| p>170 Km to the West of Havana, near Pinar del | | | | Núñez Jiménez in the 5th decade of the |
| Rio City, Viñales Valley is the pride and joy of | | | | 20th century, mark the foundation of the Cuban |
| the citizens in the province and probably of all | | | | Society of Speleology. Today, there is a Museum |
| Cubans. It's considered to be, after Varadero and | | | | of the Pre-History, near the Mural of the same |
| Trinidad, among the most visited touristic spots | | | | name, in the Dos Hermanas camping center, |
| out of Havana. Thousands of visitors traverse the | | | | where near 300 fossil remains of small and |
| Valley from one end to the other, go inside its | | | | medium size Jurassic creatures can be seen. |
| caves, admire its nature and get to know its | | | | To add, a large and unique skull was recently |
| culture and particular Viñales cuisine. | | | | found believed to belong to a ferocious carnivore |
| Geological research indicates that the valley's | | | | that inhabited the waters of the primitive |
| well-known "mogotes" (pincushion hills) were the | | | | Caribbean Sea during some part of the Jurassic |
| first small islands to emerge in the Pre-historic | | | | period. It's been named Gallardosaurus Iturraldel |
| Caribbean Sea. The numerous fossils that have | | | | after its discoverer Juan Gallardo and his son |
| been discovered support the belief that the whole | | | | Juanito Gallardo, farmers who have collected an |
| valley area was once a deep basin rich in fauna | | | | important quantity of fossils in Viñales. The |
| and flora in the Jurassic period. In fact, | | | | second part of the name is dedicated to Doctor |
| speleological researches in Viñales Valley and | | | | Manuel Iturralde-Vinent, expert in Cuban fossils |
| particularly in the Cueva de Santo Tomás, | | | | who completed the research and dating of the |
| developed by the Cuban scientist Antonio | | | | specimen. |