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PINAR DEL RIO
The name means pine buff by the river. Rio Guama, that is. Founded in 1774, its layout is somewhat confusing to first-time visitors. The town has more trees than the average large Cuban city and the colonial and neo-classical buildings are still standing and kept in shape. With its university and hospitals, it is the bustling centre of the west of the country (Occidente) and the capital of its cigar industry.
POPULATION 191,577 (2007) in township (Municipio) SEE.KNOW.DO • Catedral de San Rosendo • Cueva de Los Portales • Fabrica de Bebidas Casa Garay • Fábrica de Tabacos Francisco Donatién • Museo de Ciencias Naturales Sandalio de Noda, located in the Palacio Guash • Museo Provincial de Historia • Teatro José Jacinto Milanés - one of the oldest in Latin America, built in 1839 in neoclassic style, renovated and reopened in December 2006; 540 seats, café for 120 spectators, patio : a must-see • Jardin Botanico (65 acres), the west's largest botanical gardens PALADARES Casa Don Miguel, El Méson (best in town : 4 tables, full meals 5-6cuc), Nuestra Casa, Rodrigo RESTAURANTS La Casona, La Taberna, Mar Init, Rumayor PLAYAS Bailén (44 km, not worth it), Boca de Galafre (39), Las Tumbas (196), Maria La Gorda (141) SERVICES Etecsa (phone and Internet), calle Marti, esq. Isabel Rubio 48 77-5442, Radio Guama 1080AM, 90,2FM, Rumbos 48 51-33, Car rentals Havanautos 48 77-4989, Transtur 48 77-8278 EVENINGS (Also see below) Baseball : Estadio Capitán San Luis (2010-2011 schedule here), Cabaret El Patio, Casa de la Musica, Cine Praga, Disco Azul, Rumayor, Teatro Lirico Ernesto Lecuona TRANSPORTATION Bus Viazul : see link above or below. Tel. (48) 75-0877 or 2571 Terminal is located at Juan Gualberto Gómez No. 14 ::: Trains from La Habana (see link above) "El Lechero" (the Milk Run #225) leaves La Habana at 22h05 every 2nd day arriving here at 03h50; returns (#224) leaves here at 09h45 arriving Havana at 15h30 ::: Local bus to Viñales (4x day)  Twice per day, a Viazul bus goes to and from Havana to Viñales stopping in Pinar del Rio. Call it Ruta 10 (Roota Diez) — Click for sked, Fred. |
 Map of province, north and south coasts - Enlarge •|• Corner Marti and Isabel Rubio, what used to be Hotel El Globo © sogestour  Parque Gerardo Medina in town © sogestour •|• About 40k away, Hacienda Cortina turned into Parque La Guira, spreading over 22,000 hectares  Cayo Levisa, tiny one-hotel & lovely-beached island (key) off the coast at Palma Rubia, 75 km away •|• Guahanacabibes, the island's extreme west © hicuba.com  Book Fair (Feria del Libro) on Calle Marti © sogestour •|• Parque Colon © cubarte Atardecer (sunset) in reparto Jacinto © unk •|• Casa Marti 51 on corner Isabel Rubio (the whole upper floor) © peacefrog  Rococo-style Palacio Guash, site of Museo de Ciencias © cubarte •|• Teatro Milanes, renovated and reopened in December 2006 © cubarte |
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| EXCURSIONS • Finca El Pinar of world-famous tobacco grower Alejandro Robaina and family since 1845. In San Luis, 12 km west and then 2 km south of highway. Just ask the way. 5cuc 40-min. tour. (48) 79-7470; Mon–Sat. 10 am–5 pm) • Parque Nacional La Guira (54,000 acres of wilderness, heaven for bird watchers) • Peninsula Guanahacabibes (6 syllables, 294,000 acres, Tel. 48 77-2232) our page here • Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra del Rosario (65,942 acres, Las Terrazas, Tel. 48 77-8726) • Cayo Levisa (key off Palma Rubia : scuba and sun) • Maria La Gorda (152km west of here, scuba, 30 sites, expensive, tel. 48 77-1316) See map here • La Coloma (before Playa Bailen), fishing town on way to the San Felipe cayos : "adventure tours" through local Ecotur agency • Cabo de San Antonio : its wooden villas (75$ per night, double), marina, lighthouse, all in a Biosphere Reserve at the extreme west end of Cuba, some 200 km from here. Site |
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 HEED THE HINTS IN THIS FINE PRINT ::: Make sure that in your first email or phone call you specify that you want to book a room in that particular casa and that you will reconfirm your booking on arrival in Cuba. Unless you only want a room in any house which may be of the same quality, not the specific casa you booked through photos on these websites ::: So as to not abandon expecting owners with empty rooms, reconfirm (or call ahead to cancel) your booking by phone as soon as you can after arriving in Cuba ::: Please write or phone a casa owner to cancel a booking. As late as it may seem, it allows them a chance to rebook. ::: Children under the age of 16 may share a bedroom with adults for free. Specify the child's age when booking. ::: Since October 2010, maximum bedroom capacity is not limited to two adults ::: Also, large casas are not limited to renting only two bedrooms per night. ::: At the end of the casa name, the V signals the casa was suggested by travelers or owners but not verified by the website staff. If you try it and like