UNESCO Vinales & Cuba’s Tobacco Region

by coach & on foot

This full day experience will take you into the countryside to visit the tobacco growing region, the unusual sights of the ‘mogotes’, and will provide you with a real insight into Cuban provincial life.

Departing from the port and leaving the city of Havana behind, an approximately 2h45min journey takes the national highway towards Pinar del Rio. Along the way, a stop will be made at Las Barrigonas, a thatched barn-like complex where you can stretch your legs.

Your journey continues to the estate of Quemado de Rubi, owned by Hector Luis and considered one of the top three tobacco farms in Cuba. Mr. Luis’ outstanding tobacco production won him the prestigious Hombre Habano award.

During your visit, you will see the tobacco plantation where you can appreciate the various stages of tobacco production. Depending on the season, this may be growing, harvesting, or drying. At the ‘humidor’, you can see where the awards and prizes given to this well-known producer are displayed. You will then have lunch on the estate, which consists of a traditional creole dish.

Following lunch, you will see a demonstration of cigar rolling with homegrown tobacco leaves.

Your journey continues to the beautiful Vinales National Park, dedicated a UNESCO Cultural Landscape in 1999 due to its use of traditional tobacco-growing and agricultural techniques. A stop will be made to admire the Mural de al Prehistoria, a 120m (393ft) long artwork painted on the Pita rock face. The mural took four years to complete and is one of the largest open-air paintings in the world. The huge snail, dinosaurs, sea monsters and humans depicted on the cliff-face symbolise the theory of evolution.

Your next stop will be at the Hotel Los Jazmines, where you can admire the spectacular landscape of the lush Vinales Valley. The valley is famous for its unusual mogotes and steep limestone hills believed to be more than 120 million years old. There are only a handful of places in the world where mogotes can be found, and this is the only location in Cuba. Here, you can sip a cocktail whilst enjoying the breathtaking views.

Following this, settle in for the approximately 2h45min return journey to Havana, with another stop at Las Barrigonas to stretch your legs