municipality · Guantánamo
Baracoa
Baracoa, whose full original name is Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa, is a municipality and city in Guantánamo Province near the eastern tip of Cuba. The area wa
Overview
Baracoa, whose full original name is Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa, is a municipality and city in Guantánamo Province near the eastern tip of Cuba. The area was visited by Admiral Christopher Columbus on November 27, 1492, and a settlement founded by the first governor of Cuba, the Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar on August 15, 1511. It is the oldest Spanish settlement in Cuba and was its first capital.
Baracoa is a municipality in Guantánamo, Cuba. It is located at approximately 20.347°, -74.496°.
One of the seven original villas
It was the first of the seven villas laid out by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar, founded in 1511 as Nuestra Señora de la Asunción de Baracoa. Born here: María Caridad Colón, Cuban javelin thrower (b. 1958), José Legrá, Cuban-Spanish boxer (1943–2026) and Aliannis Urgellés, Cuban footballer (b. 1985). The first of the seven, and Cuba's first capital — a role it held until Santiago took it in 1515. The mountains behind it kept Baracoa reachable only by sea until a road crossed the Farola pass in the 1960s.
It sits within the province of Guantánamo.
The nearest recorded places in the atlas are Santiago de Cuba (143 km to the west).
It is associated with nature, beaches, history and food.
Highlights
Verified highlights
Source-backed classifications from the CubaAtlas record — each opens the places that share it. No star ratings.
Your companion for Baracoa
honest data · every value datedConditions
No dataLive sea and weather conditions aren't connected here yet. When they are, this strip will summarize what's realistic to do today — and flag anything to check first — each value stamped with how fresh it is and where it came from.
Get there
20.34670, -74.49580Opens your maps app for turn-by-turn directions. CubaAtlas doesn't track your location.
Tropical outlook
LiveChecking the National Hurricane Center…
Weather
No dataAir temperature, wind, rain chance and UV for planning your day.
Weather adapters (NOAA + Cuba's INSMET) are the next feed to wire — each value will be stamped with its observation time and source.
Water & safety
No dataWhether the water and conditions look manageable today for swimming or wading.
Once sea state and any advisories are connected, this frames conditions as favorable, use-caution, or not-recommended — always with the reason. It will never certify safety; final judgment is yours and the local lifeguard's.
Wildlife
LiveLoading recent wildlife records…
Daylight & season
Local time CDT (UTC−4). Computed from the date and coordinates — accurate to about a minute. Recent
Within the Atlantic hurricane season (Jun 1 – Nov 30). Check active advisories before coastal or boating plans.
Seismic activity
LiveChecking USGS for recent seismic activity…
Emergency
- 106Police (PNR)Recent
- 104Ambulance / medicalRecent
- 105FireRecent
- +53 7 866 4499Asistur (traveler assistance)Recent
State travel-assistance service for visitors (medical, legal, financial help).
These are Cuba's publicly published national numbers. Coverage, language support, and response times vary by area and are not verified in real time — confirm the correct local number with your accommodation on arrival.
CubaAtlas states how much it knows and how fresh it is. Values marked “No data” aren't connected yet — we show you the official source instead of guessing. Not for navigation, rescue, or legal decisions.
What's near Baracoa
Where to stay, eat & explore in Baracoa
Nearby places
Distances are straight-line, measured between recorded coordinates — not driving distance.
Mapped features nearby
Named places recorded in OpenStreetMap around this one, nearest first — distance shown for each.
Named places mapped nearby include Monumento a José Martí, Casa del Combatiente, Fénix 🐦🔥, Centro de Veteranos, Casa de Cultura, 5ta Iglesia Bautista, Dulceria La Criolla, La Cueva del Paraiso, Cruz de La Parra, El Acueducto, Cabacú and Vega Larga.
- Monumento a José Martí · monument
- 0.1 km
- Casa del Combatiente · museum
- 0.1 km
- Fénix 🐦🔥 · artwork
- 0.1 km
- Centro de Veteranos · attraction
- 0.1 km
- Casa de Cultura · arts centre
- 0.3 km
- 5ta Iglesia Bautista · place of worship
- 0.3 km
- Dulceria La Criolla · cuban kitchen
- 0.3 km
- La Cueva del Paraiso · cave
- 0.6 km
- Cruz de La Parra · monument
- 1.5 km
- El Acueducto · neighbourhood
- 2.2 km
- Cabacú · district
- 3.3 km
- Vega Larga · hamlet
- 4.3 km
Around Baracoa
301 named civic, cultural, natural and service places are mapped within about 15 km of Baracoa, across 31 categories. Open any category to see it on the map, centred on Baracoa.
Notable near Baracoa
Yunque de Baracoa
Peaks & volcanoes
El Yunque is a 575-metre-high (1,886 ft) mountain located 7 km (4.3 mi) west of Baracoa and the Baracoa Bay in Cuba's Guantanamo Province. It has a table mountain shape that resembles an anvil.
Basílica Menor e Iglesia Parroquial Mayor de Nuestra Señora de Asunción
Places of worship
The Our Lady of the Assumption Co-Cathedral also called Baracoa Cathedral is a religious building affiliated with the Catholic Church which is located in the town of Baracoa on the island and Caribbean nation of Cuba.
Cruz de La Parra
Historic & heritage
La Cruz de la Parra, or The Sacred Cross of Parra, as it is referred to in English, is a wooden cross which was erected by Christopher Columbus in Cuba after he had landed there during his First Voyage in 1492. It is considered the oldest artifact connected with Columbus to be found in the Americas.
🏛️ Culture & heritage 42
🚬 Cuban craft & cuisine 3
⛰️ Nature & terrain 10
🏭 Industry & resources 6
🏥 Health & care 12
🎓 Education 24
🏦 Civic & services 20
🚉 Transport 4
🏟️ Sport & leisure 14
⛪ Faith 14
🛒 Shops & markets 15
🛏️ Stay 137
What Baracoa makes
7 working sites mapped — energy, industry, mining, farming, fishing and ports.The whole economy →
⚡ Energy 1
Batería Grupo Electrógeno Désel Mabujabo
🏭 Industry 6
Batería Grupo Electrógeno Désel Mabujabo · Cuba Café · Estación Forestal · Fábrica de Chocolate · …
Official information and sources
generated from facts
- Wikidatageographic
- Wikimedia Commonsmedia