Viñales is located in the West of the Cuba and nestled in the Viñales Valley. It’s a Unesco World Heritage site known for its stunning landscapes including mogotes (distinctive, rounded, steep limestone formations), caves, and tobacco fields.
It’s a beautiful escape to some incredible scenery and a dramatic contrast to the lively city atmosphere of Havana.
Viñales was our first stop after Havana on our two-week tour of Cuba. We stayed approximately two days and below is how we spent our time, as well as some tips and suggestions you may find useful. It’s possible to visit Viñales on a day trip from Havana, but I’d highly recommend staying at least a night to take in as much as possible.
Havana to Viñales travel
We took a shared taxi from Havana which cost us $25 per person and took about 3 hours. The drive to and from Viñales was not the smoothest of journeys, as the roads are in pretty poor condition, especially as you get closer to Pinar del Rio. So be prepared for a bumpy ride with many slow stops as the drivers navigate their way round all the potholes.
For those on a budget, there are cheap buses from Havana, but expect the journey to take another hour or two. Shared taxis are the best way to go, and can be easily arranged from whichever casa you are staying with.
Where to stay
There are no shortages of casas, but I have to say we absolutely loved ours. Casa Particular Romero y Dalia “Ficas Ali” was so lovely and Carmen our hostess so incredibly helpful. And not to mention the breakfast that came with our stay everyday was by far the best breakfast we had the entire Cuba trip. She made these delicious crepes and her own homemade jam that was to die for. She helped organise our shared taxis both to and from Viñales, as well as helped sort both our activities while we stayed.
Places to Eat
3Js
There are so many cute and quaint restaurants found along the main streets, but we went with a recommendation from our Casa hostess, and well we liked it so much we ate here twice!! It was our first visit after arriving in the early afternoon from Havana. It was a short 5-minute walk from our casa right on the corner of the main street next to the outdoor market. We opted for a seat out front to enjoy the food and people watching. The menu had a good selection of Tapas, as well as fresh pastas and other small plates. They even adapted their Tapas assortment to cater to our dietary needs (pescatarian). Oh and the drinks were delicious. The piña colada is delivered with a bottle of rum that you can use to top up the drink as you see fit!
Cubar
Cubar is a very trendy restaurant located along the main street and definitely one of the more popular places. I have to admit the modern design of this place drew us in, and the food did not disappoint. I had the some of the best pasta I’ve ever had, a delicious shrimp and pesto combination. The service was friendly and prompt and it was a lively environment. On the more expensive side though (for Cuba!).
Poker Bar
We happened upon this bar on our way back from our horseback riding tour. The Poker Bar is located near the end of the main street and has a lovely roof terrace that we were eager to check out! We enjoyed some drinks and watched a beautiful sunset.
Jardin del Arte Sano
This one is easily missed as it’s located at the back of a store front off the main street. We were approached by one of the staff handing out flyers promoting live music later in the evening. We headed here after dinner as the music started at 8pm, and walked into a vibrant, beautiful garden with plentiful tables and seating. A wonderful place to enjoy an evening of lively Cuban music and delicious cocktails.
Things to Do in Viñales
Horseback Riding/Tobacco Plantation Tour
If you are going to arrange any activity while in Viñales make sure this is one of them! Our hostess organized our tour and we had a horse drawn wagon pick us up at our Casa and take us to a local famer/guide “Guajiro”. Our guide had to be all of 16 years old and didn’t speak any English, but was very helpful and friendly.
We mounted our small horses and were led out of his small farm into the countryside to make our way through the Valley. The scenery was simply stunning with the mogotes around us, tobacco farms scattered about, small lakes and local farms.
We were led to a small cave and for a very small fee another local Guajiro took us through. This is a small circular cave called Cueva de la Vaca. It was easy to walk through and not too claustrophobic, but definitely helped to have the torch on our phone to navigate the very dark spots. In the cave we saw the famous hollow stalactites, that create musical tones when you knock on them, and the sound is often described as a “musical echo.”
After our brief cave visit we stopped at a small wooden building and terrace near a beautiful lake for a coffee and some time to admire all the peaceful nature around us.
Back on the horses and after a short ride we came to our final stop at a local tobacco plantation.
The plantation owner explained about the traditional methods of tobacco farming, and we were able to see how tobacco plants are cultivated, harvested, and dried in these distinctive drying barns. He showed us to handroll a cigar and we even got a sample cigar to enjoy. Despite not really having ever smoked a cigar before, it was quite enjoyable. We were even able to purchase some cigars to bring back home.
The entire tour was approximately 3 hours and all for the price of $10 each, plus a small tip to our guide. This fully immersive excursion was the highlight of our trip to Viñales.
Cayo Jutías
We chose a day trip to a beach as everything we read about the Northwest of Cuba recommended visiting one of the secluded beaches with crystal clear turquoise water, and many of the pictures I had seen were so incredibly beautiful, we felt compelled to check it out.
This particular beach is about 90 km away from Viñales but the road conditions were so bad it took about 2.5 hours to get here. The island is part of the Archipiélago de los Colorados and is surrounded by lush vegetation which provides a beautiful contrast set against the clear waters. It is a relatively small secluded beach with lounge chairs that are available and a small beach restaurant/bar as well. There are also options for snorkeling and kayaking, but as we just felt like relaxing, we opted for the low key activity of sunbathing and doing a whole lot of nothing.
Despite a very overcast day, the beach was still lovely and the driftwood found at one end of the beach made for some really dramatic photos. The overcast skies only foreshadowed what was to come which was a big thunderstorm that drove the entire beach to crowd into the small restaurant to try and wait out the rain. Our group made the decision to head back to the town early as there was no sign of the weather getting any better. Given our experience with the terrible drive to get here (it’s a bumpy, uncomfortable ride) and the unfortunate weather, I felt this day trip option was not the best. But we spoke with other tourists that had done the same trip, had better weather and absolutely loved it, so check the forecast!
In hindsight as our visit to Viñales was already very brief, I would have chosen a different day trip option that didn’t require so much travel time. Especially as we were planning to visit other beaches in Cuba. So, this might be something to consider when planning your activities and itinerary for Viñales.
Other Activities and Ideas
Other activities and day trip options include: Cueva del Indio – which is a cave you explore by boat; Mural de la Prehistoria which is a colorful mural depicting prehistoric life; A zipwire nearby the Mural de la Prehistoria, Hotel Los Jazmines which is a great place up on a hilltop to enjoy some cocktails and watch the sunset over the Valley; or Cueva de los Portales, an important historical site where Che Guevara and his troops hid during the Cuban Revolution.
Viñales is relatively a small town, but I would recommend spending at least two days here to relax a bit, partake in one of the many activities, and just soak in the beauty and nature of the Valley.
