The long and narrow peninsula located on the Western Havana makes up the third, largest province of Cuba, Pinar del Río, whose capital is situated 175 km on the southeast of Havana.

GETTING THERE The six-lane central highway road of Cuba links the center of Pinar del Río province with the west side of Havana. Though this highroad ends in Pinar del Río, the main road reaches La Fe, on the western tip, also several roads link the most important towns and villages. Public transportation is not abundant, but at hotel receptions, guests can ask for a taxi or request a car rental. Turistaxi: Phone 53 (8) 263481. The main railroad line also goes all over the central part of the province, thus linking many cities with Havana.

COAST The north coast is one of the main tourism attraction, full of magnificent beaches and vast coral reefs, cays and islets from Los Colorados Archipelago. On the western tip, the secluded Guanahacabibes peninsula is found, thus named by the Amerindians tribe that populated this region before from which some historic vestiges can be seen.

PINAR DEL RÍO CITY The city is an extension of residential squares around the old area. Some of the buildings have fretwork galleries and carefully decorated porches. The neoclassic Cathedral is located on main street, one of the oldest buildings that are still found in the city, built in 1883. José Jacinto Milanés Theater is not very far, a cultural center that dates back to 1838. Totally built in wood, has accommodation for 520 persons and exhibits a spectacular interior of the 19th century. Next to the theater is Pinar del Río’s Provincial Museum of History (open from 9 h to 16 h; Sundays from 9h to 13 h), dedicated to the history of the region with works, engravings and photographs that show the development of the city during those days when still was a Spanish colony. Cigar Museum (Mon.-Fri. from 7.30h to 16.30h; Sat. from 7.30-11.30h; closed on Sundays), founded in 1853, gathered several exhibitions that illustrate the culture of cigar to which this region owed its international fame. The blue building which in other times was the city’s old jail now houses the Cigar Museum where tourists can see assisted the elaboration process of the finest cigars. Not very far from the factory is the Workshop of Hand-Made Articles (Mon.-Fri. from 10h to 11h) where items of local crafts are made such as wooden articles fit for collection purposes and funny ceramic pieces that can be a delightful present. Casa Garay Rum House (Mon.-Fri. from 8.30h to 16.30h; closed on weekends) located on the south of the center is the manufacturing site of the well-known liquor, Guayabita del Pinar. This liquor is obtained adding a local wild guava fruit to rum as well as a mixture of herbs and species.

VIÑALES The small, picturesque and beautiful Viñales Valley is located some 25 km on the north of Pinar del Río in the deepest area of Sierra de los Órganos. Because of its excellent red soil and the superb microclimate found there, Viñales has always been an agricultural area, its soil is fit for the cultivation of greens. In 1895, tabavalistas chose Viñales as a plantation area because the village was surrounded by very fertile red soil fit for the growing of the finest cigar of the world. It is a city of wooden houses with columns and with decorative items hanging from the ceiling, a 19th century church, a book store and two restaurants: Las Brisas and La Casa de Don Tomás. The city has also been a botanical garden. Viñales Valley Painted at a slope of Dos Hermanas butte, at a short distance on the west of Viñales village is the Mural de la Prehistoria (Prehistoric Mural). President Castro and the then Cuban former Academy of Sciences (today’s the Ministry of Sciences, Technology and Environment) requested the work of the painting. The painting depicts man’s evolution from ameba until the present modern man. On the north of Viñales, many items belonging to Guanahatabey Amerindians were found as bones of an old cemetery inside the Cueva del Indio (Indian’s Cave).

GUANAHACABIBES PENINSULA Guanahacabibes peninsula extends towards west from Pinar del Río region, is accessible by a small road that covers the whole peninsula and ends in the westernmost tip of Cuba at San Antonio Cape. By this road is the big Laguna Grande (Large Lagoon) a vast water pond that has gain a reputation among fishermen. Toward the west is La Fe town, situated on the northeast coast, there the central road becomes a secondary two-way road. Guanahacabibes peninsula is a national park declared by UNESCO Reserve of the Biosphere and natural reserve. In the remote southeast is María la Gorda, a known station among divers who have discovered a large number of old sunken ships and extraordinary underwater formations.

ACCOMMODATION Pinar del Río (city): Pinar del Río Hotel. Calle José Martí, Pinar del Río. Phone: 53(8) 25075. Vueltabajo Hotel. Calle José Martí with Calle Rafael Morales, Pinar del Río. Phone: 53 (8) 92303. A pleasant hotel recently renovated. Hotel Marina. Calle José Martí, Pinar del Río. Phone: 53(8)22558. Pinar del Río (province). La Ermita Motel. Carretera de la Ermita, Viñales, Pinar del Río. Phone: 53(8) 93204. Jazmines Hotel. Carretera de Viñales, Viñales, Pinar del Río. Phone: 53(8) 93205.

WHERE TO EAT Pinar del Río (city). Rumayor Restaurant. Five minutes away from the city on the road to Viñales. Phone: 53(8) 93203. Local cuisine. Specialty in chicken and smoked pork meat. vEl Marino Restaurant. Calle Martí y Calle Rubio. Pinar del Río (province). Casa de Don Tomás. C/Salvador Cisneros, 141. The speciality is the hot Creole stew. The Mural de la Prehistoria Restaurant. Valle de Viñales. Phone: 53( 8) 93 394. Specialized in roast pork meat.

NIGHT CLUBS Rumayor. Show and dancing. Km. 1 1/2, carretera de Viñales. Phone: 3507. Open from Thursday to Sunday, from 7:00 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. Círculo Rojo. Open from Monday to Wednesday from 10:00 to 13:00 and from Thursday to Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 17:30 p.m. Cuevas de Viñales (Viñales Caves) Discotheque. Km 36, carretera Puerto Esperanza, Viñales. Phone: 9-3203. Open everyday, only in the mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 13:00 p.m.

Información / Information Oficinas de Turismo / Tourism Bu-reau: En España /In Spain: Pº de La Habana, 54 1º Izq. Madrid. Tel.: 34 91 411 30 97. Fax: 34 91 564 58 04. E-Mail: otcuba@otcuba-esp.com En Gran Bretaña /In Great Britain: 167 High Holborn, Londres. Tel.: 01891 880820. En Cuba /In Cuba: Infotur. Calle 28 Nº 303 e/ 3ra. y 5ta. Ave. Miramar. La Habana. Tel.: 53724 06 24 y 246635. Web de información general /General Information website: http://www.cubaweb.cu

Tobacco industry

Errand tobacco growers were settled in Pinar del Río to escape from the monopoly that the government had on tobacco trade during the 18th century. At present the finest tobacco of the world grow in the province of Pinar del Río. Each year over 661,000 quintales are produced and some 1.3 million cigars are manufactured. In the cigar factories found at this province the whole process is manually made. From the choice of the leaf until the pressing process, all the stages are made thanks to the skillful hands of specialists.

Natural Wealth of Viñales Valley

One hundred and sixty million years ago, this area full of limestone mountains located at Guaniguanico have been so eroded by the action of underground rivers that was turned into a lengthy cave of 152 km2. The roof of this enormous grotto, supported only by very fine stone-columns crumbled, leaving only the fragments of some pillars. With the passing of the years, the erosion turned the remains into rich red soil. The landscape features hundreds of thatch-roofed houses, the so-called tobacco houses. In this remote valley, several species of vegetables and animals are found as cork palm, a truly living fossil.