Viñales Cuba, Western Cuba

Located a 3-hour bus ride from the bustling center of Havana stands an authentically Cuban community that has had its fair share of tourists, but actively keeps its charm by not bowing to the push of the tourism industry. Instead, in Viñales you’ll find seas of rust-colored tobacco fields, guajiro people working in the fields, leading cattle, or sitting outside their villages watching any newcomers.

The dramatic landscapes are what draw tourists and world organizations such as UNESCO to this small area of Cuba. Flat-top, craggily, limestone formations called a 'mogote', that dot the fields and give the surrounding scenery an almost dreamy, otherworldly look. These formations are so spectacular that UNESCO named Viñales a world heritage site back in 1999.

In terms of where to stay, there are many homestay types of situations called “casa particulares” that are government regulated. If you’re looking for hotels, then you’d have the best luck in the center of town. Once you’ve had a place secured, you can now look at the fun things to do in and around Viñales.

The most noteworthy experiences include horseback riding through tobacco fields, tobacco field tours (this is the region where the tobacco for famous Cuban cigars are grown), and hiking in and around the area. One of the most famous viewpoints actually comes from the colorful Los Jazmines Hotel where you can see the splendor of the surrounding tobacco fields and mogotes.