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El Palenque de los Cimarrones Frommer's Highly Recommended

Cuisine Criolla
Hours Daily 11am-4pm
Location Km 36 on the highway to Puerto Esperanza, north of Viñales, Around Town
Reservations Reservations not required
Phone 48/79-6290
Prices Main courses CUC$5-CUC$5.80 (US$5.40-US$6.25/£2.70-£3.15)
Credit Cards Not accepted

Frommer's Review

This is definitely a tourist trap catering to tour groups. However, the food is surprisingly good, and the show and setting are interesting and informative, without being too kitschy or corny. You reach the restaurant after paying a CUC$1 (US$1.10/55p) entrance fee and walking about 270m (886 ft.) through a narrow cave that bisects one of the area's signature mogotes. At the end of the path, you come to a re-creation of one of the nomadic homes set up by runaway slaves who lived and hid in these caves. After a brief bit of Afro-Cuban music and dance, you reach the restaurant, which is a series of interconnected ranchos (thatched huts), each decorated and representing a different orishá, or Afro-Cuban deity. The main dish here is a slow-roasted chicken seasoned with oregano, cumin, garlic, and lime juice -- it's excellent. And, the yellow rice with bits of ham, bacon, sausage, and peas puts Casa de Don Tomás's version to shame. The restaurant is only open for lunch, but the bar and snack bar located in the cave at the joint's entrance are open 24 hours. This spot also serves as a popular dance club on Saturday.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.


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About Our System

Frommer's ranks every hotel, restaurant, attraction, shop, and nightlife establishment it reviews for quality, value, service, amenities, and special features using a star-rating scale, an expression of the strong compare-and-contrast opinions that are a brand hallmark.

Other ratings provide stars based primarily on price and amenities; the Frommer's star rating is meant to quantify the kind of intangible, experiential elements that help travelers make informed decisions.

The "baseline" recommendation is zero stars--every hotel, restaurant, attraction, shop, and nightlife establishment that Frommer's chooses to review is recommended; otherwise, we simply wouldn't include it.

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