Viñales to Become First UNESCO Global Geopark in Cuba

Cuban specialists are preparing a presentation to apply for Viñales, the main tourism site of the Western province of Pinar del Rio, to become the first UNESCO Global Geopark in Cuba.

Mario Alberto Sanchez, director of the Viñales National Park, explained that the presentation will show that Viñales contains many caves with remnants of indigenous communities, such as cave art, as well as paleontological remains.

This includes the Great Cave of Santo Tomas, which has 46 kilometers of galleries, distributed over seven levels. The area also has evidence of the meteorite impact that scientists believe killed the dinosaurs, as well as fossils of fish and reptiles which inhabited the Jurassic Period (around 66 million years ago).

The initiative must meet with support from the Cuban Geological Service and the Ministry of Energy and Mining to meet the conditions for being a UNESCO Global Geopark.

The site, renowned for its picturesque views, was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999, for its harmony between man and nature and for its preservation of ancient artistic and agricultural traditions.