Discover Fascinating West Cuba with…

Sierra del Rosario, which has been a biosphere reserve and UNESCO protected since 1985, can be found nestled in the dense forested hills of the tobacco province Pinar del Río. The reserve stretches across approximately 5000 hectares, and the visitors who cross its trails will see a unique abundance of animal and plant species, as well as the overgrown ruins of former French coffee plantations, the park’s tiny lakes and hot sulphur springs. You will also have the opportunity to bathe in the invitingly cool waters of the natural pool in Río San Juan. You will also visit Las Terrazas, a tiny place in the middle of the Sierra Maestra Mountains which is part of an eco-tourism complex. The 900 inhabitants of the complex live predominantly off eco-tourism and the timber industry.

An emerald-green mountainous landscape interspersed with secret caves, waterfalls and trails, makes the Sierra Escambray Mountains a must for trekkers. It straddles the cities of Cienfuegos and Sancti Spíritus and runs for almost 100 kilometres, reaching its highest peak at Pico de San Juan (1156m). Here, the rain and 21°C temperatures make the ideal climate for plant life, creating an unbelievable abundance of vegetation such as orchids, eucalyptus and ferns, which can be found growing around the many waterfalls and bathing pools. This unique jungle-like setting is just crying out to be discovered!

The delightful village of Viñales has made its name mainly thanks to the famous tobacco plantations which surround it. On the tour you will follow the trails through the silvery-green shimmering tobacco fields and their rickety sheds, where the leaves are hung to dry before being made into the world-famous Cuban cigars. You will also see the enormous bulbous limestone rocks, called the “mogotes”, which rise up above between the red earth and the blue sky, and which make the Viñales views so distinctive.