Viñales

Viñales is a valley in the Pinar del Río province of Cuba.

Understand
Viñales is set in a beautiful and lush valley about 26 km north of the city of Pinar del Río. The city has a population of around 10,000, while the municipality has about 29,000 people (2018). It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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 mogotes, which means "haystacks." Many mogotes 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.

People
Start at a tourist office or your hotel or casa particular. 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 will make a friend, and he or she will introduce you to his or her family, and they will invite you to do more stuff, and you will not be bored the rest of your visit.

It is illegal to pay someone to drive you somewhere, unless it is a licensed taxi. And you can not pay for lodging, unless it is a licensed casa particular (bed & breakfast).

By bus
Viazul runs buses twice a day from Havana (CUC12) via Pinar del Rio. There’s an early morning bus to Cienfuegos and Trinidad. Buses arrive and leave opposite of the ticket office near the central town square.

By colectivo
You will likely be offered a 'colectivo' already at the Havana bus station. They run to Viñales for CUC20 per person. Transport back can also be found by taxi touts near the Viazul ticket office. You typically inquire at least a day before the intended departure to make a taxi reservation. The driver will then pick you up at your casa. It is easiest to find a transport for morning departures.

Colectivos also run to other destinations such as Cienfuegos (CUC40), and Trinidad (CUC40 or more) if there is sufficient demand. Taxi drivers will sometimes claim to have transport to Trinidad or Cienfuegos, but in fact require a change of vehicle in Havana, which may involve re-negotiating the price for the remaining trip.



Fees and permits
Entrance to the valley is free. Some attractions like the Cueva de la piscina will charge a fee though.

On foot
The town is easily walkable on foot. Most amenities such as banks and restaurants are clustered on the main street (Salvador Cisneros) and accommodation is found everywhere off this street, esp Calle Rafael Trejo which runs on south parallel to the main street essentially only consists of casas particulares.

Many sights are in the proximity of the city and not more than 4 km away, so it’s possible to walk. Riding on a bike or a horse would be less strenuous, especially considering the often very hot weather.

By bus
Other sights such as the Santo Tomás cave are further away and out of walking distance.

There is a green minibus that takes tourists around the valley. For CUC5 you can ride all day, with stops at the tourist hotels, in the village, at the caves and other sights.

By bicycle
This is another good way to see the valley up close. As it is a valley, it can be a bit hilly and the paths are mainly unpaved tracks, that are not fun to ride with anything but a decent mountain bike. Nevertheless, exploring by bike is a great way to explore the valley and Viñales is one of the best places to cycle in Cuba. Bikes can be organized through your casa or rented at various locations in town. Quality of the bikes varies quite drastically, so check your bike before starting and probably shop around a bit, especially if you’re planning to rent for more than one day. See the section for some ideas where to go. Cycling tours can also be booked at the travel agents in town.

Price ranges: CUC1/hr, CUC5/half day, CUC10/day

Bike rental locations in town are:
 * from a desk located in front of the restaurant, Casa Don Tomas
 * sometimes on the main plaza

By motorbike
You can rent a motorbike (a scooter) for about CUC20 per day and ride it either to Cayo Jutias or to Cayo Levisa. The road is magnificent and you may even enjoy it more than the beaches. You will need your passport and driving license in order to rent a scooter. There is no need for a motorbike license.

Other
You can also hire a taxi or join an organized tour.

Around Viñales


There are dozens of tobacco and coffee farms that love to explain the manufacturing process and sell their goods:

Do

 * Explore the valley on two wheels, either by bicycle or motorbike.



Swimming

 * Sample prices:
 * Day trip to Cayo Jutias: CUC22 for transfer, entrance fee to beach and lunch available with travel agents. Departs 09:00. Cayo Jutias is about 60 km from Vinales.
 * Day trip to Cayo Levisa: Transfer by coach and boat to Cayo Levisa, CUC29 to include lunch and CUC35 for hot lunch. Departs at 08:30 to take boat at 10:00 from Palma Rubia. Cayo Levisa is about 50 km from Vinales.



Rock climbing
The focus of rock climbing in Cuba is the Valle de Viñales in the western, mountainous province of Pinar del Río. Overhanging limestone faces on 300-m (1,000-foot) freestanding crags called “mogotes” rise above traditional thatch-roofed Cuban houses, red-soiled farms, and verdant palms and pines. The climbing is superlative, cranking jugs and pockets in chiseled karst limestone on improbable lines through stunning overhangs of stalactites and tufa columns.



Cave exploring

 * A great place to use as a home base for caving and exploring the area is the National School of Speleology in El Moncada. The School is located at one of the main entrances to the Gran Caverna de Santo Tomas. For a low price, you can rent a room or bed, have meals, and guide service. The school is rustic, but for real explorers the location can not be beat. For more information contact Eduardo, the school manager, by phone at 681274.
 * A great place to use as a home base for caving and exploring the area is the National School of Speleology in El Moncada. The School is located at one of the main entrances to the Gran Caverna de Santo Tomas. For a low price, you can rent a room or bed, have meals, and guide service. The school is rustic, but for real explorers the location can not be beat. For more information contact Eduardo, the school manager, by phone at 681274.
 * A great place to use as a home base for caving and exploring the area is the National School of Speleology in El Moncada. The School is located at one of the main entrances to the Gran Caverna de Santo Tomas. For a low price, you can rent a room or bed, have meals, and guide service. The school is rustic, but for real explorers the location can not be beat. For more information contact Eduardo, the school manager, by phone at 681274.
 * A great place to use as a home base for caving and exploring the area is the National School of Speleology in El Moncada. The School is located at one of the main entrances to the Gran Caverna de Santo Tomas. For a low price, you can rent a room or bed, have meals, and guide service. The school is rustic, but for real explorers the location can not be beat. For more information contact Eduardo, the school manager, by phone at 681274.

