'''Vinales''' a beautiful and lush valley in Pinar del Rio province of Cuba, with a population of around 10,000. It's about 26 kilometers north of the city of Pinar del Rio, and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This article also covers the town by the same name.

Vinales is said to be Fidel Castro's favorite place in Cuba. It also is one of the only places where Cubans seem happy. The mountains are beautiful, the farmers grow the best tobacco in the world, and tourists—who come every day by the busload—are allowed to mingle with the Cubans and spread money in a nice even sugar-coating.

Understand

History

Landscape

Cuba was once covered by limestone ("karst"). Much of this limestone has eroded away, leaving mountains with steep sides and rounded, jungly tops. The mountains are called <i>mogotes</i>, which means "haystacks." Many <i>mogotes</i> have caves. Several caves are developed for tourists to visit.

The red farmland and unique microclimate produce the best cigars in the world. Some tobacco farms are set up for tourist tours.

Flora and fauna

Climate

People

Start at a tourist office or your hotel or <i>casa particular</i>. Point out something in the guidebook you'd like to see or do, and offer to pay someone to take you there. Or offer to pay for a Spanish lesson or a salsa lesson. Hire a local guide for a few hours and you'll make a friend, and he or she will introduce you to his or her family, and they'll invite you to do more stuff, and you won't be bored the rest of your visit.

But be aware of what's illegal to pay for. You can't pay someone to drive you somewhere, unless it's a licensed taxi. You can't pay for lodging, unless it's a licensed <i>casa particulares</i> (bed&breakfast).

Get in

'''Viazul''' [http://www.viazul.com/] runs buses twice a day from Havana and Pinar del Rio.

Fees/Permits

Get around

A green minibus takes the tourists around the valley. For about 5 CUC you can ride all day, with stops at the tourist hotels, in the village, and at the caves and other sights.

See

The main street, Calle Salvador Cisneros, was named after Salvador Cisneros Betancourt, who was a leader in the war of independence (1868-1878) and later was President of Cuba from 1895 to 1897.

In the central plaza, the Casa de la Cultura puts on events every day (or night), including music, fashion shows, and children's events.

Also on the central plaza is an art gallery and the church. On Saturday mornings there's a farmer's market at the plaza.

Mural de la Prehistoria

Perhaps the worst tourist attraction in Cuba is the Mural de la Prehistoria. In 1961 Fidel Castro visited a beautiful valley a few kilometers west of Vinales. He commissioned that the cliff should be painted with snails, dinosaurs, and a family of cavepersons, in garish colors!

There's a restaurant, bar, and gift shop. To be fair, the guidebook says that the food in the restaurant is excellent and the live music is good. Also there's horseback riding. So consider visiting the mural and doing something other than looking at the mural.

Do

Birdwatching

There's a bird-watching trail starting at the El Ranchon restaurant near the Cuevas del Indio.

Rock Climbing

See [http://www.cubaclimbing.com].

Tobacco Farm Tours

Cave Exploring

  • '''Cuevas del Indio''' The Cuevas del Indio ("Indian Caves") is five kilometers north of Vinales. The cave is well-developed for tourists, with lights and a boat tour. The price is 5 CUC. Nearby is a restaurant, gift shop, etc.
  • '''Gran Caverna de Santo Tomas''' For real caving, drive 15 kilometers west to the Gran Caverna de Santo Tomas, near El Moncada. This is the biggest cave in Cuba. Basic tours are two hours and you must hire a guide. Helmets and headlamps are provided, although you might want to bring a more powerful flashlight, if you have one. Also you're required to wear shoes, which is a problem for female Cubans, who seem to own nothing but sandals. The cave is spectacular, especially where the roof has collapsed and you walk into a green jungle paradise sunk into a mountaintop. The cave has 45 kilometers of galleries on eight levels. Also, the town of El Moncada was another of Fidel's ideas, and the streets are laid out to form a C, U, B, and A.
  • Hiking and Horseback Riding

    The national park building (near the Hotel Los Jazmines) has maps and exhibits showing fourteen excursions (see the photos below). The main hike everyone does circles behind the mogotes closest to the town. You can hire horses for this. You may be able to hire a hiking guides at the Museo Municipal Adela Azcuy (Calle Salvador Cisneros #115).

    '''Cocosolo-Palmarito'''<br> Time: 5 hours<br> Difficulty: Low<br> Length: 8 km<br> Start: Hotel La Ermita<br> End: Mural de la Prehistoria y Campismo Dos Hermanas<br>

    '''Cueva del Cable (Cave of the Cable)''' <br> Time: 2 hours 30 minutes<br> Difficulty: Medium<br> Length: 10 km<br> Start: Rancho San Vicente<br> End: Hoya de Jutia<br>

    '''San Vicente-Ancon'''<br> Time: 3 hours 30 minutes<br> Difficulty: Low<br> Length: 5 km<br> Start: Hotel Rancho San Vicente<br> End: Ancon<br>

    '''Maravillas de Vinales (Wonders of Vinales)'''<br> Time: 5 hours<br> Difficulty: Low<br> Length: 6 km<br> Start: 2 km from Moncada<br> End: 1.5 km from Moncada<br>

    '''El Pinar y Su Encanto (The Pine and His Charm)'''<br> Time: 4 hours<br> Difficulty: Medium<br> Length: 2.8 km<br> Start: Hotel Rancho San Vicente<br> End: Hotel Rancho San Vicente<br>

