Exotic tours / 29.12.2023

Excursion Varadero - Cienfuegos - Trinidad - El Nicho waterfalls. Cienfuegos and El Nicho Falls El Nicho National Park

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.

The city's central park was renamed José Martí Park in 1906, in honor of the famous poet, publicist and revolutionary. Cubans call him "Apostol" - "Apostle of Cuban Freedom", "Apostle of Independence". The park is not only the center of the city, but also the focal point of the urban architecture of Cienfuegos. Here is the Arc de Triomphe, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the Government House, and in the center of the park is the statue of Marty, one of the best sculptural images of the poet. In the center, in a large open space, there is a marker that says “kilometer zero.”

El Nicho National Park

The name of El Nicho National Park translates as "The Niche". This is also the name of the waterfall around which the park was formed. El Nicho is located at an altitude of 500 m above sea level. This is both a popular tourist destination and a corner of untouched nature where you can relax alone. Here you can swim in the large lake or find some secluded place by the water.

Picturesque nature, jungle, rich world of fauna - all this allows you to believe that you are actually somewhere on the Edge of the World in a paradise. The only difficulty tourists face when traveling is the heat, but this can also be overcome with the help of the cold waters of the waterfall. Swimming areas are equipped with changing rooms. Afterwards, you can visit a local cafe that serves Cuban cuisine and where local musicians often perform.

Holidays in Cuba 2011 (part 2) – Cienfuegos, Trinidad, Salto del Caburni

We started planning a trip to Cuba for the 2011 New Year holidays back in February. Why to Cuba? And why a year before the start of the trip?

Firstly, a sufficient number of bonuses have accumulated under the Aeroflot bonus program for booking air tickets Moscow - Havana - Moscow, 100 thousand bonuses for two. This is a significant saving on air travel, because... The cost of air tickets to Cuba is on average 45 thousand rubles per person. For example, for a bonus ticket to Los Angeles you also need to collect 100 thousand for two, but the cost of air travel is significantly lower than 20-23 thousand per person, which means that it is more profitable to fly to Cuba with bonuses, and besides, we have already been to the states twice . As a result, for air travel for two weeks we only paid fees of 10 thousand rubles for two.

Secondly, the availability of bonus air tickets during the New Year holidays is very rare; there are no more than two bonus tickets for one flight. Therefore, the most important thing is to book air tickets as early as possible, and then start working out the route. We were the first, it was so nice to choose seats on a completely empty plane.

Thirdly, where else to get married if not in Cuba? namely, in one of the best hotels in Varadero, Sandals Royal Hicacos 5* (more on this in the first part of the story).

It turned out to be more profitable to book hotels in Varadero and Havana through the Russian tour operator TEZ tour. In Cienfuegos and Trinidad through Cubatravelnetwork.com.

So, on January 2, we rented a small Hyundai Atos car from Cubacar, which cost us 450 pesos for four days, the price includes full insurance. I recommend asking to fill the car tank with gasoline, because... Problems often arise with this; not every gas station has normal 90 or 94 gasoline.

Also ask for a detailed road map of Cuba or buy one at a store. For example, there are cards in the largest shopping center in Varadero, Plaza America. It’s even better to have a GPS navigator with you; a map of Cuba can be downloaded for free on openstreetmap.org, but keep in mind that using GPS is prohibited by law in Cuba.

Now our car journey around Cuba begins, we plan to visit the cities: Cienfuegos, El Nicho Park, Trinidad, Santa Clara and Havana.

Before heading from Varadero to Cienfuegos, we drove to the border between the cities of Matanzas and Havana, where the highest bridge, Puente Bacunayagua, and an observation deck (mirador) offer breathtaking views.

Five kilometers southeast of Matanzas is the gigantic Bellamar cave system, where more than 3 km of passages and halls with numerous rocky formations open to the eye. The ceilings and walls are strewn with a huge number of crystals of different colors. The entire cave is very long, the hike deep takes about an hour. Here you can also find interesting stalagmites and stalactites.

Near the Bellamar Museum there is a park, there are several bars, incendiary salsa music is played, local residents and young people gather here.

After lunch, we head to the ancient city CienFuegos(Hundreds of Lights). A city on the southern coast of Cuba, one of the most beautiful and lively cities in the country. Its second name is “La perla del sur” - the Southern Pearl. Local authorities have restored the colonial city center, which is filled with architectural gems.

IN Cienfuegose we stayed at the La Union 4* hotel, the room cost 79 Euros including breakfast. This is one of the best hotels in this category, located in the very center of the city. We checked in in the evening; we were too tired to wander the streets; we decided to walk around the city with fresh energy in the morning. The room has two single beds and good audibility from the street. These are minor drawbacks compared to the bugs and cockroaches that, judging by the reviews, are the norm in other hotels.

