Viñales Valley

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 Organos, just north of Viñales in the Pinar del Río Province.

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).

UNESCO Heritage site

In 1999, the Viñales Valley was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a cultural landscape, both for its natural beauty and for the vernacular architecture and traditions.