The Loma de la Cruz — Hill of the Cross — rises at the northern edge of the city and is Holguín's most recognisable landmark. A monumental staircase of 458 steps climbs straight up the hillside from Avenida de los Libertadores, and the ascent, though steep, takes only around 20 minutes at a steady pace. A white cross stands at the summit, placed here in 1790.
The reward is a panoramic view over the entire city and the green hills that roll away in every direction. In the early morning the light is especially good and the city below is still quiet. There is a small bar at the top where you can sit with a cold drink and take it all in.
The hill gives its name to the Romerías de Mayo, an annual pilgrimage in which the people of Holguín climb to the cross in procession each May — a tradition that has continued for over two centuries and now doubles as a cultural festival drawing artists from across the Caribbean.