The Baconao Park (Biosphere Reserve) hosts a peculiar place where the Cuban representation of the Jurassic period and human evolution greet the visitor: The Prehistoric Valley.
More than 200 figures are exposed in the heart of nature in an area of 11 hectares where you can find a hominid, dinosaurs, reptiles, birds and other species that take us back to the prehistoric past. Only 20 kilometers from the city of Santiago de Cuba, the Prehistoric Valley was opened in 1980, becoming one of the attractions most sought by tourists where you can recreate life from millions of years ago.
The Valley of Prehistory in Santiago de Cuba is a recreational and tourist center dedicated to the science of paleontology in Cuba. It is a section of the National Park Baconao in which a real prehistoric park was created filled with sculptures of life-size extinct animals. They are divided into geological epochs. From the 14m tall Brachiosaurus to the representation of Seymouria. It includes human evolutionary links. For instance, there are several Corythosaurus next to a small artificial waterfall. There are even hunting scenes between animals and humans. The park offers several dining options with a café and restaurant, the latter being a cave with attractive decor, which recreates the habitat of the caveman.
Recognized by the National System of Protected Areas, Baconao Park received the status of World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1987. There are nearly 70 ruins of old coffee plantations founded by the French, which are of great importance and were declared World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Other attractions of great relevance are La Gran Piedra – holder of the world record for being the stone of its size at the highest altitude in the world at 1,234 meters above sea level – and the mines of iron and manganese, exploited by the Americans in the nineteenth century where you can see remains of locomotive and railways.
Moreover, La Laguna de Baconao is a place of significant beauty where you can enjoy the contrast between water and mountains that surround it. A trail runs along the coast of the lagoon for about three kilometers where you can observe the flora and fauna of the place, this haven of calm water is also a refuge for migratory birds.