Pinar del Río, the Cuba's westernmost province has a cultural infrastructure consisting of over 60 cinemas, theaters and 20 museums, among which stands out the one dedicated to natural sciences and named Tranquilino Sandalio de Noda.
Its eight halls show visitors singular exponents of the fauna from the region and other parts of the world, making special emphasis on the so-called "trigonias", which are among the oldest fossils in the Cuban archipelago. It has everything from a concrete T-Rex to a stuffed baby giraffe.
Among the samples of fossils stands out that of a plesiosaurus, a huge marine animal that lived million years ago in the waters that covered the area currently occupied by Pinar del Río.
The museum opened 20 years ago at the former Guasch Palace, built by local doctor and world traveler Francisco Guasch Ferrer in the second decade of the 20th century. The edifice was donated to Cuban authorities after 1959.
The building is marked by different styles that harmoniously combine an Ionic frieze, a Hindu portico, a Doric capital and an Arab ogive, all of which give the construction a monumental architectural value. Come for the flowering garden, architectural details and friendly specialist staff.
Martí Este No 202 at Commandante Pinares
Hours: Tue-Fri 8:30am-5:00pm, Sat 8:00am-10:00pm, Sun 8:30am-12:00pm
