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What to see in Cuba: Viñales Valley and Pinar del Río

What to see in Cuba: Viñales Valley and Pinar del Río

nov 13, 2017
2 min read

The Viñales National Park and its surroundings, located in the westernmost part of Cuba, just 178 km from Havana, constitute an exclusive and unique landscape where metamorphic rock heights combine with karst mountains, known locally as “mogotes,” creating valleys of singular beauty.

These natural features, combined with the region’s rich cultural history, led to the area being declared a “National Monument” in 1979, a UNESCO “Cultural Landscape of Humanity,” and a “National Park.”

The region presents a high diversity and endemism of its flora and fauna, as well as being rich in extensive cave systems known worldwide (Cueva del Indio, Cueva de José Miguel). For this reason it has been called “Cathedral of the Tropical Karst.”

In the Dos Hermanas valley we find the Prehistory Mural, painted on one of the tallest stones. This mural shows the evolution of natural life in Cuba.

The Prehistory Mural is located on the mogote called Pita. The rock was washed and grooves were also made to prevent future erosion due to rain. It is 120 meters high and 160 meters long. The artist was Leovigildo González Morillo, director of Cartography at the Academy of Sciences of Cuba.

It depicts Guanahatabeyes Indians, mammal species, gigantic animals, as well as some mollusks.

In the mural, the evolutionary process of humans and animals in the Sierra de los Órganos can be seen in 12 paintings, in its different phases.

The Viñales Valley is also the cradle of the finest Cuban tobacco, and it is possible to visit the plantations and observe the artisanal production process.

Viñales and Pinar del Río can be reached with one of our day trips or by private car to stay one or two nights and visit the surroundings.

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