Viñales is always a place worthy to visit. It’s a unique place in Cuba, a constant invitation to contemplation and relaxation.

By the end of 1970's Cuba declared National Natural Monuments the Viñales Valley, the Great Cavern of Santo Tomás and a curious plant that lives nearby and it has survived since the Jurassic period. In 1999 the Viñales Valley was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a cultural landscape. Plus in 2001 the round-topped hills, called hummocks or "mogotes", which form all the northern area of the Valley and its surroundings, were declared The Viñales National Park.

Thus, there are plenty of reasons to visit Viñales. Hence the first thing to think about is where to stay and then, what to do in Viñales. Concerning lodging, there are two different places to stay: the Viñales Valley and the San Vicente Valley. The first one has more accommodation options since there is the Villa of Viñales with more than 100 private houses, two hotels and a camping site. On the contrary, in the San Vicente Valley, there is just one hotel. Still both places are excellent choices.

The Viñales Valley exhibits the most important group of karstical valleys in the country. In fact it is a set of small valleys limited by the north by calcareous mountain ranges of hummocks. By the south of the valley there are rocky hills where the schist and the slate abound, while in their bottom one can find small mountain ranges and isolated hummocks. Small rivers flow towards the north and they meet in a single current, which receives the name of Palmarito River. This stream submerges in a cavern by the bottom of the mountain range that limits the north of the Valley.

There are very fertile red grounds in the bottom of these valleys, which provide a beautiful sight when seen from high areas. The red color of these soils is combined with the green color of the vegetation of hummocks, of pine groves and of season’s crops. There are also small ways or paths inter crossing in all directions. Visitors can easily find these paths walking from the Villa or either from the two hotels located in the place. Here, it is common to observe farmers working. These pathways are located in privileged spots. They are constructed on small hills, which dominate the Southern side of the Viñales Valley and they also are situated in opposite places.

The Horizontes Hotel "Los Jazmines" is located in the central zone of these hills. The origins of this hotel are connected to a small private restaurant that was visited since 1948. Then in 1960 the hotel was built. Today it has a very different look from when it first opened its doors to guests, due to some restorations. Visitors can observe from its balconies and terraces the unique beauty of the Viñales Valley, especially at dawn. This hotel is about 3kms away from the Villa of Viñales, thus it’s very common to see guests going in either direction on foot, in bicycles or by car. Visitors can admire the valley during their strolls and notice different green tonalities according to the hour of the day.

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