El nicho cuba. El Nicho Park and Falls. Journey to the waterfalls

The journey there and back takes about three hours. The length of the walking route in the park is about 5 km. In general, you can explore the park in 3 hours. Add another hour for swimming in the lake at the foot of the waterfall and a snack in a cafe.

And if you listen to the singing of local artists performing in a cafe, your stay in the reserve will be prolonged. On average, it will take a whole day.

Time to visit the reserve

You can visit the reserve from 8:30 to 16:30 all days of the week.

Cost of visiting El Nicho Park

Admission costs about $9. Also include lunch in the tropics in your expenses: about 10 cookies. If you book a tour to Cienfuegos or Trinidad with a stop at El Nicho Park, the trip will cost more than $100 per person.

Explore El Nicho Park Eden

While walking through the park, we carefully look around. No, don't be scared! There are no dangerous animals or insects here. Be on the lookout for the unique “residents” of the park.

If you are lucky, you will see the national Cuban bird Trogon or Tocororo, whose color is similar to the Cuban flag: blue, white and red colors are present on both the bird and the flag.

Particularly attentive tourists will be able to see an interesting flower: butterfly lily or Mariposa. This flower is the national symbol of the country. Over 60 species of endemic plants grow in the park.

Tourists are attracted by a considerable number of waterfalls and cascades. The Caburni waterfall is popular. The water falls from a height of 60 meters. Below, in the natural pool, you can take a dip to escape the heat.

Along the way, you will come across plantations of mango, coffee, bananas, and citrus fruits. A log bridge will lead to an observation deck, and from there you will see all the beauty of the Eden-like corner. Unique photos are guaranteed.

We present to you a fascinating excursion in Cuba, during which you will see the El Nicho Natural Park with stunning waterfalls and the city of Trinidad frozen in time.

El Nicho

El Nicho Natural Park is a dense tropical forest located in the picturesque mountains Escambray offers breathtaking views of the surrounding valleys. There are many impressive waterfalls surrounded by colorful flowers, palm trees and pristine caves. This is also where coffee plantations extend. Walking around the reserve, you can’t help but wonder how Cubans manage to collect coffee beans in such inaccessible places?

At the foot of the waterfalls lie crystal clear lakes with cool water. By the way, when going on this trip, don’t forget to take swimsuits with you, because you will undoubtedly want to swim in these bodies of water and feel like the heroes of the movie “The Blue Lagoon”.

The park's main waterfall, El Nicho, is about 30 meters high. This is truly a majestic sight. By the way, you can also take a refreshing “shower” in it. Afterwards you will climb along wooden bridges to the observation deck - from here you can see in all its glory Mountain Lake Hanabanilla.

After climbing to the waterfall, you can relax at a local cafe before heading to the city of Trinidad.

Isolated fairy tale. Trinidad

Trinidad was founded by Diego Velazquez in 1514, almost at the same time that the island of Cuba itself was discovered. It was he who gave the settlement this name - the city of the Holy Trinity. And in 1519, Cortez’s conquest in Mexico began from here.

Trinidad's heyday came from the 17th to the 19th centuries - the colonial architecture (residential and public buildings, churches, cobbled streets) of that time is today the main attraction of the city. Since the 19th century, Trinidad has been isolated from the rest of the country for almost 100 years. This is why its unique “canned” atmosphere is connected.

Catholic churches, openwork benches, palaces made with elegant taste, colorful buildings, retro lanterns, marble sculptures, snow-white fences. All these simple elements of the city’s decoration create a feeling of complete immersion in the past. It seems that the Slave Izaura herself or the arrogant slave owner are about to come out from around the corner.

Sightseeing tour of Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos was founded by the French in the 19th century and stands in stark contrast to other colonial cities in Cuba. This is a city of incomparable architecture, purity and legends. We will walk through the central square, Marti Square, where the most important attractions are located, and the Malecon promenade. You will see the longest - the main street and the famous palace “Palacio de Vaye” from 1917, an outstanding building of particular architectural value in the province.

El Nicho Falls and homemade Cuban cuisine
40 km from Cienfuegos there is an amazingly beautiful place that many tourists vacationing in Cuba dream of visiting. This is a magnificent green area with a variety of swimming pools at different heights of a multi-stage waterfall and an observation deck at an altitude of 700 m with panoramic views of the mountains overgrown with rich tropical vegetation. The road to the waterfall is a fairly steep serpentine road; the climb to the waterfall itself is usually not very difficult for a person with an average degree of physical fitness. Near the falls there are excellent private paladar ranches where you can enjoy typical Cuban country cuisine in the open air and interact with the locals. The food here is very simple, but tasty and satisfying!

