Oltaloro

The capital of the Cataduanes Freestate is located on the western coast of the main island of Cataduanes, the original city was founded by the spanish conquistadors who fortified a native fishing village on the banks of the river Otaloru (from were the modern name of Oltaloro comes from) by building the fort of Santiago and the San Martin Docks. For centuries it played second fiddle to the old colonial capital, Merida, but the deep harbour enabled Oltaloro to handle the larger freighters in the early 20th century and it soon eclipsed Merida in terms of wealth and population. It was during the 1920's that the Magalona hills that surround Santiago & San Martin Barrio's were subjected to mass developement and the old sleepy hilltowns that once ringed Oltaloro where submerged into a growing urban center, a process speeded up after independence in the mid 1930's.

Subdivisions
San Martin covers the whole coast of the metropolitan area while Santiago is the old city immediatly inland from San Martin and spread into the circle of land surrounded by the Magalona hills. Both San Martin and Santiago constitute Barrio's of their own, the barrios or districts on the Magalona hills were named after the towns that were formerly in the locality before the expansion of the urban center. To the north of Barrio Santiago & Barrio San Martin are the Barrio's of Haro, Dumaguete and Banilad. To the East are the Barrio's of Negrense, Masantola and Canlaon and to the south are located the Barrio's of Torrijos, Tañon and Luxemburgo (the latter named after Rosa Luxemburg).

http://i99.photobucket.com/albums/l286/Cataduanes/Oltalorobarriomap.jpg

City map with the boundaries of the Barrios outlined.

Barrios of Interest
The center of the Coalition government is located in the modern and leafy Barrio of Negrense, while Santiago (including its fort at its heart) and San Martin retain the old colonial charm and have a heavy meditteranean feel to it. Luxemburgo with its plaza's is home to the cities Basque community and remains special while Banilad retains a rustic charm, the docks and narrow streets of San Martin however remains a hotbed of poverty and discontent as it did in colonial times however barrio still exudes some signs of its opulent past.

Sport
Football is the premier sport throughout the islands and the Cataduanes Liga (league) has a long and proud tradition. The capital is home to no less than six teams, the most famous of whom are 'Club Union' and 'Haro'.

Bullfighting, a legacy of centuries of spanish rule is also very popular, the Plaza de Toro in San Martin hosts three sessions or Corrida's a year.