Soroa, UNESCO biosphere reserve
December 19, 2022
After a few days in Viñales we catch a colectivo taxi to Soroa, a biosphere reserve protected by UNESCO. It is located in the province of Artemisa, around 110 km from Viñales in direction of Havana.
For information, colectivos depart around eight/nine in the morning. If you want to leave later in the day, you will have to arrange a private taxi instead.
We have booked the Casa Doña at the entrance of the village of Soroa for two nights. Soroa is a really small village and there are not a lot of activities to do in the village, but it is worth stopping for a night to relax, take a hike to the cascade, and enjoy some birdwatching. If you are patient and observant, you will see quite a few endemic birds.
The climate is warmer in this area and we only manage to hike to the Soroa waterfall “El Salto de Soroa” on the first day. Therefore, on the second day, we arrange a private taxi to drop us at the Orchid garden “Orquideario”. After our visit, we hike to the Castillo en las Nubes to enjoy the view over the vale of Soroa. Unfortunately, the “castle” is closed for refurbishment and we make our way back to the casa to relax for the remainder of the afternoon.
We also discovered that the casa particular owner, Milagros del Carmen, is a great cook. We had some of the best breakfasts and dinners since arriving in Cuba. It was totally worth stopping in Soroa just to experience the owner’s cooking skills and relax.
