Sightseeing, Route 1: The
rainbow in the West
The province Pinar del Rio boasts no sensational historical and cultural
sights, and for this reason the city Pinar del Rio is often deemed to
be of second-rate value. The scenery characteristic of this region,
however, dazzles with a breathtaking and unique beauty. No other area
of the island possesses such a vastness of palm trees. The copper-colored
soil is very fertile. Alternating patterns of dense extended pine forests,
green mountain slopes and plantations truly distinguish this region.
>> The
Viñales Valley
>> Soroa
>> Pinar
del Rio
>> Isla
de la Juventud
>> Cayo
Largo
>> Hotels,
Restaurants, Shops
The Viñales
Valley
A small country road leads from Pinar del Río past Aguas Claras
into the Viñales Valley, just 27 kilometers away. This valley
is dedicated to the cultivation of the legendary Cuban tobacco that
gleams greenish-silver on flat fields that are located amidst dramatic
limestone mountains, the mogotes. With 150 million years of age these
jagged mogotes are known to be the oldest geological formation on Cuba.
The scenic view reminds the observer of a Chinese ink drawing, and on
a gloomy day or when heavy rain falls, you can witness a true spectacle
of nature: the mogotes appear to take the form of over-sized fingers
that reach toward the skies, grabbing the clouds and pulling them down
as if to wrap themselves inside of them. When the rain subsides, giving
way again to the scorching sun, steam rises everywhere, from the small
thatched shelters for drying tobacco plants, the extended acres of farmland
as well as the limestone mogotes.
You will only be able to see the tobacco plants between seeding time
in October (after the rainy season) and the harvest, which takes place
between January and March. During the summer months, the rich red soil
of the tobacco country is reserved for cultivating boniato, malanga,
corn and bananas.
On approaching the Viñales Valley, one spots a large number of
small wooden barns thatched with palm leaves or corrugated iron. They
are called casas de tabaco and serve for drying the crop. Hung to dry
on wooden racks or poles, the tobacco leaves "sweat" in their
own moisture, and in order to extract all of the moisture, it cannot
be hot enough in these curing barns. As they cure, they are hung higher
up on racks that are closer to the roof. Subsequently, once the leaves
have completely dried, they are moistened and undergo a three-fold fermentation
process to obtain uniform texture and color. The very first fermentation
alone, where the tobacco leaves are covered with royal palm leaves,
takes up to two months. Depending on the tobacco brand, the fermentation
process may last up to three years.
The heart of the province is the charming little village of Viñales,
situated against the backdrop of the Sierra de los Organos, mountain
formations that soar like organ pipes on the farther ends of the Viñales
valley. Eighty percent of Cuban tobacco is grown in the region of Pinar
del Río. The name "Havana cigars" derives from the
fact that all cigars are hand-rolled in tobacco factories located in
the capital city.
Sights in the Vicinity of Viñales
Cueva de Santo Tomás, past the village Moncada and west of Viñales:
small tour $8, extended tour (half a day) $17, starting daily at 8 a.m.
The people from Viñales believe that each of the weathered mogotes
contains a cave.
Cueva de Santo Tomás is one of the largest of the caves that
have been discovered. Several cave rooms, connected over an area of
48 kilometers in length, extend over seven levels. The rooms bear names
such as "Salón del Caos" (Chaos Saloon), "Increíble"
(incredible) or "Tinieblas" (darkness). Solid footwear and
clothing are recommended.
Cueva del Indio, 8 km north of Viñales, tours from 9 a.m. - 5
p.m., admission $3.
A modest tourist attraction that offers a boat tour on the cave river
(good outdoor shoes are recommended). Freshly caught crabs endemic to
the river may be savored in the nearby restaurant.
Cueva de San Miguel, close to Cueva del Indio on the left side of the
main road, admission $1. The bar in the entrance cupola (open 24 hrs)
is very inviting. After a cave tour to the other side of the mountain,
a museum with an exhibition of the life of runaway slaves (cimarrones)
and a restaurant ornated with Afro-Cuban symbols await the tourist -
a rather sad example for the way the miseries of slavery are marketed.
