Soroa Voyage Tips and guide

Contents

Soroa is a village belonging to the town of Candelaria in Western Cuba. It is associated with the Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra del Rosario National Park.

There’s no Viazul buses stopping in Soroa, however since the village starts at the highway junction and there’s an easy stop at the gas station, it's probably ok for the driver to drop you off there. Check with the driver first and then buy your ticket to Pinar del Rio (which is the next stop). The same hold when coming from Las Terrazas, although from there you can also take a cab for US$15.

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 (US$15 per person).

22°46′24″N 82°59′47″W

Map of Soroa

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.

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 US$15.

There’s local buses that can take you from the mountains down to 22.7416-82.96081 Candelaria (the next city, slightly south of the highway). (updated Apr 2015) and back for no notable fee. Just queue with the locals at one of the designated bus stops.

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 US$10 per day.

• 22.79433-83.009671 Orquideario. until around 17:00. The 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. US$3. (updated Apr 2015)
• 22.79379-83.007352 Cascadas El Salto (Waterfall). until around 18:00. The 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. US$3. (updated Apr 2015)

• Go for a hike in the mountains. A 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. (updated Apr 2015)

There’s not really shops in Soroa itself. There’s a bakery and a small fruit stand near the highway junction, also the gas station should have some of the bare necessities.

• 22.7563-82.97621 Bakery. (updated Apr 2015)
• 22.7545-82.97482 Fruit stand. (updated Apr 2015)
• 22.75412-82.973513 Gas station. (updated Apr 2015)

For a real supermarket, as well as a fruit and vegetable market, you’ll need to head to Candelaria.

• 22.7417-82.9574 Supermarket (Tienda) (in Candelaria near the park). A normal supermarket. There’s a fruit and vegetable market just one street north. (updated Apr 2015)

There’s no bank or Cadeca in Soroa, but there’s a bank in Candelaria.

There are a few paladars that serve creolian kitchen. Eating in your casa may be the better deal.

• 22.75538-82.976531 Restaurant (near the highway junction). Basic Creole food. US$5. (updated Apr 2015)
• 22.7866-83.00782 Paladar. (updated Apr 2015)

There’s plenty of casas particulares in all parts of Soroa. 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 US$25 per night, US$4 per person for breakfast and US$10 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.

• 22.79648-83.011871 Hotel Villa Soroa. (updated Apr 2015)

There’s no internet available in Soroa. Also no ETECSA office.

• Las Terrazas
• Viñales
• Parque Nacional La Güira

Candelaria, Cuba