Baracoa

Town and port in the province of Guantánamo, on the east coast of Cuba, in the West Indies, 150 km/93 mi east of Santiago de Cuba; population (1997) 60,000. Baracoa was the site of the first permanent Spanish settlement in Cuba and the capital of the island from 1512 to 1514. It is the centre of Cuba's cacao-growing area and is important for local nickel, cobalt, and chromium deposits. Locally manufactured products include coconut oil, cigars, and chocolate.

Baracoa was formerly the haunt of pirates and smugglers. Its isolated location and hilly environment hampered the development of the local economy.