Viñales Valley

Valle de Viñales
Valle de Viñales, Pinar del Río, Cuba
Area	132 km2 (51 sq mi)
Geography
Coordinates
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv
Designated	1999 (23rd session)
Reference no.	840
State Party	Cuba
Region	Latin America and the Caribbean

Viñales Valley (Spanish: ''Valle de Viñales'') is a karstic depression in Cuba. The valley has an area of 132 km² (51 sq mi) and is located in the Sierra de los Órganos mountains (part of Guaniguanico range), just north of Viñales in the Pinar del Río Province.

Overview

Manuel Rivera-Ortiz: Tobacco Harvesting, Viñales Valley, Cuba 2002

Tobacco and other crops are cultivated on the bottom of the valley, mostly by traditional agriculture techniques. Many caves dot the surrounding hillfaces (Cueva del Indio, Cueva de José Miguel).

The conspicuous cliffs rising like islands from the bottom of the valley are called mogotes.

Viñales is a major tourist destination offering mainly hiking and rock climbing. The local climbing scene has started to take off in the last few years with many new routes being discovered resulting in an increase in local tourism.

Conservation

Many endemic plants and animals are specific to this valley. Flora found in the region include Bombax emarginatum, mountain palm (Gaussia princeps), Ekmanianthe actinophilla, and Microcycas calocoma. Fauna includes bee hummingbird (Mellisuga helenae, zunzún), Cuban trogon (Priotelus temnurus), Cuban tody (Todus multicolor), Cuban solitaire (Myadestes elisabeth) and Cuban grassquit (Tiaris canorus).

The Valle de Viñales is a wonderful tourist destination. It is one of the lushest parts of Cuba.

Photo gallery

• VinalesCaves.jpg

  Palenque de los Cimarrones

• PinarDelRioCuba2.jpg

  Viñales Valley

• 

  Fog over Viñales Valley

• Szene im Valle des Vinales, Kuba.jpg

  Viñales Valley

• VinalesValleyCuba.jpg

  Viñales Valley

• PinarDelRioCuba.jpg

  Viñales Valley

• Vinales-cuba.JPG

  Viñales Valley

• Mural in Vinales, Cuba.jpg

  Mural in Viñales Valley

External links

• UNESCO Viñales Valley webpage
• Main website for rock climbing in Cuba, especially Vinales.