Soroa
Soroa is a village belonging to the town of Candelaria in Artemisa province. Before 2011 it was part of Pinar del Rio province. It is associated with the Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra del Rosario National Park.
Get in
The same hold when coming from Las Terrazas, although from there you can also take a cab for 15 CUC.
Alternatively take a collectivo from Havana. You’ll find drivers around the Viazul bus station there, but may need to pay the full price to Viñales (15 CUC per person).
Get around
For the most part, Soroa consists of just one street, however since the village stretches along that street from the highway in the south to the mountains in the north for more than 8km, getting around is a bit of a challenge.
By taxi
Certainly the most convenient option for many travelers. Your casa can organize drivers for your day trips. A one-way trip to Las Terrazas costs 15 CUC.By bus
There’s local buses that can take you from the mountains down toCandelaria
and back for no notable fee. Just queue with the locals at one of the designated bus stops.By bike
It's mostly easy to bike, but all the sights are located at the northern end of the village which is about 200m higher.Check with your casa if it’s possible to rent a bike. Typical rates would be around 10 CUC per day.
See
OrquidearioThe Orquideario is the world's second-biggest orchid garden, with 700 species. It’s well kept and great to wander around or sit down enjoying the environment. You can also hike up the road behind the Orquideario to a ruined mansion and a view of the valley.
Cascadas El SaltoThe Cascadas El Salto is a beautiful 35-meter waterfall. From the parking lot, you cross the river and a paved trail leads down to the top of the waterfall and then further down to the base, where you can also swim. In the dry season there’s not a lot of water coming down, but the trail and surroundings are pretty nonetheless. There’s also a state-run restaurant at the entrance.
Do
Go for a hike in the mountainsA good base is the area around the waterfall. There’s a trail to a viewpoint starting there. As of 2015, openstreetmap has only very basic map coverage of the trails.
Buy
Bakery
Fruit stand
Gas station
For a real supermarket, as well as a fruit and vegetable market, you’ll need to head to Candelaria.
SupermarketA normal supermarket. There’s a fruit and vegetable market just one street north.
Banks
There’s no bank or Cadeca in Soroa, but there’s a bank in Candelaria.Eat
RestaurantBasic creolian food.
Paladar
Sleep
Most concentrate along the lower village. There’s also some casas north of the sights and in the adjoing village.
The going rate for a double room is 25 CUC per night, 4 CUC pP for breakfast and 10 CUC for dinner.
Since the village stretches quite far, choose your location wisely. The mountain region is prettier, slightly calmer and provides easy access to the main sights.
But it's also further away from the highway junction and Candelaria.
Hotels
Hotel Villa Soroa