Pinar del Río

Mural de la Prehistoria en Viñales. Cueva del Indio Mirador del mural de la prehistoria

Pinar del Río

Pinar del Río, the most western province of Cuba is recognised by the beauty of its landscapes and for being the land of the best and most famous tobacco in the world. Pinar del Río is, for many people, the most beautiful province of the country regarding the exoticism and splendor of the nature. Nevertheless this assertion is debatable knowing that nature has been prodigal in enchantments all around the island.

Most of the province's north portion is occupied by the Guaniguanico mountain chain. This mountain chain is formed by two ranges of hills: Sierra del Rosario in which is located Soroa, one of the most beautiful places in the province, and Sierra de los Órganos characterized by the small top-rounded conic hills known as ¨mogotes¨ among which is situated the famous Viñales Valley. All along the Guaniguanico mountain range the visitors will love the exotic flora and fauna besides the aforementioned richness of the landscapes.

Other attractions in the province are the most than 10 000 registered caves and the wonderful and almost virgin beaches of María la Gorda and Cayo Levisa.

The city of Pinar del Río, capital of the province, is located around 185 km. to the west of Havana.

Suite Cuba recommends visiting the following places in Pinar del Río:

1-Las Terrazas Tourist Resort

Las Terrazas, rural community of sustainable development, is one of the most wonderful areas of Pinar del Río. Located in Sierra del Rosario, Biosphere Reserve, it holds a natural irresistible exoticism. This beautiful community has a great deal of culture life There you will find and buy if you which, painting, serigraph, ceramic, wood, and vegetal fibers workshops.
We recommend in this area the following attractions:

The French coffee plantations' ruins of the XIX century.

To take a refreshing bath in the crystal waters of the rivers San Juan and Bayate's.

Hotel ¨La Moka¨ of colonial style and exquisite comfort. This hotel if perfectly complemented with exuberant nature that surround it.

La Casa del Lago (house of the lake), located at one side of San Juan lake.

2- Soroa

Also in Sierra del Rosario Biosphere Reserve, it is located this heavenly place. In Soroa the visitor have many natural attractions to enjoy.

Orchid Nursery Soroa Botanical Garden. With more than 25 000 orchid species from different parts of the world, including around 100 Cuban species. The garden also has 6 000 species of other ornamental plants, trees, and flowers that represent the national flora of several countries. The orchid nursery garden was founded in 1943 by a rich Spanish lawyer to honour his daughter. The beautiful house of the family (currently a museum), still keeps its original furniture and decoration.

Soroa Waterfall. This waterfall, with more than 22m, is known as the Cuban Rainbow. You can enjoy a refreshing bath in the natural pond down the waterfall. The variety of birds and the wonderful view of the landscape make of this site an ideal one for photography lovers.

3- San Diego de los Baños is located 120 km from Havana and 60 km from Pinar del Rio city. The name of these natural baths was given after the springs located in the stream of San Diego river. The renown of San Diego de los Baños has been increasing from the early 18th century. Its thermal waters with curative properties have been described by specialists as: sulfide, sulfa, calcic, magnesian and fluorine. In the bath resort, hydrotherapy, hydro massages therapy, acupuncture and physiotherapy are available to the visitors.

4- La Güira National Park
Located next to San Diego de los Baños. Comprises an area of 22 000 hectares that belonged to one of the largest estates in Cuba and the largest in Pinar del Rio: the Hacienda Cortina. In this place are present typical Cuban woods and local fauna such as the native deer. The mansion of the ancient property is surrounded by beautiful parks. This is an ideal place for photography lovers.

5- Cueva de los Portales
This cave was declared as National Monument since in it was settled the command office of Ernesto Ché Guevara during the October crisis. Today it keeps the original furniture and some personal objects of the guerrilla's men.

6- Viñales Valley
In Viñales Valley, the clay mountains and the "mogotes" (small top-rounded conic hills) form a beautiful natural landscape, declared by UNESCO as World Heritage. Viñales is one of the most attractive places in the province; here visitors will find cigar's plantations, crop fields, farmer's huts, and an exclusive flora and fauna.
The most recommended places to visit in Viñales Valley are the following:

Viewpoint of Los Jasmine Hotel. From this hotel you will enjoy a superb view of the valley (most of the valley's pictures have been taken from this viewpoint)

The picturesque village of Viñales located in the valley.

Palenque de los cimarrones. Palenque was the name given to the hiding places of the fugitive African slaves. This place is reproduction of a palenque inside a mogote.

Mural de la Prehistoria (Prehistoric mural). The Cuban artist Leovigildo Casanova made this extraordinary drawing on a hillside of an eighty metres high and 120 metres long mogote. The drawing represents an artist's testimony of the earth's bio-geologic evolution.

Cueva del Indio (cave of the Indian). After a walk of several hundred metres into the cave, the visitors make a boat travel along the subterranean waters. During the crossing you will see stalactites with the most curios forms; there is a champagne bottle a head of a crocodile and a silhouette of an aborigine smoking a pipe.