Mural de la Prehistoria: A gigantic mural painted on the Mogote Dos
Hermanas, on the road between Viñales and Moncada. The mural
depicts the development from mollusk to first human inhabitants of the
region. This was the life's work of the Cuban painter Leovigildo González
Morillo. The restaurant offers Creole cuisine.
Despalillo de tabaco: A small tobacco factory located 1 km outside of
Viñales on the way to Pinar del Río, on the right side
of the road; tours Mo-Fr 7 a.m. - 5 p.m., admission $2. The tobacco
workers sort the leaves according to their quality and color. You could
get addicted to the aroma that pervades the air.
San Luis: Located on the left side of the Carretera Panamericana, approximately
25 km southwest of Pinar del Río. The neighboring valley of Viñales,
which competes with the valley at the Río Cuyaguateje for the
reputation as the producer of the finest tobacco on Cuba. Picturesque
scenery with thatched curing barns that perfume the air with the aroma
of fermenting tobacco.
Soroa
In the foothills of the lush Sierra del Rosario, six kilometers north
of the Autopista and about 70 kilometers southwest of Havana. This little
beach resort is worth a one-hour side trip on your tour from Pinar del
Rio to the capital. A path 500 meters long leads through the jungle
to a breathtaking waterfall, 20 meters in height. The pond at the foot
of the waterfall invites a swim.
According to official statistics, Cubans plant approximately 500 million
trees each year. The "eco-retreat" Soroa is the result of
such a reforestation program from 1971. In the midst of the verdant
hills of the Biosphere Reserve Sierra del Rosario, protected by UNESCO,
one can find the light blue, red and white painted houses surrounding
a lake. The orchid garden somewhat above the village is particularly
attractive with its variety of more than 350 different orchids and 11,000
ornamental plants (tour 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 12.30 p.m. - 4 p.m., admission
$3). Take a walk in the nearby park after the 20-minute garden tour.
Pinar del
Rio
The tobacco growing area in the west is the oldest part of Cuba. It
was the first part of the island to peak out of the sea.
Rivers carved out valleys in the mountains, resulting in a hilly landscape
that is more reminiscent of China than of the Caribbean. The pristine
biosphere reserve on the western tip of Cuba is not easily accessible.
"María la Gorda" beach (meaning fat Maria), located
in the Bahía de Corrientes, is named after a voluptuous Venezuelan
woman who delighted pirates with her services.
This laid-back capital of Pinar del Río province with its blue,
rose and gray colored houses is a place of tranquility. Time does not
seem to really matter here. South of the west end of the main street,
on Calle Maceo 157 you will find one of Cuba's most interesting small
tobacco factories. This factory exclusively produces Vegueros, coarse
cigars that are not made for export and can be purchased only in the
finest cigar stores.
Isla de la
Juventud
After its discovery in 1494, the Isla de la Juventud was a refuge for
pirates and escaped slaves, but later was used as a prison island. Furthermore,
it is said to be Robert Louis Stevenson's treasure island. Because of
its numerous pine forests, the island used to be called "Isla de
Piños." The name was changed in 1959, because the island
was then systematically structured into a "school island".
At the end of the cold war and after Russia ceased to support Cuba in
1990, though, most of the schools were closed because of supply problems.
Today, the Isla de la Juventud is a leisure paradise. In the port of
Nueva Gerona, one can find Fidel Castro's government owned yacht, "Coral
Negro," next to many other boats. It can be chartered for $200
a day. But there are also less expensive options for discovering this
unique nautical world, for example at the Cabo Francés. Numerous
caverns and canyons form a diving area that boasts many kinds of fish
and other nautical fauna.
The hotel Colony is a popular accommodation for divers, where they can
take the boat to the Cabo Frances, the southwestern edge of the Island.
People who are not interested in diving can spend the day on the beautiful
local beach. The quality of the more than 50 diving areas with their
coral reefs, caverns and shipwrecks is so outstanding, that numerous
international competitions for underwater photography are hosted there.
