Viñales Valley is quality walking territory in Cuba with flat topped hills that rise above tobacco fields and rusty red trails. But with few signs, hiking is tricky. Here’s how to do it.
Viñales is the fertile cradle of western Cuba; an agricultural town feeding the nation yucca, sweet potato and tobacco. Floating above a patchwork of carefully tendered fields, craggy limestone mogotes (flat-topped hills) provide Cuba with some of its best scenery – good enough to earn it a UNESCO listing. It’s a popular spot for both tourists and locals keen on a relaxing getaway from Havana.
Yet, despite its popularity, Viñales manages to retain a slow rural way of life. Farmers still work with oxen and home-made ploughs; tobacco leaves are dried in traditional wooden huts and every sapling and seed is hand planted.
The best way to enjoy the scenery and relaxed way of life is via the myriad of walking paths that criss-cross the region. But there is little information and very few signs so it’s easy to get lost. Some good tours are available with knowledgeable guides, but sometimes you just want to set off by yourself.
Here’s our tailor-made hike exploring the best of the Viñales Valley.
HIKING IN VIÑALES OVERVIEW
SUMMARY / A half-day hike collecting the stunning mogote scenery of Viñales
DISTANCE / 13 km from Los Jasmines Hotel to Mogote Café
TIME / 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours, 30 minutes for the complete round trip
ELEVATION / 100m descent and 30m ascent
DIFFICULTY / Medium
HIKERS / Mark & Paul
IDYLLIC RURAL ESCAPISM IN VIÑALES
As usual, we found ourselves walking in the dark to start the hike. For a rural destination with minimal machinery, Viñales was surprisingly noisy. Roosters – which every household appears to own – crocked the approaching dawn. Pigs oinked in muddy delight. The sighs of horses were audible over the chirping of cicadas.
Just past the din of our farmyard friends, we arrived at Los Jazmines Hotel in time to watch sunrise light up the misty valley below. Clouds, not yet burnt off by the hot Cuban day, hovered below the top of Viñales most famous sights: it’s towering limestone mogotes. A sea of green tobacco fields were cut by ribbons of rusty brown walking paths.
The spectacular scene was the starting point of our hike. A hike which took us down into the Vinales valley, past lush green tobacco fields and beautiful mogotes before ending in the Valle de Palmarito. We passed friendly farmers on home-made contraptions pulled along by oxen, cowboys on horseback who wouldn’t look out of place in an old western movie, and old characters sleeping under the shade of trees. It’s Cuba uncomplicated.
Here’s how to do it.
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VIÑALES VALLEY HIKE INSTRUCTIONS
Most people who hike in Viñales take a local guide. So, the signage on the trail is not sufficient for anyone trying to do the hike themselves. As a result, we got lost several times. Like most things in Cuba, the trails operate a bit like a cartel; asking anyone for help was met with a firm: “obtener una guía!”
But, we didn’t want to get a guide. And if you fancy the idea of conquering a beautiful Cuban walk at your own pace, here are our detailed instructions.
LOS JAZMINES HOTEL TO EL CUAJANI RESTAURANT
The hike begins the Sendero del Mirador al Valle sign 50m west of Valle de Balcon restaurant, just east of Los Jazmines Hotel (1 on the map). The first couple of hundred meters, as the trail drops down onto the valley floor, are the hardest and steepest on the walk. But there is nothing too difficult, it just requires some careful footwork.
At the bottom, the path splits at another sign. Take the left fork (longer route) and follow the path through a tobacco field – you might even see some leaf hanging out to dry. Just before a sign marked Mirador Casa Postal turn right and follow the path around the mogote. Pass another tobacco field and turn left just after the hut on the left-hand side of the path.
This path crosses a dry river bed, before bending right and arriving at a T-junction. Turn left at this T-junction and follow this path in a (fairly) straight line. As you get close to the road, bear right to meet it opposite El Cuajani restaurant (2). Note: this is different from the El Cuajani marked on google maps.
EL CUAJANI RESTAURANT TO MURAL DE LA PREHISTORICA
Turn left onto the road where there are 2 choices: either turn right shortly after joining the road to head to the Mural de la Prehistorica (yellow line on map) or continue straight and take a longer route.
Taking the longer route, continue along the road and turn right at the ANAP Antonio Maceo sign (3) onto Calle Alfonso. Stay on the grey-ish gravel track keeping the mogote on your right and mangos on your left.
When you are almost halfway around the mogote, the main track heads away from it. Take the thick red-earth track on your right staying closer to the mogote (4). The path quickly passes a horse ranch and comes to a sign saying ENTRE MOGOTE. Turn right and continue until you come to Mogote Art Café – once here, turn right again.
The track now curls left and narrows. After a short time there is a gate in the fence on your right. Walk through the gate to the Mural de la Prehistorica (5) in front of you.
There is a bar and toilets here. But the restaurant was being refurbished when we visited.
