What is an higue?

Higüe is the largest city of the La Altagracia Province, in the Eastern Region of the Dominican Republic, located about 145 kilometers (90 miles) east of Santo Domingo. It is a major tourist destination, largely because it is the home of the Basilica de Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, a Marian Catholic church that is the most important religious monument in the country. The basilica was built in 1922, and is visited by millions of pilgrims each year, mostly in January, to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Altagracia.