When Spanish colonizers settled in this area, they encountered a peaceful mountain river with crystal-clear waters, but the sudden, heavy floods during the rainy season caused many disasters.

Manganese was mined in what is now the municipal capital (Minas de Buey Arriba), and copper was extracted from La Cristina, Vega Grande, Almendral, and other locations.

These lands were granted in encomienda to Manuel Rojas, nephew of Diego Velásquez; among these areas were Valenzuela (Areo) and Palmarito (Manicarao).

Other notable settlements included Limones, Severiana, Maguaro, El Cedrón, Montero, and Corojito, where an appropriation-based economy was practiced.

Initially a cattle ranch within the jurisdiction of Bayamo, it became the population center of the area and flourished with the construction of a Catholic church in honor of Our Lady of the Conception, called “Nuestra Señora de la Concepción de Valenzuela.” A census conducted in 1761 recorded 52 families with a population of 366 people (328 souls and 38 servants).

Valenzuela, as a captaincy, was losing importance due to its remote location and the constant threat of the Río Yao overflowing in the spring.

These factors diminished its relevance, while Bueycito, a corral within the Valenzuela estate, had gained importance since the 18th century, particularly with Spanish settlers and Cubans seeking fortune.

Over time, notable revolutionary figures became influential in the area, including the wealthy landowner and patriot Francisco Vicente Aguilera, who owned a coffee plantation in San Juan de Buena Vista, the ruins of which still stand.

Other prominent historical figures from the Cuban War of Independence, such as Carlos Manuel de Céspedes, Antonio Maceo, Bartolomé Masó, and Calixto García, left their mark on the area.

The region was home to insurgent camps, and several key events in Cuba’s wars of independence took place here, including battles, skirmishes, and military movements.

By the 1940s, the area saw the foundation of workers' unions, the spread of communist ideals, and the rise of revolutionary fervor, laying the groundwork for the eventual Cuban Revolution.

In 1957, Fidel Castro and Ernesto "Che" Guevara led revolutionary activities in the area, marking Buey Arriba as an important site in the struggle against Batista's regime.

Annually, about 200,000 cans of coffee are harvested, making it one of the largest coffee-producing municipalities in the province of Granma, alongside the territories of Guisa and Bartolomé Masó.

Craftsmanship holds an important place, not so much in the economic order but in the cultural sphere, especially in the production of furniture and decorations made from dry natural materials, such as vines, palm bark, and more.

Buey Arriba, like other towns, has been developing by adopting fundamental aspects of its ancestors' lives, whose customs they have integrated into their culture, forming one of the strongest legacies today.

Notable figures contributing to cultural development include Agustín García, one of the main representatives of music and founder of the amateur movement.

Music festivals were held with amateur groups, such as "Estrellas Juveniles," the trio "Tres Guitarras," and "Bello y sus Muchachos."

The health system in this municipality consists of a teaching polyclinic, a rural hospital, a maternity home, and 55 medical clinics located within the Plan Turquino.

In December 2001, a project in cooperation with the National Program for the Prevention of Blindness, sponsored by CIC, MINSAP, and CBM of Germany, was launched to operate on cataract patients.