Pinar del Río Province

Tobacco is still king on Cuba's western fingertip, a rolling canvas of rust-red oxen-furrowed fields, thatched tobacco-drying houses and sombrero-clad guajiros (country folk).

The crucible of this emerald land is the Valle de Viñales, a Unesco World Heritage Site framed by a backdrop of distinctive mogotes (limestone monoliths) that nigh-on beseech you to get hiking. Playing a tuneful second fiddle is the Península de Guanahacabibes, an uninhabited wilderness chock-a-block with fertile ecosystems that abut a swath of 50-plus offshore dive sites.

People primarily come here to be close to nature, basing themselves in the serene hassle-free village of Viñales. From here, huge cave complexes call for torch-lit exploration, tobacco plantations offer expert fact-finding tours, beaches invite lazy contemplation, and every horizon seems to be filled with a host of quintessential 'come to the Cuban countryside' images. So follow the fragrant aroma of tobacco and come.

Explore Pinar del Río Province

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Pinar del Río Province.

Beach
Playa las Tumbas
If they gave out Academy Awards for Cuban beaches, Las Tumbas might just win, edging out Playa Sirena on Cayo Largo del Sur (too many tourists) and Playa…
Historic Site
Hacienda Cortina
A grand crenelated entry gate a few kilometers west of San Diego de los Baños announces the surreal, long-abandoned grounds of Hacienda Cortina. The…
Village
Los Aquáticos
A kilometer beyond the turnoff to Dos Hermanas and the Mural de la Prehistoria, a dirt road twists up to the mountain community of Los Aquáticos, founded…
Farm
Vega Quemado del Rubi
The tobacco farm of Hector Luis Prieto currently produces the 'Champagne' of Cuban cigars and invites visitors to find out exactly how they're nurtured…
Cave
Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás
Welcome to Cuba’s largest cave system and the second largest on the American continent. There are over 46km of galleries on eight levels, with a 1km…
Farm
Finca El Pinar (Robaina Tobacco Plantation)
The famous Robaina vegas (fields), in the rich Vuelta Abajo region southwest of Pinar del Río, have been growing quality tobacco since 1845, but it wasn't…
Cave
Cueva de los Portales
During the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, Ernesto 'Che' Guevara transferred the headquarters of the Western Army to this vast and spectacular cave,…
Public Art
Mural de la Prehistoria
A 120m-long painting, 4km west of Viñales village on the side of Mogote Pita. Leovigildo González Morillo, a follower of Mexican artist Diego Rivera,…
Ranch
Rancho la Guabina
A former Spanish farm spread over 1000 hectares of pasture, forest and wetlands, the Rancho la Guabina is a jack of all trades and a master of at least…
Sculpture
Proyecto Raíces
Immersed in the foothills of Viñales' mogotes (limestone monoliths) lies a bucolic manifestation of all that is best about this region given unique form…
Gardens
El Jardín Botanico de las Hermanas Caridad y Carmen Miranda
Just opposite the Servi-Cupet gas station as Cisneros swings north out of town, you'll spot an outlandish, vine-choked gate beckoning you in. This is the…
Factory
Fábrica de Tabacos Francisco Donatien
If you're tracking the full story of tobacco from plant to cigar then this is the inevitable end-point – the factory where they skillfully roll them by…
Farm
Finca Agroecológica El Olivo
Go directly to the source. Viñales' celebrated farm-to-table restaurant, Olivo, gets most of its ingredients from this farm in nearby Valle del Silencio…
Historic Building
Palacio de los Matrimonios
Wow! West on Martí, the grand neoclassical facades give way to this gushingly opulent wedding venue dating from 1924, with its huge mirrors, chandeliers…
Museum
Museo de Historia Natural
A mad but magnificent neo-Gothic-meets-Moorish-meets-Hindu-meets-Byzantium mansion built by local doctor and world traveler Francisco Guasch in 1914. Once…
Cave
Cueva del Indio
In a pretty nook 5.5km north of Viñales village, this cave is very popular with tourists. An ancient indigenous dwelling, the cave was rediscovered in…
Farm
Finca Raúl Reyes
Finca Raúl Reyes, 1km north of the town center, is a tobacco plantation where you can enjoy fruit, coffee, puros (cigars) and a dose of throat-warming rum…
Historic Building
Teatro José Jacinto Milanés
Often included in a set of seven classic 19th-century Cuban provincial theaters, the 540-seat Milanés dates from 1845, making it one of Cuba's oldest. It…
Gallery
Casa Taller Pedro Pablo Oliva
The Plaza de la Independencia is the hub of the art scene. First and foremost, on the northwest side, is the workshop-gallery of renowned Cuban artist…
Lighthouse
Faro Roncali
On the far western tip of Cuba sits the nation's oldest lighthouse, which was constructed by enslaved people and Chinese laborers in 1849. It was named…