Vinales

In the province of Pinar del Rio is located the little town of Viñales. This place is quite popular thanks to a karstic origin valley that can be found nearby.

Before the arrival of the first European settlers, the province was home to the Taino people. The area where Viñales is currently located was colonized at the beginning of the 1800s by tobacco businessmen from Canary Islands, who settled in the region of Vuelta Abajo. The first settlement in Viñales appeared in 1871, according to historical evidence. The town was established a little later in 1878.

The climate is warm and humid throughout the year, although there are two well defined seasons: from November to April takes place the dry season, and from May to October the rainy season. Hurricanes can hit the area from September to October.

Some places of interest in Viñales are the Casa de la Cultura Square, where the church and the art gallery are located.

In the mountains, not far from Viñales, visitors can find several wondrous caves, being one of the most famous the cave of Santo Tomas. After a one and a half hour trip (half an hour by boat) visitors can find the island of Cayo Levisa with its wonderful underwater caves.

Viñales valley has unique landscapes. This beautiful place is located in the mountain range of Sierra de los Organos and surrounded by mogotes (nearly 400-meter-high vertical hills with rounded crests) and fertile soils, where is grown the best tobacco in the world. The farmers (guajiros) tend the tobacco fields. They work the land with their own bare hands, without using agricultural machinery. Visitors can freely walk among the tobacco plants and watch first hand the tobacco production process.
Viñales valley is the perfect place for hiking. You can explore the caves at the mogotes and enjoy the wondrous colors of the valley at dawn and at sunset. These are magical moments, during which the valley looks at its best. We suggest enjoying this colorful landscape from the hotels Los Jazmines and La Ermita, both located south of the valley.

North of the Viñales valley, several mogotes surround in a perfect circle the San Vicente valley. The trip around this valley reminds of a roller coaster ride.
If you want to learn details about the tobacco production process you can visit La Casa del Veguero, located near Viñales.

Going westward of Viñales in the "Dos Hermanas" valley, you can enjoy the view of a 120-meter prehistoric wall painting, a famous tourist site.
Cayo Jutia is the nearest beach to Viñales, located 60 km away from the town. Visitors can find there large colonies of starfish.