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| The Viñales
Valley is a great spot to bicycle around, and there are
good options for bird-watching, hiking, rock climbing,
spelunking or just relaxing on beautiful beaches. |
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| Caves
abound in this area and are one of the major attractions
in and around Viñales. La Cueva del
Indio (The Indian's Cave) is
the most popular cave and it's become a real tourist trap.
Located about 5km (3 miles) north of Viņales at Km 33
on the Carretera de Puerto Esperanza, this cave gets its
name from the fact that indigenous remains were found
here. Only 1km (1/2 mile) or so of the extensive cave
system here is open to travelers. A well-lit path leads
from the entrance through a few small and narrow galleries
to a tiny dock on an underground river. Here you board
a small rowboat powered by an outboard engine for a quick
trip of about 180m (600 ft.) up and down this river before
exiting the cave at a dock area crowded with souvenir
stands and a little snack bar. |
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Those with
an interest in more serious spelunking should head
to Las Cuevas de Santo Tomás.
With over 45km (28 miles) of connected tunnels,
chambers, and galleries, it's the largest explored
cave system in Cuba. Some of these chambers and
galleries are quite massive, with impressive stalagmite
and stalactite formations. Unlike La Cueva del Indio,
this cave system has been left in its natural state
and you must visit it with headlamps and flashlights.
So far, a relatively simple 1km (1/2 mile) section
has been opened for guided tours, although more
adventurous spelunking tours are in the works. |
| Feel free
to take a pass on the Mural de la Prehistoria
(Prehistoric Mural). This is to be
viewed only if you are in the vicinity and happen to
be passing nearby. It is over-hyped and decidedly uninteresting.
Despite some fresh paint, which restored
-- and even improved on -- the vibrant colors of
artist Leovigildo González Morillo's original
work, this massive mural lacks the style and weight
of the works of his mentor, Diego Rivera. The mural
is located 4km (2 1/2 miles) west of Viñales
and is open daily from 8am to 5pm. |
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