Cueva de los Portales
| Cueva de los Portales
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| Location: | In La Guira National Park | |
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Geographic location: |
22 ° 40 '33 " N , 83 ° 25' 42.7" W | |
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| Type: | Karst cave | |
| Show cave since: | 19th century | |
| Particularities: | National monument | |
The Cueva de los Portales in the Cuban province of Pinar del Río is a karst cave in the Sierra de los Órganos . Already in the 19th century it was a popular excursion destination due to its scenic location. The Cuban poet Cirilo Villaverde and the French painter Gustave Moreau visited the cave. After the revolution , Fidel Castro initiated the touristic expansion of the cave.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1960, the Cueva de los Portales was used by Ernesto Che Guevara as a command post. In May 1960, Soviet SS-4 medium-range missiles had already been stationed in the surrounding areas of the Sierra de los Órganos .
In 1987 the caves were declared a national monument due to their historical importance.