Bariay National Monument Park

Parque Nacional Monumento Bariay (Bariay National Monument Park)

This park is located on the north coast of Holguin province between the resort areas near Guardalavaca and the town of Gibara. It's a 25 km2 peninsula featuring beautiful bays and rivers and diverse ecosystems, but it's better known as the place where Admiral Christopher Columbus discovered Cuba on October 27, 1492 and first made landfall the day after. This multi-purpose park houses an archeological museum, a commemorative plaque in the place where Columbus first landed, a replica of the fishing village Columbus discovered on his first trip where the Taino life and areito dance is reenacted, and a 19th century Spanish fort (Cuban War of Independence 1895-1898).

Another important structure at the far end of the park (next to the Atlantic waters), is the Monumento Conmemorativo del Medio Milenio del Encuentro entre las Dos Culturas (Memorial to the half-millennium of the encounter between the two cultures) which symbolize the meeting between the Old World and the New World. The monument is the work of an Holguin artist, Caridad Ramos; it was erected in 1992, at Punta de Sabaneta, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Columbus' arrival. It represent the ruins of a European neoclassical construction next to the replica of objects made by the natives and found in the nearby excavations, all in the middle of a lush nature.

The spectacular landscapes of the area with lush hills, beautiful coves and pristine beaches, will easily make any visitor better understand why Columbus described the Bariay peninsula in his journal as "The most beautiful land human eyes had ever seen!"

How to get there:
You can get to the park on your own (taxi or rented vehicle), or you can book an guided excursion from the tour representatives at your hotel, transfers included. See our Excursions section for more details.

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The location of all-inclusive resorts in Holguin

The location of tourist attractions and services