Vinales
Vinales, more than 100 miles to the west of Havana has the most splendid
landscapes that Cuba has to offer its visitors. In the Province of the
Pinar del Rio, you can find mogotes, enormous, mountainous buttes thrusting
up from the red earth, sheathed in lush and colorful vegetation, which
sets itself off from the cloudy horizon.
Vinales is one of the numerous valleys in the sierra de los Organos.
The mogotes were formed by an erosion of calcareous material underground
during the Jurassic era (160 billion years ago) of which only the pillars
for the walls remain. The mogotes are riddled with numerous caves, many
of which remain unexplored. Some of the caves have been transformed into
El Palenque cafeterias or into museums, of which the most famous is the
one called del Indio, (of the Indian) located about four miles from Vinales.
The Village
The town of Vinales is built on very rich ground which has been cultivated
since the 17th century. Today it is used for tobacco culture.
The town is full of homemade signs saying "Rent a room", all over the
fronts of houses. The hotel we tried belongs to the Horizontes chain.
It is on a site with a spectacular view of the countryside on the route
to the Pinar del Rio. The main street in Vinales is bordered by low standing
houses which encircle the square and the church. Right as you come in
to the town, there is a gorgeous exotic garden planted like an oasis with
fruit trees that come from all over the world. If you visit the garden,
you will be invited to taste the fruits, to smell their aromas, but you'll
be asked for a small contribution. As for dining, the village comes complete
with several paladares and restaurants. Among the places to visit around
Vinales are the many caves. The Indian cave and the wall of pre-History,
a pharaonic fresco shouldn't be missed.
A little farther to the west is the Pinar del Rio, which is the gateway
to the golden triangle of tobacco. This is a region not to be missed...its
Prehistoric Mural, the Santiago Prehistoric Park, the valley of the Dos
Hermanas (two sisters) in Vinales is one of the rare places in Cuba where
one finds traces of dinosaurs. Only 2 miles from the village, painted
on the rocky wall of a mogote, is a 120 by 180 meter fresco, the work
of the artist Leovigildo Gonzalez, which traces the history of life on
earth and in the ocean. |
Hotel horizontes, los jasmines
To be lodged in style in one of its 14 rooms and 8 bungalows, in an establishment
offering a magnificent view of the mogotes, go to the Hotel Los Jasmines.
It is better to reserve your room ahead of time, as you may get a better
price. A double room cost about $50 a night and includes breakfast. Sunrises
and sunsets are free! The hotel is located at Kilometer 23 on the road
to Vinales. And there's even a swimming pool! |
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