7- Guanahacabibes National Park

This is the largest forest reserve in the country. Here, the local vegetation is preserved, with a rich fauna of birds, molluscs and reptiles. In a small area there are hundreds of lakes and the purest silicon sand beds -99.8 purity-and the largest of the country as well. Pines are endemic of the place. Guanahacabibes is a place with abundant underground caves. In this sand planes the crops are mainly of citrus fruit and tabacos rubios (yellow cigar), apart from other varied crops. It is amazing the amount of landscapes and ecosystems: always green woods, beach shores with mangrove. There are large amounts of orchids, 16 species total, some endemic and some recently discovered. This peninsula was the last refuge of the aborigines of the western part of the Island, who ran from the Spaniard conquerors; that is why very frequently emerges rests of aborigine settlement.

The International Diving Center Maria la Gorda is located in the Guanahacabibes Biological Reserve. The beach of María la Gorda has an excellent sea bed with the largest black coral reef of the archipelago. This area is almost virgin and has beautiful endemic flora and fauna. It is an ideal place to practice the diving with all the required appliances and professional trainers. Levisa and Jutía Keys
These keys have wonderful beaches with clear and quiet waters. Both keys are barely visited by men and with excellent coral reefs are ideal for diving and boats trips. These Islets hold many attractions such as, the "trigonias" considered the most ancient living fossil of the largest Island of the Antilles.

8- Pinar del Rio City

Similar to other cities of inner Cuba, Pinar del Río has an eclectic architecture although is remarkable the neoclassicism of the 19 century's last decades. In the city are recommended the following places.

Museum of Natural Science. Former Guasch Palace. First building of the province made of concrete; it is an expression of Cuban eclecticism. Today this beautiful building house the Natural Science Museum which shows the geologic history and other interesting features of the province.

Milanés Theater. Beautiful building of the XIX century. It represents a sample of the neoclassicism in the city.

Hermanos Loynaz Center. Created in February 1990. Contains the personal library of poet Dulce Maria Loynaz, who received the Cervantes Prize in 1992. The donation of this library included ancient furniture, important work of art, and odd books. All books' manuscripts of her are maintained, part of her courier, her inedited poetry, awards received during her life, and a compilation of her three other poet brothers: Flor, Enrique and Carlos Manuel. There is also a valuable collection of photographs.

Provincial Center for Visual Arts. Neoclassic house built in the second half of the 19th Century. The Center for Visual Arts shows works of local artists. It is also possible to buy pieces of many local painters and handcrafters.

Casa de la Trova. Heart of the Cuban music in the city the Casa de la Trova offers live presentations of local and other provinces musicians.

Francisco Donatien Cigar´s Factory. This factoring is one of the emblematic buildings of the XIX century's architecture in Pinar del Río. Nowadays, the authentic cigars are made, through manual procedures with some centuries of tradition. In the entrance of this building, there is a shop in which the visitor may buy a great variety of cigar bands of the most known brands.

Guayabita del Pinar Rum's Factory. Known as Casa Garay, today this building houses the factory of a very popular local beverage the Guayabita del Pinar which has received several awards in Cuba and abroad in some of the most important.

Restaurants
Jurásico CUBAMAR Speciality: International cuisine	Cayo Jutía Santa Lucía, Minas de Matahambre. Speciality: Seafood and fish.	Castillo Hotel Soroa, Candelaria. Speciality: Cuban cuisine	El Centro Hotel Soroa, Candelaria. Speciality: International cuisine
Las Barrigonas Km 120 Autopista Habana Pinar del Río, Municipio Consolación del Sur. Speciality: Cuban cuisine	Palenque de los Cimarrones Carretera Puerto Esperanza, km 36, Viñales. Speciality: Cuban cuisine	Mural de la Prehistoria Carretera a Pons, km 2, Viñales. Speciality: Cuban cuisine	La Terraza Hotel La Ermita, Viñales. Speciality: Mesa Buffet
Cueva del Indio Carretera Puerto Esperanza, km 38, Viñales. Speciality: Cuban cuisine	Ranchón San Vicente Carretera Puerto Esperanza, km 38 ½, Viñales. Speciality: Cuban cuisine	Las Arcadas Hotel Rancho San Vicente, Viñales. Speciality: Cuban cuisine	Casa de Don Tomás Salvador Cisneros No. 140, Viñales. Speciality: Cuban and International cuisine
Casa del Marisco Carretera a Puerto Esperanza, km. 38, Viñales Speciality: Seafood and fish.	La Taberna González Coro No. 101, Pinar del Río. Speciality: Spanish cuisine	Café Pinar Vélez Caviedes, No. 34, Pinar del Río. Speciality: International cuisine	Restaurante-Cabaret Rumayor Carretera a Viñales, km. 1 Pinar del Río. Speciality: Cuban cuisine
Doce Plantas Maceo y Ferro, Pinar del Río. Speciality: Cuban and International cuisine	Pinar del Río Hotel Pinar del Río, Pinar del Río. peciality: Cuban and International cuisine	La Casona Martí s/n, esquina a Colón. Pinar del río Speciality: Cuban and International cuisine	María Centro Intern. de Buceo María La Gorda, Sandino. Speciality: Seafood and fish.
Cayo Levisa Hotel Cayo Levisa, La Palma. Speciality: Cuban and International cuisine