Las Terrazas

Las Terrazas, considered one of the relics in the western part of the island, is found in the Sierra del Rosario Mountains in Candelaria municipality in the south-eastern part of Pinar del Rio province. Candelaria is the smallest county of the province and the closest to Havana. The Sierra del Rosario was named Biosphere Reserve in 1985 by UNESCO with 25 000 hectares.

The name Terrazas comes from the time of the first settlers that constructed the region due to the terraces they made to achieve the reforestation of the area which had been mistreated by the indiscriminate cutting of the forests. It is a rural experience of sustainable development in the heart of the Sierra del Rosario. In 1960 the reforestation project began and in 1971 the community was founded with a population of approximately 1 200 inhabitants.

Las Terrazas is a village that carries out the rational use of its natural resources, where the endemic flora and fauna, the quality of its services, allows the visitor to enjoy unforgettable experiences. Among some of the activities of its cultural life, the community has ceramic workshops; studios of painters like Duporte and Lester, as well as the Polo Montañez Museum House and social club. Other places that are highlighted in the village are the ruins of several coffee mansions; some of them already refurbished which belonged to former French settlers during the first decade of the 19th century.

You can rent a boat and water bikes, as well as swim in the San Juan River and its multiple waterfalls which offers natural pools. A visitor can also walk through its hills unique for its beauty and natural characteristics, among them the San Juan River, the La Serafina landscape, Las Delicias among others.

If you lodge at the Moka Hotel you can participate in nature excursions and observe birds, go horseback riding, bike tours through the mountains, canopy among many other activities to make your visit enjoyable. You may taste Cubans country side dishes at The Campesino House.