Pinar del Rio is Cuba's westernmost province. Even though Vueltabajo, the region that produces the world's best tobacco, has helped put it on the map, the territory treasures other old-timed and modern legends; some tragic, thrilling and even dangerous stories. Pinar del Rio provides a nonstop source of surprises for tourists who like delving into the mysteries of nature. The majestic look of its mountains and the thousand green hues of the lush vegetation, coupled with spectacular flora and marine wildlife, make travelers underscore western Cuba as one of the island nation's most beautiful regions. Let's take a closer look at Guanahacabibes, Maria la Gorda and Cayo Levisa.

GUANAHACABIBES Within the boundaries of the province, an area where people have spun some of the most colorful yarns is no doubt the Guanahacabibes Peninsula, a natural paradise in the Caribbean. Spanish vessels loaded with the treasures of the New World wrecked in the middle of engulfing storms, or were assaulted by pirates and filibusters that used to hide their loots in the beaches. Caribbean buccaneers became experts in going around a tight surveillance to smuggle their goods. Or just the place's rich biodiversity has also helped weave some of the most incredible stories. To get to the peninsula, you need to travel from the city of Pinar del Rio, driving through the southwestern tobacco plantations and the province's most plentiful river, Cuyaguateje. The tour gives visitors the possibility of watching some of the old means of transportation used in the past. The region is also marked by lavish forests of precious wood that is used to make furniture, handicrafts and humidors. Softwood, in turn, is used to make coal, the main domestic fuel utilized by households in Guanahacabibes. In 1987, the peninsula's little more than 250,000 acres were declared Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. In 2001, the region was labeled a National Park, whose main entrance is flanked by the Ecological Station and the La Bajada Weather Radar. In addition to providing meteorological services, the site is a coveted location offering accommodations, great food and backpacking options for tourists. Not far from the station, cows and bulls from the Ancoli breed graze pleasantly all around. This kind of cattle was introduced on the island by Spanish settlers back in the 17th century and it has since then developed greatly in the peninsula. The local population even built a reservoir for the preservation of this particular breed. The peninsula features two capes: Corrientes and San Antonio, forming the Gulf of Corrientes in the south, a vast and quiet location in the Caribbean Sea. The southern coastline of the peninsula is relatively high, dotted by isolated, gorgeous sandy beaches trapped among cliffs, reefs and crags. The northern shore, for its part, is muddy and covered by mangrove thickets. Some eight miles from La Bajada, Cuba's last coastal community, you're going to find the Maria la Gorda Diving Center, featuring comfy rooms and breathtaking beaches of crystal-clear water, coral-packed bottoms and unforgettable sunsets. Moving to the west, some 36 miles, lies Cuba's westernmost tip: the Roncali Lighthouse, built in 1849, according to the plaque that crowns the entrance. Life snaps into action as soon as you get to the peninsula: 150 bird species that include owls, wading goldfinches and hummingbirds. In addition to that, there are some 600 plant species, 30 different kinds of mammals, 21 reptile species and 19 types of amphibious critters. The Guanahacabibes Peninsula is one of the chief breeding grounds for marine turtles in all of Cuba. Students from the University of Havana make voluntary beach patrolling as part of a college program for the study and preservation of marine turtles. The project is led by the Center for Marine Research at the University of Havana. The legend about the conservation of this rich heritage is spreading around these lands to guarantee that the Guanahacabibes Peninsula continues to be a natural paradise in the Caribbean.

MARIA LA GORDA Specially designed for scuba divers and even though it's a wonderful option for ecotourists and vacationers seeking a quiet, isolated place, the Maria la Gorda International Diving Center is perched on Cuba's westernmost tip, halfway from Corrientes Cape. The origin of the moniker the place was named after remains unknown. Rumors have it a Venezuelan Indian girl was brought to the premises by a pirate vessel and then abandoned there. Other people say the name comes from the daughter of a Spanish sailor whose ship wrecked in the region. Either way, the truth is that Maria la Gorda, some 88 miles southeast of the city of Pinar del Rio, has panned out to be a top-notch recreational center with over a hundred sunken Spanish galleons lying offshore in the sea bottom. There's even word of fabulous treasures concealed in the Mexican city of Merida. Intimate, quiet and famous for its see-through bottoms –labeled among the finest in the world- the sea platform of Canto del Veril is nearly 330 yards offshore and features as many as fifty diving sites close at hand. Enthusiasts may enjoy a magnificent marine flora full of gaudiness and bottoms packed with gorgon species. Another choice gives divers the possibility of staring at walls shrouded by colonies of black corals, by far the island nation's largest reserve. Birds are abundant because over a hundred different species –chiefly woodpeckers, parrots and tocororos- nestle around here during the winter season. Facilities at Maria la Gorda are outfitted with 55 air-conditioned rooms –all of them with phone lines and satellite TV- plus a magnificent restaurant and a superb diving center providing the recreation money can buy.

CAYO LEVISA (Levisa Key) Some 18 miles from La Palma, in the northern portion of Pinar del Rio, the wharf of Palma Rubia sees off boats that ferry sunbathers to Cayo Levisa, a key lying some three miles offshore. Bathed by the Caribbean Sea, this breathtaking piece of land harbors unexplored beaches of powder-thin sand. Within the huge diversity of species that inhabit the waters of Pinar del Rio, levisas (devil rays) are worth mentioning, the same critters the key has been named after. The lavish tropical vegetation, ranging from coconut groves up in the north to heavy mangrove thickets along the southern shore, let alone the proximity of a gorgeous coral reef, give this place an abundance of ecosystems. In addition, a good deal of sunken ships on the premises, plus legends of corsairs and pirates, make the key a great site for scuba diving buffs. In all, Cayo Levisa provides 23 different diving sites. The key is completely uninhabited, there are 40 magnificent air-conditioned cabanas equipped with phones, pay-TV, a restaurant, a snack bar, a store, a diving and recreational center, catamarans, kayaks, water bikes and rental service of snorkeling gear.

As a complement to a wonderful sensation of peace and relaxation, travel agents organize tours to the coral reef and visits to nearby Paraiso Key, an absolutely unexplored islet that could make any angler's day. Others could still feel the presence of Nobel prize-winning writer Ernest Hemingway, who used to saunter this place during his stays in Cuba.

Far from the rattling noise of the big cities, the whole package is rounded out with the presence of easygoing and smiling local residents who are capable of making even the most strained and weary tourist put so much stress to rest. It's hard to wake up from such a daydreaming session. Only the promise of a possible return can make it up for the pain tourists feel upon departure.