Viñales


Viñales is a small town and municipality in the north-central Pinar del Río Province of Cuba. The town consists mostly of one-story wooden houses with porches. The municipality is dominated by low mountain ranges of the Cordillera de Guaniguanico such as Sierra de los Órganos. Typical outcrops known as mogotes complete the karstic character of the landscape.
North of the town is the Viñales Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

Before European settlement, the area was the home of a remnant Taíno population swelled with runaway slaves. The area was colonised at the beginning of the 1800s by tobacco growers from the Canary Islands, who settled in the Vuelta Abajo region. The first colonial settlement in Viñales is documented in 1871, in the form of a ranch belonging to Andrés Hernández Ramos. The town was established in 1878 as a typical community, with church, school, hospital and recreation park.

Economy

Viñales is an agricultural area, where crops of fruit, vegetables, coffee and especially tobacco are grown by traditional methods. Fishing is also an important part of the area's economy.

Tourism

Tourism centered on the Viñales Valley is developing, the area being protected by constitution since February 1976, and declared a national monument in October 1978. The Viñales Valley has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since November 1999, for the outstanding karst landscape and traditional agriculture as well as vernacular architecture, crafts and music.
Attractions in Viñales include the Viñales Municipal Museum, Casa de Caridad Botanical Gardens, Museo Paleontológico, Palenque and the nearby caves in Valle de Viñales National Park, which were refuges for runaway slaves. There is also a cave that doubles as a nightclub.
Casas particulares offer accommodations to visitors year-round. There are also three hotels located a few kilometers outside of town, rated three stars: , , and . The comprises 54 cabins, a swimming pool and restaurante..

Climate

Viñales has a tropical monsoon climate according to the Köppen climate classification, with a hot, lengthy wet season, and a warm and relatively short dry season. The average temperatures range from highs of 31.7°C and lows of 22°C in July and August to 26.2°C and 16.1°C in February. April-November represents the wet season, being especially wet May-October. December-March is the dry season, however only December and March qualify as true dry season months, as the threshold for such a month is less than 60 millimeters. The rainiest month in Viñales is June, with 226 millimeters, and the driest is December with 50 millimeters.

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of Viñales had a population of 27,129 with a 0.69%/year increase. With a total area of, it has a population density of.

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