Pinar del Rio is a region located on the western tip of Cuba. This is an exceptionally picturesque region, but is known primarily from tobacco growing and the product of Cuban cigars (70%). Cuba produces annually about 65 million cigars, a region of Pinar del Rio is known precisely for the cultivation of tobacco, grown especially in the valley of Vinales an area of 132 km2. The first inhabitants of this valley were natives living in natural caves, later in the same caves lived runaway slaves. Only in the nineteenth century, farmers from the Canary Islands came to this island, where they began to cultivate tobacco. To this day tobacco is grown old methods. Valley and surrounding towns started to develop, formed farms, schools, churches. Town survived to this day almost unchanged, one-storey houses with faded colors, often in poor condition. Besides tobacco plantations worth seeing around: monoliths of sandstone with a height of several meters and a width of 200 m, covered with a mural Mural de la Prehistory. Not far you can visit the caves where are museum, cafe, etc. Well, fantastic, lush vegetation growing on the valley. The valley has been declared World Heritage Natural Site, also thanks to the tobacco.
caves and grottosislandsvillages and rural areasPinar del Rio, CubaPinar del Rio, Pinar del Rio, Cuba