Viñales

On one of our earlier weekend trips, we went to a town called Viñales in the province of Pinar del Río, which is west of Havana. The town itself is located in a valley that lies between low mountain ranges of the Cordillera de Guaniguanico. The landscape is lush and the area has many limestone caves. As we drove into the town we stopped at a hilltop vista to soak in the views

Viñales

The town is small with just one main street and is surrounded by smaller, residential, dirt roads. We all stayed in Casa Particulares during our stay. Casa Particulares are essentially Bed and Breakfasts. It is usually a room rented out of a private home with meals included for an extra fee. These casas are incredibly common throughout Cuba and they are a really great way to travel, because you get more of a home-stay experience. The owners of casas particulares are usually incredibly generous and happy to share information, tips, or even just conversation. We all stayed in different rooms spread between four different casas whose owners were related. We ate breakfast separately at our respective casas, but had dinner all together at the casa belonging to who I perceived to be the matriarch of the family. The fruit was SO delicious. I had some of the best juices of my life at these meals. There was mango, papaya, pineapple, platanitos (like small bananas), and guava. The dinners and lunches were also incredible. The meals were always family style and every dish was full of flavor. The beans and the seafood were especially tasty. One of my favorite things in Cuba has been the lobster (langosta in Spanish).

A street near our casas

A sign for horse and carriages

Ana, Ingird, Adiley, Liz, Bryn, and I went on a walk down a long country road before dinner on our first evening in Viñales. The lighting was really beautiful as the sun was setting.

Municipal Farm of Medicinal Plants Viñales

On our second day in Viñales, we all went for a three hour trail ride through the beautiful landscape. We stopped once to walk to a spot with more impressive views, once to go swimming in a large pond, and once to explore a small cave.

Liz makes friends with a dog at the horse farm

Ana and I are always matching

Taking a hammock break

Naomi, Delaine, Ingird, Ana, Me, and Jessie

Me on my horse named Chupa Chupa

Ana, me, and Ingrid in the cave

Before leaving, we stopped at one of the world's largest outdoor paintings called the Mural of Prehistory, which spans 120 meters high and 180 meters wide.

Mural of Prehistory