Today’s post continues the tour of Western Cuba.
For an introduction to this segment and to see what we did on Day 1 and Day 2, click here.
Day 3
- Depart for Viñales.
- Explore the lush valley, fields and plantation houses. The landscape was once covered by limestone much of this has eroded away, leaving mountains with steep sides and rounded, tree covered tops.
- Tour a tobacco farm and see the process of making cigars.
- En route, visit Cueva del Indio and Mural de la Prehistoria.
Visit HuffPost and Breathe With Us for more info and images.
Cuba is famous for its production of cigars and Viñales is best-known for its plantations that grow the best quality tobacco. Typical outcrops known as mogotes (limestone hills) complete the karstic character of the landscape, giving rise to the rounded mountain tops for which the area is known.
The valley is home to many farms as the fertile red soil is suitable for all kinds of agriculture. Traditional farming methods and techniques are most often used here and contribute to the authentic, unadulterated beauty of the region. The Valley is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Mural de la Prehistoria: At 120 meters high and 160 meters wide, the Mural de la Prehistoria is one of the world’s largest outdoor murals. It was designed by painter, Leovigildo Gonzalez Morillo, and completed over the course of 4-5 years with the help of over 20 local residents. The huge snail, dinosaurs, sea monsters and humans on the cliff symbolise the theory of evolution.
Cueva de los Indios: The mogotes of Viñales offer several caves to explore. Take a short boat ride through this cave believed to have once been used by the indigenous Guanajatabey. Other caves accessible by the public include Cueva de San Miguel and Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás.
Stay tuned to see where we go next……
I enjoy this tour and I look forward to where you’ll be taking me next. Cuba is so beautiful.
Yay. A few more stops to come!
Awesome!
This is beautiful. I’ve always wanted to go to Cuba.
I feel such a pull to go. 🙂
Somehow I’d never really thought of visiting Cuba. You’ve described some very interesting places in these posts so I’m becoming more intrigued… Thanks for sharing the itinerary =)
I’m glad to have piqued your interest. You can have quite a wide array of holiday types there. From the beachy/ resort one to the outdoor adventure or the cultural expositions.
I hope to make it there soon! Lol
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