Underground river
A boat between cave walls.
Rômulo Ferreira — CC BY 2.0 · Андрей Бобровский — CC BY 3.0 · Rômulo Ferreira — CC BY 2.0 · Z thomas — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Андрей Бобровский — CC BY 3.0
The Cueva del Indio, the «Indian Cave», is a karst cave north of the town of Viñales in Pinar del Río province and one of the main sights of the Viñales Valley. It lies about 7.4 km in a straight line from the centre of the valley. Because dams were built on a river that runs through it, part of the cave can only be reached by motorboat. About 1 km of it is open to visitors, and the route inside is lit by electric lights. The visit starts on foot along passages between carved limestone, stalactites and stalagmites, then moves into boats that glide along the underground river between the cave walls. The exit after the boat ride is about 150 metres northeast of the entrance, where vines hang down green rock cliffs and daylight spills in from the cave mouth. The floor inside is damp and slippery in places, so wear suitable shoes and follow the boat guides' instructions. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Cuba because of fuel, power and water shortages, so read the current advice before you plan.
A boat between cave walls.
Carved limestone.
Vines on the cliffs.
North of Viñales town, Pinar del Río, Cuba
Part on foot, part by boat on the underground river.
About 150 metres northeast of the entrance.