A few hours outside of Havana, the Vinales Valley is one of Cuba's premier natural attractions. To protect the unique beauty of the area, it was declared a national monument in 1978 and has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. The small town of Vinales, located in the Pinar del Rio province of Cuba, was established in 1878. It is primarily an agricultural area growing fruits, vegetables, coffee, and especially tobacco. The red farmland and unique micro-climate purports to produce the world's best tobacco and, hence, the world's best cigars. Some tobacco farms are set up for tourists as you'll see in this gallery. The people of Vinales, like most of the people we encountered in Cuba, were very open and friendly toward tourists and very receptive to having their picture taken...repeatedly. In fact, what made this trip so special was the warmth and kindness and genuine joy emanating from the Cuban people. I hope that some of this will be communicated in my images.