The municipio of Alquízar is one of the twenty six municipios in the province of Havana, Cuba. It is located at the extreme southwest of the province. This municipio covers a surface of 205 square kilometers. To the north it borders with the municipio of San Antonio de los Baños; to the east with Güira de Melena; and to the west with the Municipio of Artemisa in the province of Pinar del Río. To the south the Gulf of Batabanó.

Note: A “municipio” (plural: municipios) is the first political division of the provinces in Cuba. It is similar, in many ways, to the county or parish in which a state is divided in the United States.

Population: The population of this municipio in 1953 was 13,286 persons.

Jurisdiction: In 1940 the Municipio of Alquízar was part of the Partido Judicial of San Antonio de los Baños and of the Distrito Fiscal of Güira de Melena. The Municipio of Alquízar was established January 1, 1879, having been segregated from Santiago de las Vegas.

Barrios: The “barrios” (singular: barrio) are similar to the electoral districs in which a county is divided in the United Sates.

The barrios of Alquízar in 1943 were: Guanímar, La Paz, Pueblo (Town) or Cabecera (Seat of Municipio), San Andrés and Tumbadero. In the census of 1899 the barrio of Pueblo is tabulated as Alquízar Primero (Alquízar First) and Alquízar Segundo (Alquízar Second); also an additional barrio is presented, called Palenque.

Guanímar: The seat of this barrio is located ten km from the city of Alquízar. Includes the towns of Guanímar.

La Paz: The seat of this barrio is located five km from the city of Alquízar.

Pueblo: Also called Cabecera. Made up of the urban zone of the city of Alquízar. It is the seat of the municipio.

San Andrés: The seat of this barrio is located six km from the city of Alquízar.

Tumbadero: The seat of this barrio is located six km from the city of Alquízar. Includes the town of Tumbadero.

Cities, towns and places in this municipio: Alquízar, Dagame, Guanímar, La Luz and Tumbadero.

Alquízar: Seat of the Municipio. This city records go back to 1616 when the Capitan General (Governor) of Cuba, Don Sancho de Alquízar, started a coffee plantation in this vicinity and named it after himself. In 1779 the church was erected. By 1826 it became “Comandancia de Armas” and in 1879 became the seat of its own Municipio.

To the north, by road, is 12 km from San Antonio de los Baños and 34 km from Havana. To the east is joined to Güira de Melena by road and to the east with Artemisa. There is a road to the south which gives access to the towns of La Luz and Guanímar and continues to Guanímar Beach on the coast. The city is also joined to rest of the island by train.

Dagame: Located west in the Municipio. 64 km from Havana by train.

Guanímar: Town in the Municipio in the barrio by its name. Founded in 1842. The census of 1846 indicates it had 39 residents in 8 houses and two stores. In 1842 there were 42 residents and 8 houses. To the north it has a road that leads to Alquízar.

La Luz: Town between Alquízar and Guanímar.

Tumbadero: Town in the Municipio in the barrio by its name. It is located to the north in the Municipio. Accessed by a secondary branch of the road from Havana to Güira de Melena.