Diving courses are offered, including night-diving sessions, and a decompression
chamber for emergencies is available.
Cayo Largo
This little vacation island offers breathtaking beaches and a beautiful
blue sea. It does not offer many sights, but the unbroken stretch of
beaches make up for it. The largest part of the island seems unspoiled
with only six hotels that mainly accommodate Italian and Canadian vacationers.
Cayo Largo is ideal for undisturbed beach vacations. Going topless and
swimming in the nude is acceptable. If you want to get to know Cuba
better though, Cayo Largo is not the place to go. Even though the hotels
offer rental cars and motorcycles, there are no tourist attractions,
except for an unspoiled sandy beach and the Playa Tortuga on the eastern
edge of the island, where green turtles lay their eggs.
Hotels
Hotel Pinar del Río
Pinar del Río, Calle Martí near the entrance of the autopista,
phone 082-5070/1/2/3, double without breakfast $32. A stopgap built
in 1979, but the best Pinar has to offer.
Hotel Globo Pinar del Río
Calle Martí 57, phone 082-4268, no fax, double without breakfast
$27. Mid-priced hotel, a bit rundown, with a Moorish touch.
María la Gorda, at the beach of Bahía de Corrientes, phone
084-3121, double $30. Only accommodation in the area. The diving center
offers many excursions to the offshore reefs and Spanish wrecks, that
have been swallowed up by the sea.
Hotel Moka
Las Terrazas, belongs to the settlement, but is located in the middle
of the tropic forest, phone 085-2996, fax 335516, double without breakfast
$82. It is surrounded by ponds, murmuring creeks and blooming shrubs.
Reservations are recommended. Horses, motorcycles and bikes available
at the hotel and excursions into the forest are offered.
La Ermitá
Viñales, take a right at the center of the village in the direction
of El Naranjo, phone 08-936071, fax 936091, double without breakfast
$43.
Colonnaded bungalows around a swimming pool with view of the valley
and the mogotes.
Los Jazminez
Four kilometers south of Viñales on the road to Pinar del Río,
phone 08-33404, fax 07-335042, double without breakfast $48. Two three-story
classic buildings with wrought iron balconies and lots of stained glass.
Fantastic view of tobacco fields and curing barns in the valley. Book
early.
Restaurants
Rumayor
Pinar del Río, aside the road to Viñales, Tu - Su starting
11 p.m., shows with dancers and percussionists, admission $5. The 73-year-old
Yoyo prepares his pollo ahumado. The inside of the chicken is braised
with a salt and sugar marinade and is stewed on a charcoal grill. One
portion costs between three and five dollars.
Castillo de las Nubes
Las Terrazas, right behind the town of Soroa, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. It looks
like a medieval Castillo and is called "castle of the clouds"
reflecting its location high above the plains of Soroa. They offer pork
steaks, chicken and spareribs. It is easier to take the detour back
through the valley to the highway and to take the exit in the direction
of Soroa up into the hills. The direct road is too rough.
Casa del Veguero
2 kilometers south of Viñales. The owner's name is Nino; he enjoys
showing the curing barn for his tobacco. He is proud to be the first
in Cuba to harvest twice in one year.
Valle-Bar
Viñales, Salvador Cisueros 106, on the main street of the village.
You can also eat at the Paladar, but it is meant to be a late-night
bar with live music.
Shops
Tobacco factory Francisco Donatien
Pinar del Río, Maceo 157, Mon-Fri 7.30 to 12 a.m., Sat till 11.30
a.m., entrance fee $ 2.00. Guided tours. Cigars can be bought her, like
Montecristo Especial No.2 for $103.
Casa Garay Isabel Rubio distillery
In Pinar del Río, opposite the turn-off to Primero de Enero,
Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., entrance fee $2.00. Based on a 200-year-old
recipe, the Guayabita del Pinar is brewed in this factory from the Guava-fruit
that only grows on Cuba.
History
