Pinar
del Rio
The most western of the Cuban regions, is the tobacco
zone par excellence of the island, besides to have countless
natural beauties, among them the Colorados archipelago-
a 200 km coral barrier-, numerous beautiful and little
visited keys - as San Felipe and La Vigia-, and natural
and artificial lakes, between which it excels the one
of Cuyaguateje. The Guaniguanico mountain range occupies
most of its territory. The province has two zones declared
by the UNESCO as "Natural Reserve of the Biosphere",
zones that shelter native animal and plant species: the
Rosario mountain range and the peninsula of Guanahacabibes.
It’s in this peninsula that is located the beach
of Maria la Gorda, paradise for the diving lovers.
The Vuelta Abajo region is the greater tobacco producer
of the world. In the municipalities of Consolación
del Sur, San Juan and Martinez, Pinar del Rio and San
Luis Guane are the highest quality tobacco leaves, destined
to the export. The coffee production, introduced in the
19th century in Rosario mountain range by the French,
fell in declivity by the expansion of the sugar cane production,
much more lucrative. In the San Cristóbal, Candelaria,
Bahía Honda y Viñales counties there is
still an impressive landscape formed by some coffee plantations.
Now the province has become a paradise for the rural tourism
lovers. Hiking, fishing, hunting and even speleology are
the activities that can be practiced by the traveller.
Are very famous the San Diego bath, in the locality of
the same name, a thermal centre with a reputation that
goes back to the 18th century. Without any doubt one of
the symbols of Pinar del Río is the valley of Viñales,
in the Organos mountain range, characterized by its relief
filled with carstics formations.
|
|
|
