The Guamuhaya mountain range, also known as Sierra del Escambray, is located in the center of Cuba.
In the part of this geography that corresponds to the province of Cienfuegos is "El Nicho". A space that constitutes a natural reserve with several endemic species and exuberant beauty. It has a very popular tourist trail called the "Kingdom of the waters" that runs along the river bed up the mountain and which we had the pleasure of visiting some time ago.
These places can be reached by several access routes. We decided to go from the Hanabanilla Hotel, located on the shore of the largest intramontane lake in Cuba and bearing the same name.
We arrived in the afternoon, after a long bus ride from Havana. The first sight of the lake was impressive. An immense mass of water stretching towards the horizon and interrupted by mountains.
We rested for the night and the next day we woke up ready to leave early. Hanabanilla looks beautiful in the light of the rising sun. Some gray clouds threatened to overshadow the day. But as the sun rose they dissipated.
The boat ride lasts only 30 minutes. At 2 km from the hotel there is a rustic pier and from there on we continue on foot to the beginning of the trail.After walking a long way uphill, we arrived at our destinati.
Several crystal-clear pools and waterfalls adorn the path.They have peculiar names, The Lovers, The Crystal one and...I don't remember, but it doesn't matter, it was great too 😁. The water was ice cold. For some foreigners it was delicious. But those of us Cubans who were there did not dare to take a dip. We only got our legs wet.🥶😆
The trail was pretty easy, even though we were climbing the mountain the whole time. Only some wooden bridges over the river and the occasional steeper section made it a bit difficult.
At about 400 meters above sea level we arrived at the "Mirador de Hanababilla". Not very creative with the names around here.🤭
The view was spectacular, you could see the lake in the distance, right where we disembarked. We were a little more than 3 km away and a few meters high.
It is one of those places that remain forever in the memory. I recommend a visit without a doubt.💚
The images and text are my own. I used DeepL for their translation because Spanish is my native language.
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I have never been to this beautiful place. I am impressed with the beauty I see in these images.
And how to go there? Is there a reservation somewhere?
📸💯
That place is beautiful. You can go from Trinidad or Cienfuegos, the latter is the shortest. We went from the hotel, but we had to travel to Santa Clara first and then continue there, of course it is much longer, but you visit the lake and the journey to "El Nicho" is very fast and less dangerous. The other routes are by road between mountains and are in pretty bad condition. Of course, the trajectory is also an adventure. After the pandemic I don't know how things will be, but before you could book excursions in the tourism bureaus. You can also go on your own at your own risk. It is worth the trip.
Thank you, lindo domingo para ustedes 😉.
Hello, what a beautiful place! Nice Sunday. A hug.
Yes, it is very beautiful. It is an incredible place and different from the nature of Pinar del Rio to which we are accustomed. Happy Sunday to you too. Hugs
This is a real gem! Everything looks so little intervened by humans, great :)
It is an area with an environmental protection program. Although there are population settlements nearby, access to the area is limited and controlled. That is the reason for its conservation status. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Have a nice day.
Wow, what great photos 📸 It looks like they had a lot of fun 😊 Discovering new places is one of the best things in the world
Getting to know new places is exciting. And if the places are like El Nicho, it is doubly rewarding. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment. Best regards.
Hiya, @ybanezkim26 here, just swinging by to let you know that this post made it into our Honorable Mentions in Travel Digest #2057.
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