Las Terrazas is a purpose built village, created as part of a reforestation project in the Sierra del Rosario nature reserve. The Moka is built amongst the now mature trees and looks down over the village. When we went it was very quiet but then July is definitely their low season with good reason. Every morning we woke up to bright sunshine but as the day wore on the humidity would increase, it would become increasingly overcast and then shortly after around 5.30pm there would be a terrific thunder and lightening storm. It would last less than an hour, then the steam would start to rise from the forest and the mozzies would come out. I rarely get bitten but did here and anybody visiting during the rainy season (April to November) would be well advised to take a DEET-based insect repellent.

It is a very simple hotel with all the rooms opening off open verandahs. The pool is basic but does the job. There is small bar off the reception area, as is the dining room. The rooms are all very simply furnished and starting to look a bit shabby. The semi-open plan bathroom could be a bit problematic for friends who are not a couple sharing a rooms! My room had a balcony and most rooms appear to have one but I didn't use it much because of the mozzie problem. The room did smell musty on first entering it but I think that the general high level of dampness at this time of year would make this inevitable. After the air conditioning had been on it became a great deal less noticeable and had disappeared by the end of my 3 night stay.

This is a fairly rustic hotel and the food reflects this - homely, Cuban style cooking with waitress service at dinner from a fairly limited range of choices (eg chicken or pork on the one night we ate at the hotel) with the usual breakfast buffet of fruit, bread, cold meats, cheese, jam and honey with eggs cooked to order. Down in the village itself there is the only vegetarian restaurant I have come across in Cuba and I would highly recommend it - even if you are not a vegetarian you'll find the food tasty and a change from the usual Cuban fayre. It's also possible to eat at a Paladare (a privately run restaurant in someone's home) run by the wife at one of the farms higher up in the hills. This was one of the best meals we had on the whole trip.

The Moka is a great location for anybody wanting to go walking in the Sierra del Rosario reserve which is a very lush, semi-tropical area up in the hills and we found it a great base for exploring the province of Pinar del Rio. However, there is little in the way of evening entertainment (though a small band plays each evening) either in the hotel or the village. So it's not one for those looking for a lively hotel but great for those looking for a homely country retreat or wanting to explore rural Cuba.

PS Please note that the electricity supply in the rooms is all only 110V - so make sure that your mobile phone is fully charged before you arrive.