Viñales Valley

At western of Havana in Pinar del Rio province, well known for its tobacco plantations, there is a unique landscape waiting for visitors. It is the Viñales Valley, considered one of the most magnificent and spectacularly natural settings in the county. The place was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Gigantic rocky outcrops are characteristics of the place (in Spanish: Mogotes). A rural town with read earth and abundant vegetation offers to the tourist the opportunity to be in touch and feel part of the nature. Many outdoors activities can be done here. If you like open spaces, this site is definitely a must.

Furthermore the park there is the Viñales Village, a small and quiet town with friendly and helpful people that will make you feel as part of their family. The main street is Salvador Cisneros with many colonial houses on it.

There are other many sites that really worth to see, like the Mural de la Prehistoria:

Located about 4 km west of Viñales Village, it is a painting on a side of a mogote with about 120 m long. It was designed in 1961 by Leovigildo Gonzalez Murillo. The mural shows a huge snail, dinosaurs, sea monsters and humans symbolizing the evolution theory. Besides the mural, take a minute to lie down on the ground and look all around, it is a quite amazing view and feels good to be there in the middle of the mountain.

One kilometer beyond the mural there is Los Acuaticos:

A community dated on 1943 founded by Antoñica Izquierdo who discovered healing powers on the water of the place in a time when the country people had no access to conventional medicine. There are still at least two families living there and the place is accessible only by foot of in horse.

A popular cave among the tourist is La Cueva del Indio:

This cave is located about 5.5 km to the north of the town, was discovered in 1920, lies in San Vicente valley. You can explore the first part of the cave on foot through some tunnels with artificial lighting after one point a small motorboat will take you up the underground San Vicente River.

There is much more to see, explore and discover, but if I tell you everything you will miss out on the inevitable awe that comes from living the experience. What are you waiting for?? Let’s go to Viñales!!!