Transport

Transport Excluded included in the cost of the excursion. The type of transport is negotiated separately when booking an excursion.

convertible – up to 50€ per hour
retro car per day, up to 4 people – 200/250€, per hour – 20/25€
modern car per day, up to 3 people – 250/350€, per hour – 25/30€
minibus per day, from 5-10 people – 380/500€, per hour – 30/35€

Organizational details

Hotel/private pick-up/drop-off at 8:30 am in Varadero and 7:00 am in Havana.
Take with you: towels, hats, sunscreen, mosquito repellent, disposable raincoats, water, coral slippers.
Not included: entrance fees to nature reserves, food and drinks. Lunch/dinner from 10 CUC per person.

Book a tour on any of the available days on the calendar

This is a private tour in Russian, the guide will conduct it for you and your company.
Start of the excursion From your hotel. We will send you the exact meeting point and contact details of the guide immediately after booking.
On the site you pay 20% of the cost, and the rest of the money goes to the guide on the spot. You can

I took a combined tour of El Nicho and Trinidad Falls from the Russian representatives of the TO at the hotel. You can travel in Cuba without organized excursions by using public transport. But he walks very poorly, rarely and not to all objects of interest to you. You can rent a car, but the prices for both rental cars and gasoline are steep. And the condition of the vehicle fleet offered for rent leaves much to be desired. And the roads are not ice. I read in some reviews that the roads in Cuba are good. Ha! Good roads in Switzerland! And in Cuba the roads are the same as in Ukraine. I call this figure skating: sharply driving around potholes and pits, while managing not to collide with oncoming traffic, managing to jump back into your lane. In general, tourists don’t have much choice. And since I was also traveling alone, I decided that organized excursions were still the most reasonable solution in this case, although I do not like this organized tourism with a passion. There's nowhere to go.

At 7 am a bus picked us up. First stop is breakfast at a luxury farm. Just exemplary! Simple sandwiches with coffee and freshly squeezed juice of your choice. I took it from guava. There are a lot of animals on the farm, both in enclosures and in the wild. Tropical thickets are so luxurious! The birds are chirping! You don't have to go any further! Paradise!)))

Then we arrived at El Nicho. Along the way, one of the tourist buses broke down (not ours), and the road was dangerous: the serpentines and the road were washed out after prolonged rains. Plus the soil is clay! We lifted the tourists from the broken down bus onto ours, drove 300 meters and stood at the “No Trespassing” sign. There is a huge hole right from the middle of the road to the very cliff; the bus will not pass. And there are still a couple of kilometers to the goal. The guide even said at first that we would have to walk. Adventure, though! The rain is drizzling. Small as dust, but still not pleasant! In order not to risk our lives, all tourists were asked to get off the bus. Without passengers, the driver still managed to go around the hole along the edge of the road. We loaded up again and safely reached our destination.

El Nicho is the name of a park and waterfall belonging to the Guamuaya mountain range. The reserve rises 500 m above sea level. Virgin tropical forests, waterfalls, lagoons, natural pools, streams - all this is El Nicho, which means “niche”.

The Rio Hanabanilla spring is located among the Sierra Escambray, one of the most beautiful mountain landscapes in Cuba, which extends over an area of about 600 square meters between the cities of Cinfuegos and Trinidad. This area is unspoiled, with only some bordering areas like El Nicho open to tourists. The Escambray mountain range, with an average height of 700 m above sea level, occupies a large part of the southern region of Central Cuba, stretching across three provinces. In the center of the ridge is the El Nicho Nature Reserve, which is of great scientific and ecological importance, replete with mountain fauna and diverse vegetation. Over 60 species of endemic plants grow in the park. The highest peak of the mountain range is San Juan Peak 1156 m. The territory of the reserve is protected by the state.

We climbed along winding paths to the waterfall. In some places the trails are equipped with wooden stairs with a very steep slope. Unprepared tourists or people with musculoskeletal problems will find it difficult to move around in the reserve. The pond at the Caburni Falls has icy water, but this does not deter brave travelers from taking an extreme dip and swimming under the spray of water. But spectacular photos for social networks are guaranteed! The water falls from a height of 60 meters.

Having crossed over a shaky log bridge, we get to the mirador - an observation deck, from where a unique panoramic view of the reserve and the Anabanilla reservoir opens. What a beautiful planet we have! I can’t help but compare the view to Pandora from Avatar! Enthusiastic exclamations, camera clicks! This view is the icing on the cake of the whole trip!

After the waterfall, stop for lunch. The ubiquitous musicians accompany every meal. It turns out that they are all government workers in the arts. No amateur singer or musician has the right to earn extra money without a special license. They also have no right to ask for money for their performances. Everything is veiled. Under the guise of selling their CDs, after the performance the musicians go around all the tables. It’s clear that no one wants to buy discs by unknown artists, although from time to time there were very talented nuggets. Everyone just leaves 1-2 cookies in gratitude.