The wide boulevard Paseo del Prado (La Caye 37) runs through the entire city center. The pedestrian area is very crowded, especially at night and on weekends.

Before lunch there was enough time to explore the main attractions of the city of Cienfuegos. Parque Martí, the main square of the city, was named after the famous Cuban poet José Martí. The square is surrounded by majestic buildings with a rich history. The Catedral de la Purisima Concepción, the Thomas Terry Theater, the building of the College of San Lorenzo with its elegant façade, the House of Culture and the Ferrer Palace. The only Arc de Triomphe in Cuba rises here.

You can have lunch right in the Palacio de Valle, which is designed in Moorish style. It was built by Asisclo del Valle at the beginning of the last century; he brought workers here to decorate the building in the Spanish Mudejar architectural style. Nowadays the palace has been converted into a luxurious restaurant.

Next we went to El Nicho Park with a beautiful waterfall and a stunning view from the observation deck of mountains, palm trees, a river, and a small lake. The road to the El Nicho reserve lies through the mountains, there are terrible pits, and takes 1.5 hours from Cienfuegos. Having parked the car in a specially designated place, we walked to the waterfall along a path that stretches through the jungle through bridges and steps leading up, which takes 30-40 minutes. When we walked part of the way, we saw a natural bath of extraordinary beauty, where a waterfall flows and forms a natural pool where you can swim. I could have climbed there even without a swimsuit, there were no people at all, but the water is cool in winter, tall trees well cover the emerging mountain river and the sun does not warm the water enough, it would be hot there in the summer.

Then we climbed a little higher and were pleasantly surprised by the beautiful picture. The waterfall is most beautiful between January and April, before the wet season begins.

After the stunning beauty of El Nicho, we go to one of the most ancient cities - Trinidad, along the road there are no less beautiful mountain landscapes, fields and meadows where animals graze.

From Trinidad to Cienfuegos, about 100 km, given the not very good road surface in some places, you can get there in about 2 hours. In the evening we checked into Hotel Las Cuevas 3*, which was booked in advance through Cubatravelnetwork.com, the night cost us 87 Euros with breakfast. The hotel is very interesting, located on a hill with a magnificent view of the city, the distance to the historical city center is about half a kilometer.

The hotel is called Las Cuevas (The Caves) not simply because there are many of them in Cuba, but the hotel itself also has a cave, which, unfortunately, we did not get to.

Despite the low star rating, the rooms turned out to be surprisingly decent. We lived in a bungalow on the 1st floor, we didn’t see any bugs or cockroaches there, although we read about it in the reviews. Once, when we left the balcony open for a while, a lizard crawled towards us, which we barely drove out.

The hotel hosts show programs every evening, with dancers in colorful outfits performing. The level is average, quite consistent with the level of the hotel. For dinner, we walked to the city center, where in the evening restaurants with colorful old interiors open and the spirit of the century before last is in the air. We went into one of these restaurants; there used to be a church here, which was converted into a restaurant, the interior was left practically untouched.

In Trinidad, the narrow streets are intertwined in a chaotic labyrinth, this arrangement was designed to make it difficult for pirates to invade the city. Street traffic is mostly one-way; you need to pay attention to the arrows on the buildings. Sometimes the arrows are missing or erased, then we can find out that we are in the oncoming lane only by the reaction of local residents who are in a hurry to tell us where to turn in the right direction.

Trinidad- a treasure trove of colonial architecture, the clatter of hooves can still be heard along the cobblestone streets. In the 50s Trinidad was declared a national Cuban monument, reconstruction began, and a ban was placed on new construction.

Main square of the old town Plaza Mayor surrounded by ancient buildings: churches, former luxurious mansions, museums. The square is a green square with luxurious royal palm trees and flowers, surrounded by a cast-iron fence, and in the center is a statue of the goddess Terpsichore.

There is a cathedral in front of the square Iglesia de la Santisama Trinidad, which was built in 1892 on the site of an earlier church. The marble altar, which is one of the many sacred objects here, deserves special attention.

A few steps from the cathedral is the most beautiful city mansion, Palacio Brunet, which, after recent restoration, has become Museum Romantico, where a collection of antique luxury furniture is now displayed. Next to the museum, on the other side of the square, there is a building in pastel blue tones - Museum of Colonial Architecture.

Look into TemplodeYemaya, a religious building of adherents of Santeria (Afro-Cuban religious movement). Religious ceremonies are held here every year, which you can ask the ticket attendant about.

The most memorable thing for me was the mesmerizing view from the bell tower of the Church of San Francisco (the symbol of Trinidad) over the entire surrounding city.

An unpleasant aftertaste from exploring the city of Trinidad was left by local barkers and beggars. Also striking is the large number of loafers who do nothing all day except smoke cigars, sitting on the street right outside the door of their own house.