MURAL DE LA PREHISTORICA TO RIVER CROSSING
Retrace your steps to the ENTRE MOGOTE sign but continue straight (instead of turning left the way you came). About 50m further, as a lake appears on your left, turn right to take the well-trodden red path (6) which had two black hoses running down it when we were there. If you walk past the end of the lake to a white house with blue trim and a blue water tank you have gone too far.
NOTE: If it’s time for a rest and something to replenish the energy levels, Café Mirador sits on top of the slight rise past the blue and white house. Wind your way up the track and take a break in front of some excellent views.
The well-trodden red path is the main route back to Viñales. The path cuts between two mogotes (the larger one on your right and a much smaller one on your left) and then splits. Take the left fork keeping the large mogote on your right.
Continue down this route until the path meets a river and becomes waterlogged (7). Here you will need to wait for someone to take you across to dry land on horseback. Oswaldo – who ferried us across – assured me he was here with his horse every day. If not, someone in his family will be. Pay him 2 CUC per person to be escorted over the muddy swamp on his horse. Journey time is approximately 2 minutes.
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KEEPING THE FEET DRY HEADING BACK TO VIÑALES
The path now slowly drifts away from the mogote on your right and splits again. You can actually go either way but the shorter right-hand route (closer to the mogote) can be very muddy and wet.
So to keep your feet dry, turn left, then right and staying right until – facing the mogote – you come back to your original path, where you should turn left (8)
From here, the main path runs pretty straight (ignore the paths leaving at right angles) until it passes the end of the mogotes and begins to slowly bend right completing a 90-degree turn. Keep following the main path, ignoring a sign pointing left to Viñales (9). Just after passing Casa Fernando on your left, turn left, then immediately right to join another path (there should be a tree with a red dot in front of you as you join the new path).
This path passes the Cueva de la Vaca driveway and splits again. Take the left fork which joins Calle Adela Azcuy Norte and leads you into town.
At the end of this walk we recommend you have a rest and grab lunch at Mogote Café. The food is good and if you sit upstairs you get a fine view over the fields you’ve just come from. If you also need a coffee the hotel on the main square does a surprisingly good cortadito and has access to the main square wi-fi.
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VIÑALES VALLEY HIKING MAP
Because there are no signs it is important to have a map of the area. To save our map, click on the star to the right of the title – this will save the map to: YOUR PLACES -> MAPS in Google Maps. It shows you the complete route with numbers linked to the instructions to help know where you are.
BEST TIME TO HIKE IN VIÑALES
It’s not just the salsa that’s hot in Cuba. With average high temperatures of about 26 degrees in winter and 31 in summer, a hike like this is best avoided in the hottest months of the year. Additionally, rains torment the island in May and stick around until October.
The best months to do our Viñales hike are the sunny but slightly cooler months of January to April. It was still pretty hot when we did this hike (February) but not as scorching as it could have been.
There’s practically no shade on this hike and It’s relatively long, so start as early as possible and make sure you’re prepared for a long day in the sun.
TRAIL CONDITIONS
The only difficult sections are the first 200m as the path drops down to the valley floor. It’s a little steep, but nothing too difficult at all. Otherwise, this is a relatively easy trail over beautiful Cuban countryside.
The path is rusty red earth with very few rocks – great to walk on, but keep in mind it will be muddy after lots of rain and possibly a little bit slippery.
There are no signs for the path so you will need these instructions and our map to help you along. Make sure you download the area to googlemaps before you set off and save our map by clicking on star.
HOW TO GET TO VIÑALES
Viñales is 180 km from Havana. The Viazul bus runs twice a day and takes around 3 hours, 40 minutes. The price is 12 CUC per person. The Viazul buses are generally the most comfortable way to travel around Cuba, however, they can book out. Organise your tickets in advance to save the stress.
Your casa particular will also be able to organise a private taxi or colectivo, both of which will take around 2 hours. A private taxi should be around 80 CUC per vehicle; the colectivo around 15-25 CUC per person.
THE STATE OF REFRESHMENT OPTIONS ON THE VIÑALES HIKE
In Cuba, getting food anywhere other than a state-run restaurant can be difficult. Purchasing food to take with you for a snack on the hike will be nigh on impossible. Your casa particular host may supply you with some rations, however, there are enough options on the hike to sustain you.
The mirador Los Jazmines Hotel where this walk starts has a bar which serves pretty good coffee at 7:00 if you ask nicely. (They actually open at 8:00).
Near the hotel is the Valle de Balcon restaurant, where you can get a hearty breakfast of toasted sandwiches starting from 8:00.
Café Mirador is just a 5-minute detour after leaving Mural de la Prehistorica where you can get a refreshing drink in a stunning location.
Back in Viñales, we recommend lunch at Mogote Café. It’s standard Cuban fare, but it’s close to the end of the trail, the staff are friendly, it’s well priced and you have a nice view from their upstairs terrace.
TIPS FOR HIKING IN THE VIÑALES VALLEY, CUBA
This is a delightful walk through local farming country, with few tourists around except for a couple on guided tours. With our map, we’d hope you find it relatively straightforward to complete, however here are some additional tips to keep in mind.