it, write us about it. ::: Unless otherwise mentioned, the average room rates and service prices are : 20-25cuc per bedroom per night [up to 40+ for 4 in a room]; breakfasts 3-5cuc, dinners 7-10cuc. ::: Note : monthly taxes have increased 15-50% for owners; this may be reflected on the aforementioned rates. ::: Any casa particular anywhere in Cuba must have a hot water shower, otherwise it cannot have a permit to rent. ::: On certain occasions in the past year, overbooking may have inadvertently hurt some travellers, some casa owners and some webmasters more than would appear and this prompted this webmaster to overreact by generalizing about individual realities; having hurt most casa owners, this webmaestro's self-righteous attitude [all action, no talk] was uncalled for. Lo siento mucho I am truly sorry and apologies given, Marcos 070112 ::: Please share your Complaints, comments & suggestions webmaster [@]cubacasas.net |
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 BOOK BY EMAIL : Click on logo to open a message addressed to that casa in your email application; or right-click to copy address showing at bottom of browser window. Spanish vocabulary here. Google translate here.  BOOK BY PHONE • From Canada and the USA : 011 53 (add phone # preceded by the town's area code, 48) • From Europe, Great Britain, Scandinavia and Mexico : 00 53 (add phone # preceded by the town's area code, 48) HOW TO DIAL A CUBAN PHONE NUMBER HERE |
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See most casas in sequence
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UNA CASA COLONIAL Calle Gerardo Medina 67, e/ Retiro (Isidro de Armas) y Isabel la Catolica (Adela Azcuy). Tel. (48) 75-3173  |
MARTI 51 - CASA MERY Calle Martí 51 (upstairs), e/Colon and corner of Isabel Rubio Tel. (48) 75-2264  |
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| RENÉ GONZALES Calle Union # 13, (altos, upstairs) entre Capitan San Luis y Marina Azcuy, on top of map, one block from the beisbol stadium. Tel. (48) 75-75-15  |
HANDY SANTALLA y FAMILIA
Calle Máximo Gómez 169A entre Comandante Pinares y Ciprian Valdez, facing the bishopry (the obispado). Tel. (48) 75-1308  |
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| CASA COLONIAL REINALDO CAMEJO Calle Máximo Gómez 180 entre Rafael Ferro y Comandante Pinares, 2 minutes on foot from main street and 3 mins. from the bus terminal. Tel. (48) 77-9804  |
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| MARIBEL PÉREZ MADERA Calle Isabel Rubio #4, entre Marti y Adela Azcuy Tel. (48) 75-32-17  |
VILLA MARITZA MOREJON MIRANDA V
Km 4 1/2 Carretera a Vinales (Some 4.5 km from Pinar del Rio, on road to Viñales) Tel (48) 76-2301  |
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| TEBELIO ROBAINA V Calle Colon #106, entre Mariana Grajales y J.G. Gomez, two blocks from main street. Tel. (48) 77-8050 @ Mayra and Tebelio rent a large aircon with ensuite and ventilated bedroom on the roof with its own private terrace, wide views of town, rockers in the shade : a nice casa with great food. |
MR. AQUINO V
Comandante Pinares 56a, esquina (corner) Máximo Gómez, downtown, Tel. (none shown on his nice visiting card @. Alquino Delgado rents one aircon bedroom, private bathroom, two beds, independent entrance, 4 fans, fridge, kitchen, color TV, radio-cassette. |
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| DR JOSE A. GUERRA y DRA HAYDEE CHICO V Calle Secunda no 7, entre San Juan y Nueva, reparto (burrough) Mijares Tel. (48) 75-5285 @ One aircon bedroom, private bath. Breakfast 3cuc, dinners 6cuc. "Highly commendable", says Danièle from France. |
LISSETT VALDÉS y ERNESTO PALOMINO V
Calle Emilio Nuñez 116, entre Celestino Pacheco y Vivo, in reparto (burrough) Carlos Manuel Tel. (48) 75-4698 Young couple (in pix on visiting card, handed while waiting for traffic light) might rent a nice a/c bedroom. Parking, security and comfort, says the reast of the advertising. |
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| MRS SOBEIDA Ave. Comandante Pinares 102, esquina Agramonte, 100m from main street (Marti) and bus terminal. Tél. (48) 75-5866  |
JUAN CARLOS OTAÑO - TRAVELLERS REST V
Isidro de Armas 70, entre Pedro Tellez y Primero de Mayo Tel (10h-18h) (48) 77-7349 Juan Carlos is an experienced guide who will show you everything you need to know about tobacco. Its colonial casa has two air-conditioned rooms each with two beds, broken, shared bathroom. |
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| VILLA ODALYS ARIAS V Calle Martí 158, entre Comandante Pinares y Calle Nueva Tel. (48) 75-5212. This large, hospitable and very energetic family likes contacts with visitors. One large bedroom in the back with its own bathroom, hot water, a-c, fridge and b&w tv. |
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Content & photos © sogestour Updated |
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It features three venues : the main 540-seat hall, a Sevillan-type patio and a cafe-concert room with 120 chairs, known as La Piscuala.