The first half of the day was enough to explore the city of Trinidad; also don’t forget to go up to the observation deck, which offers a beautiful view of the city of Trinidad, surrounded by mountains on one side and the sea on the other.

Another waterfall planned today Salto del Caburni, it is located closer to Cienfuegos in the town Topes de Collantes, so we drive north along a winding mountain path. After I paid the ticket attendant for entry into the park Salto del Caburni 13 pesos for two, we drove another 100 meters by car, the descent was very steep, 30-40 degrees. Then they left the car in the parking lot. Next is a descent to the waterfall, but before that it’s better to refresh yourself and buy water, because... then this opportunity will no longer exist. There is a very nice cafe here where they make delicious sandwiches; this turned out to be the only dish available from the entire menu. There is alcohol in the cafe, but it is better to drink after a walk for a successful return.

Then we walked for about an hour along a very difficult but picturesque path and went down to the waterfall. I regretted not wearing sneakers; it was not very comfortable to walk through the jungle and over broken rocks in light ballet shoes. But when we went down, a reward awaited us - a very unusual and beautiful waterfall among the rocks, although not big, there is a natural pool where the waterfall falls, you can swim.

On the way back, you may be offered to climb on horseback. At first I was afraid of the smell of horses, but it turned out to be even more difficult to climb and I no longer had the strength, so for 10 pesos for two, we took a horse each and climbed up quite quickly and cheerfully. I didn’t feel any smell after riding a horse, and the activity turned out to be not difficult and very interesting.

By the end of the day there was little time left and we decided to pass through the city of Santa Clara and move towards Havana. Santa Clara is a cultural and historical center, home to a very large and beautiful Revolution Square, as well as the Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara Memorial, one of the most popular Cuban monuments.

Tips for tourists: count your change, Cubans are famous for petty fraud and deceiving tourists, because... Few people speak Spanish. Their official salaries are meager, so they get by. But in any case, it’s up to you to decide who to tip and who not to give anything, be careful. Pickpockets are also common, do not carry documents and all the money with you or keep an eye on things. If you have time and opportunity, learn Spanish before your trip, or at least numbers and basic phrases, it will be very useful to you. They tried to give us the wrong change at gas stations several times.

There are mosquitoes in Cuba, we came across them in the jungle and they bite worse than our bloodsuckers, although you should not be afraid of them, there is no infection like malaria. And the bumps from bites last quite a long time, up to a month.

Transport. Cubans mostly travel by bicycle; in small towns and villages you can often see horse-drawn carts. Many locals hitchhike due to the catastrophic shortage of vehicles. Municipal buses run extremely rarely, and they are packed. There are even trucks where people in the cargo compartment ride while standing.

The roads in Cuba are free, but the road layout is very similar to ours, maybe a little better. For long distances it is better to travel along the highway (Autopista), the speed limit is higher and the road surface is better. On country roads you need to be especially careful, because... There are huge potholes, and local residents or pets try to get under the wheels.

License plates on cars in Cuba have different colors, by which you can understand who owns the vehicle. Tourist cars have a characteristic red-brown color. Cars with yellow license plates belong to private individuals, blue ones belong to the state. Cars with red license plates enjoy preferential treatment and are rarely stopped, except for serious traffic violations or speeding.

There are practically no signs at all, road signs sometimes come across. Revolutionary slogans and photos of Che Guevara are much more common along the roads. This adds a special flavor, but not ease of movement around the country.

To ask for directions, buy something in a store, or solve a problem, knowing Spanish often came in handy. Which I gladly practiced in Cuba. Everything we learned in Spanish classes was useful. Losing luggage, shopping in stores, refueling gas, ordering in restaurants, communicating with local residents, and I was also “lucky” to contact a doctor when the temperature rose to 38.2.

Medicine in Cuba good. In case of illness, you must call the phone number specified in the insurance policy to register the insured event. As a rule, insurance company employees check the hotel phone number and call you back to your room. It is necessary to clarify how to solve the problem, go to the hospital or a doctor can come to your room. A doctor came to my room, asked a few questions and prescribed antibiotics. She also said that you can call a special service that can bring the necessary medications to your room with a prescription. I did not use this service because... My husband bought me the pills. I didn’t pay the doctor any money, I just signed the card. Those. The insurance company paid the bill directly.

The pioneers still wear red ties, which are a symbol of the revolution and the struggle for freedom in Cuba.

Other parts of the story:

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Journey to the waterfalls.

We decided to see the waterfalls on our own, without a tour from a tour operator. If you have the means and are not an adventurous person, then, of course, take a helicopter tour to Trinidad, and from there on ZILs equipped with seats to and further a walking route through the jungle, or a little further to El Nicho waterfall. This is at the discretion of the tour operator.

El Nicho Falls

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