Banes is a municipality and city in the Holguín Province of Cuba. Banes was an important area for the native Taino people before the conquest by Columbus. The town of Banes is visited by tourists from Guardalavaca as it is the nearest town to the resort, and both are in the municipality of Banes. A museum featuring the Taino culture is situated halfway between both towns.

History

The name comes from the inhabitants Taino language word Bani, meaning "valley". Hurricane Ike made landfall here as a Category 4 hurricane on the evening of September 7, 2008, causing great losses of property. Before the creation of consejos populares, the municipality was divided into the barrios of Barrio Amarillo, Angeles, Berros, Cañadón, Durruthy, Este, Flores, Macabi, Mulas, Nuevo Banes, Oeste, Retrete, Río Seco, Samá (includes Guardalavaca), Marcané, Veguitas and Yaguajay.

Demographics

In 2022, the municipality of Banes had a population of 66,812. With a total area of 781 km2, it has a population density of 86 /km2.

Personalities