    '''Entre Valles y Montanas (Between Valleys and Mountains)'''<br> Time: 5-6 hours<br> Difficulty: Low-Medium<br> Length: 10.8 km<br> Start: Hotel La Ermita<br> End: Hotel La Ermita<br>

    '''Tradiciones Campesinas (Traditional Countryside)'''<br> Time: 7 hours<br> Difficulty: Low-Medium<br> Length: 7 km<br> Start: Intersection of the road Capon and the Vinales-Puerto highway<br> End: Comunidad Republica de Chile<br>

    '''Del Infierno al Paraiso (From Hell to Paradise)'''<br> Time: 6-7 hours<br> Difficulty: Very high<br> Length: 8.6 km<br> Start: Resolladero rio El Novillo<br> End: Mural de la Prehistoria<br>

    '''Tradiciones de Vinales (Traditional Vinales)'''<br> Time: 2-3 hours<br> Difficulty: Low<br> Length: 5.7 km<br> Start: Hotel Los Jazmines<br> End: Hotel Los Jazmines<br>

    '''Los Paisajes en al Valle (The Landscapes in the Valley)'''<br> Time: 4 hours<br> Difficulty: Low<br> Length: 7.6 km<br> Start: Intersection of the Vinales road and the La Ermita Hotel<br> End: Intersection of the Vinales road and the La Ermita Hotels<br>

    '''En el Corazon del Valle (In the Heart of the Valley)'''<br> Time: 4 hours<br> Difficulty: Low<br> Length: 11 km<br> Start: Vinales Museum<br> End: Farm House in Vinales<br>

    '''Del Mirador al Valle (The View of the Valley)'''<br> Time: 3 hours<br> Difficulty: Low<br> Length: 4 km<br> Start: Hotel Los Jazmines<br> End: The town of Vinales<br>

    '''De la Mano del Guajiro (Of the Hand of the Peasant)'''<br> Time: 3 hours<br> Difficulty: Low<br> Length: 4 km<br> Start: Viewpoint at Sitio del Infierno<br> End: Primary School El Sitio<br>

    Buy

    Eat

    The restaurant at the Patio Centro Cultural Polo Montanez (on the central plaza) is good. There's a restaurant where the locals eat on the street heading north, towards the Cuevas del Indio. It's a typical Cuban restaurant, serving pizza and spaghetti, with remarkably slow service. There's a little store selling snacks and ice cream on the main street, across from the plaza.

    Drink

  • Patio Central Cultural Polo Montanez. alle Salvador Cisneros. ff the central plaza, between the Casa de la Cultura and the church. During the day a restaurant and snack bar serve food and drinks. At night salsa bands play here. Polo Montanez was a singer world-famous in Cuba.

  • Patio del Decimista. alle Salvador Cisneros. A few blocks down from the plaza, a.k.a. the yellow bar. They also have live salsa music.

  • El Palenque de Los Cimarrones. The nearby Cueva de Vinales (Cave of Vinales) has a discotheque built into it. You just can't beat a discotheque in a cave (there's another one in Trinidad). Saturday night there's a '''cabaret espectaculo''' followed by dancing. Saturday night they host the hottest nightlife in the province — the place is packed, almost all Cubans.

    Sleep

    Hotels

    Vinales has three tourist hotels: Hotel Las Jazmines, Hotel La Ermita, and Rancho Horizontes San Vicente. Each is rated three stars. Expect to pay about 50-70 CUC per night, plus meals. The hotels are each located a few kilometers outside of town, which is not conducive to nightlife (Rancho Horizontes San Vicente is within walking distance of El Palenque).

  • Hotel Las Jazmines. 53 8 79 62 05. This hotel has one of the best views you'll ever see. In 1960, Fidel said, "Great view! Build a hotel here." It was one of his good ideas. The rooms are nice. The pool is big and clean. Breakfasts are good. Suppers were institutional in 2007 but in 2008 the food improved.

  • Hotel La Ermita. 53 8 79 60 71. Also has an incredible view, especially at sunset.

  • Rancho Horizontes San Vicente. 53 8 79 62 01.

    Casa particulares

    If you're hoping to socialize with Cubans, not elderly Canadians, stay in town at a <i>casa particulares</i> (licensed bed & breakfast). Every other house in Vinales is a <i>casa particulares</i> and homeowners are adding rooms as fast as they can scrounge up concrete blocks. Expect to pay 25 CUC per night (based on double occupancy), plus meals, which will be better than the hotel food.

  • Casa Ernesto y Marlen. alle Salvador Cisnero, No. 20. 04 8 79 32 61. Wonderful hosts (best mojitos anywhere), great homecooking, and a convenient location a five minute walk from the town square and bus station.

    In March, 2008, Vinales didn't allow Cubans to sleep with tourists. Your Cuban girlfriend/boyfriend will have to do a lot of talking to find a casa that will break the rules.

    Camping

  • Campismo Dos Hermanos. ear the Mural de la Prehistoria. 53 8 79 32 23. ''Campismos'' were built by the government for Cubans to go on vacations. This one has 54 basic cabins. The swimming pool is big, although the water is remarkably green. There's also a restaurant.

    Stay safe

    Get out

  • '''Cayo Levisa''' The boat dock is about 1 hours drive away from Vinales, from there its a half hour boat ride to the island. The island features stunning white sand beaches and there are some watersports available. There does not appear to be any coral reefs close to the island, so snorkling is not recommended.
  • Cayo Jutias is the closest beach to Vinales, 60 km on mountain roads. There are two roads—before you leave Vinales ask which road is better. In 2008 the road via Minas de Matahambre was good, and the road via the Banos de San Vicente was bad.

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