Proyecto Raíces

Valle de Viñales


Immersed in the foothills of Viñales' mogotes (limestone monoliths) lies a bucolic manifestation of all that is best about this region given unique form by local sculptor Noel Díaz Galart. The disparate ‘complex’ named Raíces (roots) over which Galart presides contains several miradores (lookouts), a rustic restaurant suspended above a lake, and numerous serpentine paths dotted with the sculptor’s wooden carvings, many of them exhibiting supernatural elements. It’s a great place to unwind, stroll and admire the view.

From the miradores, see if you can spot Martí Yacente, an outline on the mountaintops that is said to resemble the profile of a supine José Martí.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Valle de Viñales attractions

1. Los Aquáticos

0.8 MILES

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…

2. Mural de la Prehistoria

1.41 MILES

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,…

3. La Casa del Veguero

3.02 MILES

To learn about the local tobacco-growing process, stop by this tobacco plantation just outside Viñales on the road south to Pinar del Río and see a fully…

4. Finca Raúl Reyes

3.12 MILES

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…

5. Museo Municipal

3.14 MILES

Positioned halfway down Cisneros, Viñales' pine-lined main street, the Museo Municipal occupies the former home of independence heroine Adela Azcuy (1861…

6. Gallería de Arte

3.26 MILES

A tiny art gallery next to the Casa de la Cultura in Viñales town center. Worth a stop on a rainy day!

7. Casa de la Cultura

3.27 MILES

The sturdy building with its noble arches on the main square is the Casa de la Cultura, one of the oldest structures in town. Dancing lessons are held…