The Autopista Nacional ends and turns into Calle Martí as it enters Pinar del Río from the east. As you enter town, you'll see the Hotel Pinar del Río on your right. The heart of downtown is straight ahead. At the western end of downtown, you'll find the small, triangular-shaped Plaza de la Independencia. The main north-south byway, Calle Isabel Rubio, is also the old Carretera Central, and bisects Calle Martí by the post office.
Havanatur, on Calle Osmani Arenado at Martí, is an excellent resource for tourist information. For currency exchange, there's a CADECA on Calle Gerardo Medina, next to the local Coppelia ice-cream outlet and at Martí 46, virtually opposite the post office. On the same street, 2 blocks east of Coppelia, there's an Etecsa phone office where you can make local, national, and international calls and connect to the Internet. The main post office is located at the corner of Calle Martí and Calle Isabel Rubio (tel. 48/75-5916); it's open Monday through Sunday from 8am to 8pm. The León Cuervo Rubio hospital (tel. 48/75-4443) is at the junction of the Carretera Central and the Viñales highway.
Watch Out -- If you're driving a rental car, you will be swarmed by bicycle-riding jineteros (hustlers) offering you casas particulares and paladares (private-home rooms and restaurants) as soon as you enter town. They will latch on to your car at any traffic light, stop sign, or slow section and follow alongside if their pedaling can keep pace as you drive through town. For some reason, they are particularly aggressive in Pinar del Río. If you want to lessen the attention, you might have to roll up your windows and shake your head a lot.
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.