Plaza Calixto García

The city’s main square is an expansive plaza with, at its heart, a marble Monumento General Calixto García. Holguín’s most famous son was born in the simple Casa Natal de Calixto García (Miró #147, tel. 024/42-5610; Tues.–Sat. 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; CUC1), one block east of the square. Some of his personal effects are on view inside the museum.

On the north side, the Museo Provincial de História (Frexes #198, tel. 024/46-3395; Wed.–Mon. 8:30 a.m.–9:30 p.m.; entrance CUC1, cameras CUC2), with an eclectic range of historical artifacts. It was built in 1860–68 as the Casino Español, where Spanish gentry caroused. It is colloquially known as La Periquera—the Parrot’s Cage—supposedly after Spanish troops in their garish yellow, blue, and green uniforms were trapped inside the building, with its cage-like barred windows, when the town was besieged in 1868 by General Calixto García’s troops. The museum’s pride and joy is a 35-centimeter-long pre-Columbian axe (the hacha de Holguín) carved in the figurine shape of a human. The axe has become the provincial symbol.

The Museo de la História Natural Carlos de la Torre (Maceo #129, tel. 024/42-3935; Tues.–Sat. 9 a.m.–10 p.m., Sun. 9 a.m.–9 p.m.; CUC1), one block south of the square, is housed in an impressive neoclassical building with beautiful ceramic tile work. The museum features an eclectic array of dead animals and birds, including a stuffed manatee and a leatherback turtle, plus a dazzling collection of over 4,000 colorful polymite (snail) shells.