Viñales Valley is a small, green town located in Pinor del Rio Province. It is home to World’s famous tobacco farms and limestone mogote hills. In 1999, Viñales valley was declared as World Heritage City by UNESCO for it’s agricultural production, the quality of landscapes and history. Since, that time, the area became very popular among Cubans and tourists.
Viñales city offers numerous of live music spots, paladares with local food and shops set along the main street. However, outside of the busy city, you can find very relaxed and low-key atmosphere. Viñales valley is known as Fidel Castro’s favorite place in Cuba. He admired this place for it’s Cuban culture, local craft and natural surroundings.
Plan Your Horseback Riding in Viñales Valley
The scenic valley is a paradise for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. People come here to experience a real piece of Cuban agriculture and enjoy the most beautiful landscapes in Cuba. It is filled up with adventurous tours like hiking, caving, horse riding, rock climbing and cycling.
I had the pleasure to discover the Cuban tobacco plantation on horseback. The tour took about 4 hours through the most incredible local farms, coffee plantations and limestone hills. It was a great opportunity to learn more about traditional cigar-making methods, the history of Cuban cigars and tobacco production in Cuba.
The tour costs 25 CUC per person during the high season and 15 CUC per person during the low season (June, July, August). Remember that tours in the town are overprices. Instead of buying your day trip on the main street in the city, ask a Cuban family in your casa de particular about available tours.
Cuban Cigars in Viñales Valley
Cuban cigars are known to be the first-rate cigars in the World. Tobacco seeds are plant in the late October and harvest after 3 months (March or April) by hand. Then, the leaves are hung and storage in the special storehouses to provide the best condition for high quality cigars. After, when become dry and brown, they are ready to be immersed in a special mixture to start the process of fermentation. Farmers have their own secret recipes for a unique mixture. The most common ingredients are: pineapple skin, lemon, guava leaves, cinnamon, honey, vanilla, sugar cane and rum. The process of fermentation is 100% natural and farmers do not use any chemicals.
After all, leaves are located into a palm leaves box and storage for a year. Every handmade Cuban cigar is made out of four to six leaves. At the end, it is bind with honey. The aroma and taste is remarkable.
Every tobacco plantation is committed to sell 90% of the harvest leaves to the government, but for prearranged rate. The 10%, can be sold on their own price.
Things to do in Viñales Valley
If you are willing to explore more of Viñales Valley, you should definitely visit, Cuevas de Santo Tomasthe Cuba’s largest cave system. You can take a day trip with a guide from Viñales Valley. For water enthusiasts, there is a paradise beach Cayo Jutia about one hour drive from Viñales. This is a perfect place for snorkeling, diving and relaxing on the sand with a cold mojito in your hand. As, there is no accommodation available, you can only visit this place at day time.
If you are looking for a unique place to visit during your cycling and take beautiful photos, visit the Mural de la Prehistoria. The 120m-long painting mural is located four kilometers away from Viñales Valley on the side of Mogote Pita.
How to Get to Viñales Valley
Viñales Valley is situated about 3-4 hours drive from Havana. You can easily get there by bus or taxi colectivo. The Viazul bus company designed for tourists is the most common option on this route. During the high season, I would recommend to buy your ticket in advance. The bus runs 2 times per day and costs $12. Another option is a taxi colectivo for about $70, which you can share with friends.
Viñales city offers numerous of live music spots, paladares with local food and shops set along the main street. However, outside of the busy city, you can find very relaxed and low-key atmosphere. Viñales valley is known as Fidel Castro’s favorite place in Cuba. He admired this place for it’s Cuban culture, local craft and natural surroundings.
After all, leaves are located into a palm leaves box and storage for a year. Every handmade Cuban cigar is made out of four to six leaves. At the end, it is bind with honey. The aroma and taste is remarkable.
Every tobacco plantation is committed to sell 90% of the harvest leaves to the government, but for prearranged rate. The 10%, can be sold on their own price.
If you are willing to explore more of Viñales Valley, you should definitely visit, Cuevas de Santo Tomasthe Cuba’s largest cave system. You can take a day trip with a guide from Viñales Valley. For water enthusiasts, there is a paradise beach Cayo Jutia about one hour drive from Viñales. This is a perfect place for snorkeling, diving and relaxing on the sand with a cold mojito in your hand. As, there is no accommodation available, you can only visit this place at day time.
If you are looking for a unique place to visit during your cycling and take beautiful photos, visit the Mural de la Prehistoria. The 120m-long painting mural is located four kilometers away from Viñales Valley on the side of Mogote Pita.
