valuable heritage of the indigenous culture that turns it into Cuba’s archaeological Taino capital.

Simple, authentic and with a strong aboriginal foundation, Baracoa preserves typical dishes, traditions, rhythms and dance forms that prove its indigenous heritage allow to relive captivating myths and local legends.