Viñales

Image:VinalesCaves.jpg

Before European settlement, the area was the home of a remnant Taíno population swelled with runaway slaves.Guerrillero:Pinar del Río. [http://www.guerrillero.co.cu/pinardelrio/2004/marzo/eltemplo.htm "El Templo de los Cimarrones"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080508202938/http://www.guerrillero.co.cu/pinardelrio/2004/marzo/eltemplo.htm |date=2008-05-08 }} {{in lang|es}} 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.Vinales.cu [http://www.vinales.pinar.cu/historia.htm History] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927140521/http://www.vinales.pinar.cu/historia.htm |date=2007-09-27 }}

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Image:Cuba 2013-01-23 (8505433425).jpg

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 centered on the Viñales Valley is developing, the area being protected by constitution since February 1976, and declared a national monument in October 1978.

Attractions in Viñales include the Viñales Municipal Museum, Casa de Caridad Botanical Gardens, Museo Paleontológico, Palenque (a Maroon village) and the nearby caves (Cueva del Indio, Cueva de José Miguel, Cueva de Santo Tomás) in Valle de Viñales National Park,{{Cite web |url=http://www.vinales.pinar.cu/turismo.htm |title="Valle de Viñales: Monumento Natural de Cuba" |access-date=2007-02-01 |archive-date=2007-09-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927140651/http://www.vinales.pinar.cu/turismo.htm |url-status=dead }} which were refuges for runaway slaves. There is also a cave that doubles as a nightclub.

Casas particulares (private residences that have been tailored and licensed to operate as bed and breakfasts) offer accommodations to visitors year-round. There are also three hotels located a few kilometers outside of town, rated three stars: La Ermita,[http://www.hotel-la-ermita-cuba.com La Ermita] Los Jazmines,[http://www.cubahotelreservation.com/hotel.asp?hotel_code=SCTHORLjazmines Los Jazmines] and Rancho Horizontes San Vicente.[http://www.cubahotelreservation.com/hotel.asp?hotel_code=SCTHORRSvicente Rancho Horizontes San Vicente] The campground Dos Hermanas has 54 cabins available to tourists, a swimming pool and a restaurant.[http://cubareservas.com/hotel-view.asp?lID=1&hID=478 campismo Dos Hermanas]{{Dead link|date=May 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

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.

{{Weather box

|location=Viñales

|width = 100%

|metric first = yes

|single line = yes

|Jan high C = 26.4

|Feb high C = 26.2

|Mar high C = 28.1

|Apr high C = 30.0

|May high C = 30.8

|Jun high C = 30.8

|Jul high C = 31.7

|Aug high C = 31.7

|Sep high C = 31.2

|Oct high C = 29.9

|Nov high C = 27.9

|Dec high C = 26.8

|year high C=

|Jan mean C = 21.3

|Feb mean C = 21.1

|Mar mean C = 22.8

|Apr mean C = 24.6

|May mean C = 25.7

|Jun mean C = 26.3

|Jul mean C = 26.8

|Aug mean C = 26.8

|Sep mean C = 26.5

|Oct mean C = 25.3

|Nov mean C = 23.1

|Dec mean C = 21.7

|year mean C=

|Jan low C = 16.3

|Feb low C = 16.1

|Mar low C = 17.6

|Apr low C = 19.3

|May low C = 20.7

|Jun low C = 21.8

|Jul low C = 22.0

|Aug low C = 22.0

|Sep low C = 21.8

|Oct low C = 20.8

|Nov low C = 18.4

|Dec low C = 16.6

|year low C=

|Jan rain mm = 60

|Feb rain mm = 62

|Mar rain mm = 56

|Apr rain mm = 83

|May rain mm = 173

|Jun rain mm = 226

|Jul rain mm = 184

|Aug rain mm = 207

|Sep rain mm = 216

|Oct rain mm = 151

|Nov rain mm = 72

|Dec rain mm = 50

|year rain mm=

|rain colour = green

|source = Climate-Data.org

|date=December 2019}}

In 2022, the municipality of Viñales had a population of 28,740 with a 0.33%/year increase.{{Cite web |title=Viñales (Municipality, Cuba) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location |url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/cuba/admin/pinar_del_r%C3%ADo/2104__vi%C3%B1ales/ |access-date=2024-02-05 |website=www.citypopulation.de}} With a total area of {{convert|704|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}},{{Cite web|url=http://www.statoids.com/ycu.html|title=Municipios of Cuba|author=Statoids|date=July 2003| access-date=2007-10-07}} it has a population density of {{convert|41|/km2|/sqmi|abbr=on}}.

Image:VinalesCubaTransport.jpg|A man rides down the main street in Viñales

Image:DowntownVinalesCuba.jpg|Downtown Viñales

File:Valle di Viñales 01.jpg|Viñales Valley

File:Mogote-and-lake vinales.jpg|View of lake and Mogote at Viñales

File:Viñales - Vista d la Calle Real.jpg|View of the Calle Real in 1902.

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{{Wikivoyage|Viñales}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060221191715/http://www.vinales.pinar.cu/ Viñales Municipality] {{in lang|es}}
• [http://www.leson.com "Valle Son Music"] A collection of son and salsa groups performing in Viñales
• [http://solvinales.webcindario.com "Viñales Tours & Accommodation"] Tourist information on the town of Viñales
• [http://vinales.webcindario.com "Viñales, Land to Dream"] Viñales Page Information
• [https://www.triptovinales.com Viñales information about Casas Particulares] Viñales Page about tourism Information and Casas Particulares

{{Adjacent communities

| Centre = Viñales

| N = Gulf of Mexico

| E = La Palma

| SE = Consolación del Sur

| S = Pinar del Río

| W = Minas de Matahambre

}}

{{Municipalities in Pinar del Río}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinales}}

Category:Populated places in Pinar del Río Province

Category:Populated places established in 1871

Category:Climbing areas of Cuba

Category:1871 establishments in the Spanish Empire