The eastern Cuban province of Pinar del Río, a stronghold for nature tourism in the largest Antillean island, is a unique option for thousands of vacationers who visit Cuba to enjoy the island's attractions.
In that territory, with unique sites such as the Viñales Valley, the Guanacahabibes Peninsula or the Las Terrazas Project for Sustainable Development, Soroa, also known as Cuba's rainbow, is a very important destination.
Soroa, which is 70 kilometers west of the Cuban capital, boasts a unique image, with a beautiful 22-meter waterfall that invites visitors to take a refreshing swim any time of the year.
One of the mountains surrounding Soroa, who are known as "mogotes" because of their rounded tops, has been turned into a lookout that overlooks a breathtakingly beautiful area, full of many birds and plants, many of which are endemic of the region.
Tourism in the region relies on the services of the Horizontes Soroa Hotel and Villas, and is complemented by a pleasant microclimate and valuable natural, historical and cultural resources, especially its diverse flora and wildlife.
Horse-riding excursions and different modalities of trekking with specialized guides form part of Soroa's broad offer, which includes tours of ruins of French coffee plantations from the 19th century, the Bayate River and the El Brujillo-La Comadre countryside community.
The region's natural environment is also open to initiatives such as cycle-tourism and mountain climbing, with excursions on the banks of the Manatiales River and unique baths at the so-called "Poza del Amor" (Pond of Love).
Lodging options include 49 double cabins and 10 houses, all of them with air conditioning, satellite TV and a minibar. Some of the houses have their own private swimming pool.
In addition, vacationers have access to a varied gastronomical offer at restaurants at the tourist complex, along with a special offer of mineral-medicinal baths with thermal waters in collective swimming pools.
However, the most known attraction in Soroa is the Orchid Garden, a forced stopover for all tourists visiting the province, where vacationers can enjoy species of orchids from all over the world.
The Soroa Orchid Garden is the largest in the country, covering an area of 35,000 square meters and holding more than 20,000 plants of 700 species. It also has thousands of specimens of fern and trees that turn this place into a unique site in the Rosario Mountain Range, which was declared a World Biosphere Reserve.
The first species of orchids arrived in Soroa in 1948 and were imported by the then owner of the place, a rich Spaniard named Tomás Felipe Camacho, who was considered at the time the person with the deepest knowledge in Cuba about the world of colors and fragrances.
This beautiful place still keeps valuable specimens from the 19th and 20th centuries, relics of that amazing region, a first-line destination in western Cuba for those who love nature tourism.