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Vinales Valley (Valle de Vinales)
This valley nestled among the mountains of
Pinar del Rio (Cuba’s westernmost province)
has the requisite prehistoric look. The unique
landscape is characterized by huge rock
formations, known locally as Los Mogotes
Carsticos (Karstic Hummocks), caprices of
nature formed millions of years ago in
Jurassic period and now seemingly suspended in
time.
This fantastic setting of lush green ferns and
palms (part of Vinales Valley’s 10500 acres
of natural forests) is complemented by
crystalline springs, meadows, fruit trees and
plants of Vueltabajo, the cradle of the
world’s best tobacco. Monumento Nacional
(National Monument), the area’s principal
population center, was founded in 1879 and
owed its commercial success to the coastal
trade that passed through Puerto Esperanza,
San Cayetano’s old shipping zone.
Whether dispersed among the valley’s depths
or forming sierras, the Mogotes are an
astonishing site, resembling enormous
elephants sleeping alongside the tobacco
plantations and Bohios, the rustic dwelling of
the campesinos. Their morphology is a result
of the erosion caused by time and by water,
which has penetrated many Mogotes, forming
caverns with subterranean rivers, such as
Indio cave, Grand Caverns of Santo Tomas and
Majagua-Canteras system: the purity and
curative properties of these subterranean
water can be enjoyed by the public at the
Valle de San Vicente’s hot springs.
Common flora is the indigenous Palmita de la
Sierra and the slender plants that have had to
adapt to the rocky, hostile Mogote
environment.
”Palma Corcho” (cork palm), a
botanical rarity exclusive to this zone,
deserves special mention: It is species
estimated to be more than 250 million year old
and is still growing, a veritable living
fossil.
This region offers opportunities for hiking,
horseback riding, nature walks, spelunking and
photography.
The Mural of Prehistory however, is a must;
executed on the flank of a Mogote, it is a
colossal work that depicts the entire
evolution of the Valle de Vinales, from
prehistoric cephalopods to the appearance of
man. The colorful mural measures 384 ft length
and is 576ft high; its author, the Cuban
painter, Leovigildo Gonzales, was a disciple
of the Mexican master Diego Rivera, whose
influence is readily apparent. |
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