Hiking
Exploring the area on foot is possible since many sights are within walking distance. Do not expect to actually hike up to the mogote peaks. There are no paths and allegedly doing so would even be forbidden since it’s a national park area. The national park building (near the Hotel Los Jazmines) has maps and exhibits showing fourteen excursions.

The main hike everyone does circles around the. From Viñales follow the Calle Adela Azcuy north-west. . Make a brief stop for shade at the. Next you’ll continue a bit through the Valle de la Guasasa, can take a refreshing swim in the Cueva de la Piscina and continue further through the valley. it is worth taking a brief detour to the, before heading into the Valle de Dos Hermanas where you’ll get a glimpse at the awfully painted hill Mural de la Prehistoria. Passing the Campismo, the now paved road returns to Viñales. Since it’s not that exciting, its worth taking a cab or bus or hitchhiking these last 4 km.

You may be able to hire a hiking guides at the Museo Municipal Adela Azcuy (Calle Salvador Cisneros #115) and you can also hire horses for this trip.

Money
Cash money can sometimes be a scarce resource in Viñales, so it is best to be prepared.

More banks & ATMs can be found in Pinar del Rio.

Shopping
Cuba is not renowned for its shopping but there are some things worth considering. Cuban rum, cigars and coffee are excellent and prices here are much better than at home. Music CDs, DVDs and instruments are also worth looking at. In terms of souvenirs, the leader of the pack is anything to do with Che, from t-shirts to the key rings and so on and so on. Leather is not of great quality nor are the wooden carvings but you can find some nice artwork and prints if you look hard enough. Most of these items can be bought in all of the tourist attractions in and around Vinales. The town park also has stalls selling items geared at the tourist. The art gallery on the park also has artwork for sale. Coffee cups with designs from Cuban modern artists are a tasteful souvenir and this series, available in all tourist attractions, also features plates, oil and vinegar, shower curtains, towels and aprons.



Self-catering
If you’re travelling on a shoestring there’s some self-catering options&mdash;see the section). There are also some cafeterias selling simple sandwiches or pizza places. Most close before the evening.

There is a bakery that sells sweet bread or cake for pesos at the junction of Adela Azcuy (north) and the main road. Around the same area but again on the main road you can find pizza and sandwich shops (great for breakfast because they also have coffee) all selling for national pesos. But remember that in Viñales peso-venders quickly run out of ingredients so go there early and be fast when there is already a crowd.

Restaurants
In contrast to most other cities in Cuba, Viñales has a great selection of restaurants, with a variety of food. Almost all restaurants can be found on the main street. Prices do not vary very much. A typical meal with a drink will set you back CUC8-12.



Hotels
Viñales 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 a few kilometers outside of town, which is not conducive to nightlife (Rancho Horizontes San Vicente is within walking distance of El Palenque).



Casas particulares
Tourism in Viñales is skyrocketing and accommodation options have expanded. Everyone who can afford it is building another guest room in their house as quick as they can. In fact, nearly every house you’ll see in Viñales is a casa particular. In 2015 there were more than 300 of these. The competition is very tough, which makes it easy for travelers to get a good deal.

The typical default price is CUC25 per night for a double room (sometimes for up to 4 people), but even in high season it is fairly easy to bargain this to CUC15. Breakfast is normally CUC4 per person, dinner CUC10, but it is worth not to eat in the casa every day, since Viñales has a variety of fairly good restaurants.

There is a crowd of touts that greets visitors arriving by bus. There will be 20-50 touts or house owners offering their casas. This can be troubling. The easiest way to get through this is to say you already have a reservation at the house of... (any Spanish-sounding first name will do here). However, since these people are competing hard and have available rooms, this is also a good place to catch a cheap room. Inspect it first before agreeing on anything though.

If you want a true Cuban experience, stay in Los Jazmines 3-4 km west of town. Los Jazmines is Viñales' hidden gem. In the countryside tucked away there are virtually no tourists, casas with everything they serve being 100% organic and from their own gardens, quiet and the person to person interaction. The city center of Viñales is becoming more and more crowded with the rise of tourism. The town is reasonably small so you’ll never have to walk much more than 15 min anyway. There’s a hill to the east of the town and some houses have rooftops with great views. Few casas have swimming pools, however note that in the dry season, these are typically not in use due to the water scarcity.

Since this can not be avoided, here’s a list of casas particulares in Vinales:

It is possible to stay in a private house (casa particular). The only requirement is that the Cuban host take his or her documentation to be recorded with the visitors.

Go next

 * Make a brief stop in Pinar del Rio, Soroa or Las Terrazas before going back to Havana
 * Cayo Levisa: The boat dock is about a 1-hr drive away from Vinales, from there its a ½-hr boat ride to the island. The island features stunning white sand beaches and there are diving facilities available.
 * Cayo Jutías is the closest beach to Viñales, 60 km on mountain roads. You can book a roundtrip to the beach from Viñales for CUC15 at the major local travel agencies (such as Infotur). There are two roads&#151;before you leave Viñales ask which road is better. In 2008, the road via Minas de Matahambre was good, and the road via the Baños de San Vicente was bad.
 * To escape the mass tourism head south to the small Cuban fishing village Puerto Esperanza and relax at the coast.