Santa Leon - Colonial District
Santa León is the capital city of Guaracay. It was founded by San Pedrians in the 1500s and continues to be the oldest inhabited city in the Guaracan Islands. The city is known for it's warm urban beaches and historic colonial architecture.

At the top of the pic below, you have the Colonial Quarter with the Fort of San Francisco, Cathedral, and narrow cobblestone streets located on a peninsula. Towards the bottom you have the Government District and then the Banking District.

One of the oldest buildings is the Fortaleza de San Francisco, which was constructed in order to solidify the San Pedrian territorial claim over Guaracay and deter pirates and rivaling countries.

The city's main landmark, along with the old fort, is the Cathedral. It was designed by a Portuguese architect in a Portuguese style with blue tiles depicting scenes from the New Testament of the Bible.

Another historic structure is the Iglesia de San Domenico, which was the first Dominican church in Guaracay.

Santa León's colonial district is considered a gem of the southern Caribbean, due to the numerous preserved colonial houses and the restored cobblestone streets. The area is filled with touristy shops and bars that attract hordes of tourists every year.


In addition to the historic structures, there is a nearby beach by the Colonial District that is popular mostly with tourists. The beach went through a massive clean-up effort in the late 1990's due to the accumulation of garbage and broken glass that were a public hazard. Today, however, the city has strict anti-littering rules and hefty fines.

Near the Colonial District is the so-called "Government District", which is where the Palacio Nacional is located. This is where the president works and where his angry citizens protests.
There's also another beach near this district, along the Bay of León.

That's all for now. ![]()
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