Geoparque Viñales

GEOROUTE 1 - HOYOS DE SAN ANTONIO-MOGOTE LA MINA

GEOROUTE 2 - MOGOTE ZACARÍAS- HOYO DE JARUCO

GEOROUTE 3 - LA ERMITA - PUERTA DE ANCÓN

GEOROUTE 4 - INDIO CAVE - LA COSTANERA

GEOROUTE 5 - ANCÓN JUNCTION-- ANCÓN

GEOROUTE 6 - LOS JAZMINES - DOS HERMANAS

GEOROUTE 7 - EL FORTÍN - LOS ACUÁTICOS

GEOROUTE 8 - LA PIMIENTA- PAN DE AZUCAR

GEOROUTE 9 – THE EXTINCTION OF THE DINOSAURS – THE GREAT CAVERN OF SANTO TOMÁS

GEOROUTE 10 – RIVER AND MOGOTE – PAN DE AZÚCAR

An itinerary through the Hoyos de San Antonio valley, with a very particular morphology and where we will be surprised by interesting discoveries of Jurassic fossil remains, green rocks, a water-filled sinkhole, and a special view of the mogotes.

View of the isolated mogote of Zacarías, the incredible discovery of a closed valley (Hoyo de Jaruco), caves with fossils and cave paintings.

Excellent panoramic view of the mogotes of Viñales from a privileged place: the La Ermita hotel. Passage through the impressive Puerta de Ancón. Access to the José Miguel tunnel cave (Viñales Cave) with exit to the Palenque de los Cimarrones.

Indio Cave, a boat ride on the underground river, and hot springs at the San Vicente spa.

Panoramic view of the Mountains and Gap of Ancón, spring of the Abra River, and violet limestones of the Ancón Formation.

View of the isolated mogote of Zacarías, the incredible discovery of a closed valley (Hoyo de Jaruco), caves with fossils and cave paintings.

Pleasant walking itinerary along a very pleasant path, a short tour through a cave that crosses a hill and ends in Los Acuáticos (The Aquatics) with a unique view from a high point.

Long walking itinerary for hikers, where excellent examples of karst formations are observed, such as sinkholes and caves. There are folds, vertical transverse shearing, a collapsing mountains, chaotic sequences, and spectacular panoramic views.

A short but information-rich itinerary: visit one of the best outcrops of the K/Pg boundary in Cuba, marking the moment of the dinosaur extinction due to the impact of a large meteorite, and the Great Cavern of Santo Tomás.

A 5 km round-trip hike, crossing the Pan de Azúcar River which emerges from the Sierra Derrumbada, responsible for excavating cavern systems in the region. Magnificent views of sierras and mogotes. Abundant limestone concretions “cheeses” with Jurassic macrofossils.

GEOLOGY OF CUBA

THE CARIBBEAN PUZZLE

Cuba’s tectonic structure is quite complex, as it is a piece of crust that originated in the Jurassic period, about 190 million years ago, in a location where the Pacific Ocean now lies. This piece of crust has traveled over 2,000 km to collide with the North American plate, which now includes the Florida peninsula and the Bahamas, about 65 million years ago.

GEOLOGY OF VIÑALES

THE GEOLOGICAL SETTING OF VIÑALES

Viñales is located in western Cuba, in the Guaniguanico mountain range with a NE-SW orientation. This range is divided into two parts: the Rosario Mountains to the northeast and the Órganos Mountains to the southwest, where Viñales is situated. These mountains stand out in the landscape because the surrounding topography is very flat. Over 90% of Viñales’ surface is covered by limestone rocks that have developed a karst landscape with typical formations called mogotes.

WHAT IS THE VIÑALES GEOPARK?

It is the first geopark in Cuba, created in 2021, which covers areas of the municipalities of Viñales and Minas de Matahambre. It stands out for its geological heritage, with geosites of international relevance, such as karst formations, cave systems and fossil records from the Jurassic. It promotes geotourism, geoconservation, and geoeducation.