I had only heard about Trinidad about the state, well, Trinidad and Tobago. It turns out that this is a fairly common name in honor of the Holy Trinity. It is also found in the names of objects in Bolivia, the USA, Honduras, and the Philippines. Cuban Trinidad was founded by conquistador Diego Velazquez in 1514. For a hundred years this town was isolated from the rest of the island, thanks to which the houses and cobblestone streets have been remarkably preserved. Everything there is very cinematic, at least now you should make a historical movie! Old colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, rich colonial plantation houses, almost no traffic. Having gathered everyone in the main square of the city, Mayor, the guide quickly told us what and where to see, as well as what time we should gather for departure, and let us go on our free journey, not forgetting to mention the La Canchanchara bar, where he recommended trying the cocktail of the same name. There was only enough time to walk the streets of the city and visit the Cantero Palace. It was erected in 1828 by Don José Mariano Borrell, the richest man in the city, a famous planter. Now it houses the historical city museum. Then we went to try this magical drink Kachanchara. White rum, lime juice, sugar cane juice and honey are all ingredients. It seems like nothing special, but it’s not childish! And when the guide arrived, it was clear from his shining eyes and spreading smile that he was pumped up, bless you.))) We really liked this town! Since 1988 it has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

“Cienfuegos, the capital of the province of the same name, is a seaside town with a well-preserved historical center, located in one of the most beautiful bays of the Caribbean Sea. During the colonial era, it was called the “Pearl of the South.” When Christopher Columbus discovered the bay in 1494, the Jagua Indians lived here. The city was founded in the 19th century, receiving its name in honor of the governor of Cuba, General Jose Cienfuegos. The city of Cienfuegos is built on a geometric plan typical of neoclassicism, and its historical center was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 2005. It is the only city in Cuba founded by the French in 1819. The French origin of the city makes it unlike other cities in Cuba: it is distinguished by its ideal symmetry of layout, neoclassical buildings and a long pedestrian boulevard” - I read all this upon returning home. Unfortunately, we arrived in Cienfuegos under cover of darkness. And although it was announced in the tour program, in fact, we were not able to examine it. We limited ourselves to dinner at a chic colonial-style restaurant. It's a pity! Even in the light of the night lights it was clear that the city was very beautiful. But realistically, for such a rich program, it is better to take a two-day excursion along this route.

We arrived at the hotel at 10 pm, tired but happy, as they often say in such cases.)))

The excursion includes a transfer Varadero - Cienfuegos - Trinidad - El Nicho waterfalls - Varadero, a tour of the cities of Cienfuegos, Trinidad and El Nicho waterfalls, as well as the services of a professional Russian-speaking guide. The tour starts at 06:30. A Russian-speaking guide picks you up at your hotel and takes you on an excursion.

Cienfuegos, the capital of the province of the same name, is a seaside town with a well-preserved historical center, located in one of the most beautiful bays of the Caribbean Sea. During the colonial era, it was called the “Pearl of the South.” When Christopher Columbus discovered the bay in 1494, the Jagua Indians lived here. The city was founded in the 19th century, receiving its name in honor of the governor of Cuba, General Jose Cienfuegos. The city of Cienfuegos is built on a geometric plan typical of neoclassicism, and its historical center was included in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List in 2005.

On this excursion we invite you to get acquainted with the most important places in the historical center of Cienfuegos and the Punta Gorda area, namely: Central Plaza named after José Martí, Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the house of the city founder, the Palatino brasserie, the former Spanish casino, the Arc de Triomphe, Ferrer Palace, the regional government building, the Thomas Terry Theater, pedestrian boulevards and the architectural whim of the city - the Valle Palace. A characteristic difference between Cienfuegos and other cities in Cuba is that Cienfuegos is the only city in Cuba founded by the French.

After exploring the city of Cienfuegos, you will have the opportunity to visit the historical center of Trinidad, which is one of the best preserved colonial cities not only in Cuba, but also in America. There you will see cobbled streets, squares, large mansions and palaces. Trinidad was founded in the 16th century. The old colorful buildings and cobbled streets make it feel like time stood still here during the colonial era. The houses around the central Plaza Mayor still bear the memory of wealthy planters and are the main destination of a tour in Trinidad.

After exploring the historical center of Trinidad, a visit to the waterfalls in the heart of the Escambray mountain range is provided. El Nicho Falls is a natural wonder where green nature, rivers, waterfalls and natural ponds collide in a virtually untouched area. The Escambray mountain range, with an average height of 700 m above sea level, occupies a large part of the southern region of Central Cuba, stretching through three provinces: Villa Clara, Cienfuegos and Sancti Spiritus. At the center of the range is the El Nicho Nature Reserve, which is of great scientific and ecological importance, teeming with mountain fauna and varied vegetation. The highest peak of the mountain range is San Juan Peak.