Introduction
Viñales is a small town in the western Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. Like Baracoa at the opposite end of the country, it's beautifully isolated, quiet, and has a friendly local atmosphere.
Viñales's sleepy streets are surrounded by the spectacular Viñales Valley, a deep green region of thick vegetation, karst peaks and traditionally cultivated agricultural land - tobacco being the most abundant crop. Here, too, are Cuba's most spectacular caves, including the longest, the Gran Caverna de Santo Tomás, with more than 25 miles of galleries on eight different levels.
Las Terrazas is a hidden settlement that originated as a forestry station in the 1970s. Today, there's a small collection of hotels, and hiking and climbing to be had in the surrounding mountains - which feature coffee plantations, serine lakes and challenging mountain passes.