TIMING
We recommend leaving early when the light for photos is at its best, the view from Los Jazmines Hotel at its most magnificent and the temperatures at their coolest. Grab a taxi or walk up the road to the hotel, arriving as close to sunrise as you can manage.
Allow a good 4 hours for the hike from Los Jazmines into Viñales, including time to stop for a few photos and a couple of minutes to wait for your horse to take you across the swampy section.
NAVIGATION
Before you start the hike, download google maps for the Viñales Valley to your off-line maps. Also, save our map by clicking on the star.
The only difficult section is the first 200m as the path drops down to the valley floor – it’s a little steep so some careful footwork is required.
Around 2/3 of the way around, it will be necessary to get a lift on a horse over a deep swampy section of the path. Fortunately Oswaldo and his trusty horse are there every day. Expect to pay 2 CUC.
The path could be slippery and muddy after very substantial rain, so keep an eye on conditions.
WHAT TO TAKE
Doing this walk in trainers would be no problem, however you might want something more waterproof if there has been a lot of rain.
Don’t forget your camera as the scenery is stunning the whole way around.
The walking is straight forward although the heat can be draining so make sure you take plenty of water and wear sunscreen and a hat.
GETTING HELP
If you get lost try asking one of the guides or café owners in the area. While some locals wouldn’t give us instructions, we found a guide who was happy to help.
The local farmers are very friendly on the way around this hike. However, they may want to divert you to their tobacco factory or other local attraction. Make sure you don’t confuse this for instructions you might have been trying to get for the hike.
If you need to (or want to) break the walk, a bus runs (about every 90 minutes) from the Mural de la Prehistorica back into town. Otherwise, taxis can regularly be found ploughing the main road.
WHERE NEXT?
If you’re starting in Havana, our quick guide has a few tips you might find useful.
Finding great hikes is always a priority on our travels. For some other great walks we recommend, have a look through our ON THE TRAIL roam page which has all our hiking content. Here are some of our recent favourites:
If you have any questions please leave them in the comments section below – we will always reply. But before you go any further why not follow us on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and TWITTER and sign up to our monthly NEWSLETTER. To save this article for later, pin it so It’s on hand when you’re ready to hit the trail.
Great post. Very easy to follow guide and the pictures look fantastic. I’ve never been to that area of the world but it’s something I’ve been thinking about a bit more recently.
Thanks, Stuart. It’s a very interesting place. It can be a little challenging to travel around sometimes, but the scenery is fantastic.
What an interesting experience! I’m a little surprised you went without a guide and when I think of tobacco fields, I guess I think of them being heavily guarded, so I find it odd that it was so safe for you to just go as you please. #FarawayFiles
Yes, it definitely felt very safe. I guess because it takes quite a bit of work and a lot of expertise to turn raw tobacco plants into cigars that it’s not a target for theft. The raw material is also not that expensive because it’s not illegal. But, Viñales is a great place to take yourself on a hike.
Thanks – so interesting to read about this side of Cuba. I normally hear about Havana and the beaches, lovely pics too
#farawayfiles
Thanks a lot. There’s a lot of beautiful scenery in Cuba, Viñales is just the beginning. Stay tuned for lots more articles about non-Havana locations!
Live the detail of your post. It’s easy to follow and beautifully illustrated.
As always your photos are stunning! Interesting that you mention the farmers had little to no machinery to help with their operations. Is machinery even an option for them? It seems like this isn’t something they do by choice? I’ve always read that Cuba and its people are without most of the modern technology the rest of the world takes for granted, and I would assume this also applies to its farmers? Fascinating post and as always I love following along on your fabulous journeys. Where to next? #farawayfiles
No, it’s not something they do by choice. It’s part poverty and part government restrictions on inported goods. When the Soviet Union collapsed and Cuba lost its funding, they had little choice but to rely on traditional farming methods, which still continues today. Thanks for your nice comments Hilary, we’ve just come back from Morocco so stay tuned for that.
This brings back fond memories of my visit to Vinales. As much as I love getting back to nature hiking is sadly not for me due to stupid health conditions, but I still highly enjoyed seeing what I did of the area. I’d have adored to experience what you did though, what a beautiful day you must have had! (and I bet you slept well that night lol)
Thanks, Keri. It was a great experience, I was a bit surprised we eventually found our way back too Viñales, but it was well worth it.
Love this guys – it’s a great guide to encourage more people to go it alone, without a guide! Will look at flights to Cuba now…
Thanks Luke! I hope we can encourage more people to go without a guide because it’s not that easy in Cuba – there’s always plenty of people offering to take you somewhere! But, getting off the tourist trail in Viñales was one of the highlights of our trip. You guys should head out there, you’ll love it!
Your photos are stunning as always. Definitely saving this for later, I would love to hike here and I hadn’t heard of it before reading your article. The sunrise views look *incredible*! #farawayfiles
Really useful tips. It looks incredible. And good to have all this practical advice. I’d hate to accidentally end up in a tobacco factory!