What is Viñales Valley, World Heritage Site in Cuba

The Viñales Valley is located on the west side of Cuba, between the Organos Mountains. It is a karst landscape where limestone cliffs called “mogote” can be seen, where traditional leaf tobacco production is still practiced.The site was recognized as a World Heritage Site for its farms, architecture, and other cultural landscapes that show the development of Cuban culture.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why the Viñales Valley is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner. Read this and you will definitely learn more about the Viñales Valley!

What is the Viñales Valley?

The Viñales Valley, located in the Organos Mountains at the western tip of the island of Cuba, is a karst landscape with many “mogote,” dome-shaped limestone cliffs that are up to 300 meters high. Because of its fertility, the area was colonized in the early 19th century.It is famous for its leaf tobacco cultivation, which is still practiced today using traditional farming methods without the use of machinery.

In the villages and farms, the architecture, crafts, and music that mark the cultural development of the Caribbean continue to live on and are recognized as “cultural landscapes”.

The Viñales Valley has a unique culture composed of Spanish plantation owners, indigenous people working on tobacco plantations, and slaves from Africa. This is reflected in their dwellings, crafts, and music, and the atmosphere that still remains is what makes the landscape what it is.

Because of the complex karst topography surrounding the area, natural caves have been formed, which were used as hiding places by slaves fleeing from plantations.It is also known as a place where revolutionaries hid during the Revolutionary War.

For what reason is the Viñales Valley on the World Heritage List?

The Viñales Valley was recognized for the following

Registration Criteria (iv)
The valley has been home to traditional leaf tobacco cultivation for centuries, and the people who live here are steeped in the traditions of the region in their housing, crafts, and music.

Conclusions and Impressions of a World Heritage Maniac

By “cultural landscape,” it is very difficult to understand, but it means that the entire valley has a unique landscape, including the dwellings of the people who live there, the crafts handled by the people, and the music played by the people due to traditional leaf tobacco farming. In other words, the entire valley, both visible and invisible, is a World Heritage Site.

Incidentally, when it comes to cigars, Cuba is the best place on earth to cultivate leaf tobacco for these cigars. However, not many Cubans enjoy cigars because they know they can sell them for a high price.

*The content here is a discussion derived from research conducted by World Heritage enthusiasts. As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the media.