Gay Travelers Magazine: Vinales Valley, Cuba – Touring the UNESCO World Heritage Site

By Steven Skelley and Thomas Routzong

On our second trip to explore Cuba, we decided to venture outside Havana to the amazing Vinales Valley. We booked an 11 hour tour called “The Vinales Valley – A UNESCO World Heritage Site” and we discovered a Cuban treasure.

The Vinales National Park is a Cuban National Monument. More than 90 percent of the property is in the hands of private owners. Thirty percent is owned by individual farmers and another 62 percent is owned by the National Association of Small Farmers. If you want to see the real Cuba, this is the place.

The Vinales Valley 

The Vinales Valley is in the Sierra de los Organos on the western end of the island of Cuba.  The valley is surrounded by mountains and filled with spectacular limestone domes called mogotes that can rise as high as 1000 feet.

The valley has fertile soil. Traditional methods of agriculture for growing tobacco, fruit, vegetables, coffee and raising stock remained nearly unchanged here for several centuries.

Whether we were at the top of a mountain or the bottom of the valley, the views were spectacular.

Cows, bulls, oxen and horses roam the lush green land near the farmers’ homes beside scattered mogotes that rise 1000 feet into the sky.

As we drove the rural roads of the western Cuba countryside, we saw new cars, classic cars, horse drawn carriages and farmers plowing their fields with oxen. It is like stepping back in time.

Vinales

Our tour visited the town of Vinales where we had nearly an hour to explore and shop for local art. Vinales is a small town with a town square where locals gather to sip coffee and chat. On our visit, one street was filled with local vendors selling fruits, vegetables, cigars and hand-made souvenirs.

Guyabita Del Pinar Rum Factory

The Guyabita Del Pinar Rum Factory produces a local liquor called Guayabita del Pinar. Guayabita means little guava. Pinar del Rio is the region of Cuba where the Guyabita Del Pinar Rum Factory is located.

Guayabita del Pinar is a sweet rum made from sugarcane and little guavas.

Our tour allowed us to view the process of creating and bottling Guayabita del Pinar.

Finca San Vincente

Finca San Vincente is part restaurant, part farm, and part resort in the Vinales Valley. It is a very popular tourist stop.

We enjoyed walking the property situated beside a stunning mogotes. People rode horses. Men plowed fields with oxen.

Finca San Vincente served us a delicious lunch of roast pork, rice and beans while a talented group of local musicians serenaded us.

Vegueros Cigar Plantation

Some people say that the best cigars in the world come from the province of Pinar del Rio. Our visit to the Vegueros Cigar Plantation gave us a close-up view of rural Cuban life and the opportunity to sample these world famous cigars.

The owner of the plantation greeted us with a smile and walked us through his tobacco operation, his farm and his home. We watched as his children came home from school in their immaculate school uniforms which indicate their grade level. We were offered samples of rum and cigars.

Though the tobacco and cigar creation used ancient methods and their home was small, the farmer and his family seemed perfectly content to be living in their country paradise.

Conclusion

Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one’s lifetime.”

The Vinales Valley is a must- see and “The Vinales Valley – A UNESCO World Heritage Site” tour is a must-do for every world traveler. This is a tour of the real Cuba with unique insight into a rarely seen group of friendly, beautiful people who share our planet.

Make plans to visit soon!

For gay travelers, visit the Gay Cuba Guide for information on gay clubs and beaches http://www.worldincolortours.com/gay-cuba-guide.html