[4] Pinar del Río's history begins with two tribes, the Guanahatabey, a group of nomadic people who lived in caves and procured most of their livelihood from the sea.

Less advanced than the other indigenous natives who lived on the island, the Guanahatabey were a peaceful and passive race whose culture came about largely independently of the Taíno.

Post-Columbus, the conquistadors left rugged Pinar del Río largely to its own devices, and the area developed lackadaisically only after Canary Islanders started arriving in the late 1500s.

Tobacco plantations and cattle ranches quickly sprang up in the rich soil, along with open grazing land that typifies Pinar.

Farmers who made a living from the delicate and well-tended crops were colloquially christened Guajiros, a native word that literally means 'one of us'.

Also Major League Baseball and Hall of Famer for the Minnesota Twins Tony Oliva is from Pinar del Rio.