Pinar del Río

Introducing Pinar del Río

Pinar del Río, 162km southwest of Habana via the Autopista, is a bustling Cuban town of rusty bicycles and beaten up old American cars that has developed a rather unsavory reputation for its aggressive jineteros (touts). You'll get used to saying 'no me moleste, por favor' (don't bother me please) quite a lot here.

Situated right in the center of Cuba's prime tobacco-growing area and characterized by a surprisingly well-maintained collection of pastel-colored, neoclassical buildings, the town lacks the tourist facilities of nearby Viñales and is often overlooked by independent travelers, who use it as a springboard for the more accessible natural attractions of the villages further north.

Founded in 1774 by a Spanish army captain, Pinar del Río was one of the last provincial capitals on the island to take root. Neglected by successive central governments who preferred sugarcane to tobacco, the city developed into an urban backwater and became the butt of countless jokes about easily-to-fool guajiros who were popularly portrayed as simple-minded rural hicks. In 1896 General Antonio Maceo brought the Second War of Independence to Pinar del Río in an ambitious attempt to split the island in two and the town finally got its wake-up call.

Following the 1959 revolution Pinar del Río's economic fortunes improved exponentially; this was facilitated further by the building of the Autopista Nacional from Habana and the development of tourism in the 1980s.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009