El Nicho Waterfalls
One of the things I miss most about living in Cuba is spending the summers chasing waterfalls. Since I moved to New York I’ve been trying to find some amazing natural waterfalls and outdoor spaces to escape to on those really hot summer weekends, but it’s been almost impossible to find any places like that close to New York City.
I often get nostalgic when I see Facebook pictures of my friends back on the island, hiking and relaxing under one of my favorite Cuban waterfalls: El Nicho Waterfalls. I first visited this area as a teenager, and I still remember the sense of excitement we had on the trip over. After that, I went every year until I left Cuba. There was something truly magical about that place that kept drawing me there.
This month one of my good friends from the States finally decided to visit the island. She was spending 10 days in Cuba and asked me to write her a travel guide with some of the places in Cuba she can’t miss. I gave her my must-do list, and right next to Havana (my birthplace and favorite place in the world) was El Nicho Waterfalls. Because I didn’t find much written about it on the internet, I decided to put together this longer travel guide to tell you all of the things to do (and not to do!) in El Nicho. This will help you to discover Cuba like a local. If you are planning a trip to Cuba I highly recommend a visit to El Nicho, and I hope that this guide helps you to plan a dream weekend there!
How To Get To El Nicho Waterfalls
El Nicho is a group of natural pools with a larger main waterfall, all located in the mountains of the Cienfuegos Province in Cuba. Cienfuegos is a central province in the island. It’s approximately a 3 hour drive from the capital city of Havana, depending on your method of transportation and the road you’ll take to get there. Cienfuegos is a well known tourist destination, not as popular as Havana, Varadero, Trinidad or Vinales but still a common place to visit.
The province has a strong French influence, as its first settlers originally came from Bordeaux and Louisiana. Among the things to do in Cienfuegos Cuba, some of the the most popular attractions are El Castillo de Jagua (an old fortress built by the Spanish to protect the bay from Caribbean pirates!) and the Historic Center of Cienfuegos (a World Heritage site; check out the unique Reina Cemetery if you have time!).
How to Get to El Nicho Waterfalls from Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is the closest city to El Nicho, and a two hour drive will bring you right to the waterfalls. It’s worth noting that according to Google’s directions it takes one hour to drive, but that’s because Google has probably never actually visited El Nicho or driven on those winding roads! Plan for two hours. From the city of Trinidad, the ride will definitely be longer as you’ll be driving through the mountains in Trinidad almost the whole way (I don’t recommend this route, especially if you’re in a hurry).
No matter your route, I definitely suggest hiring an experienced local driver who knows the area and is used to the road conditions in Cuba. I don’t really consider driving in Cuba to be very hard, but of course that’s compared to other places we have driven such as Nairobi, Cairo, Jordan or Positano during the night! With that being said, getting to El Nicho may be difficult as the roads are not always clearly marked in the Cuban countryside, and travel information supplied to tourists can be out of date and difficult to follow.
The drive along the sharply curved road to El Nicho will give you some amazing views that nature lovers will especially enjoy. Just make sure to hire a truck or a 4 wheel drive vehicle! The beginning of the road will be deceptively easy and you’ll have no problems with a regular car, but the terrain gets rougher once you’re up in the mountains and you need a proper vehicle to stay safe and avoid an accident. Tours are usually organized from Cienfuegos or Trinidad, where you’ll find plenty of options to safely arrive at the falls
El Nicho Cuba
The El Nicho Waterfalls area features the highest waterfalls in the popular and unique natural park Topes de Collantes, located in the mountains of El Escambray. Hiking in Cuba is always fun, and the hike to get to the falls isn’t very difficult: you won’t spend too much time on foot before you arrive. You’ll want to pay attention to the trail though, as parts of the path are carved directly from the mountain’s rocks and could be slippery depending on the conditions. Once in the area, follow the water to find some of the different natural pools before you reach the most beautiful sight of all: the main waterfall.
Even though El Nicho is not a new attraction in Cuba and both tourists and locals have been visiting the place for years, it’s still a lesser known place compared to other famous waterfalls in Cuba like Soroa waterfalls or the natural pools in Las Terrazas. Because of this, you can truly get in touch with the Cuban nature and enjoy an amazing experience in El Nicho.
I recommend arriving in the morning so you can start the hike early and finish by cooling off in the main waterfall around mid morning/mid day. No matter what time you go, the pools there are big enough that you will be able to enjoy a good swim without being on top of other visitors, especially if you decide to adventure to some of the other pools and not spend all your time in the main one. And I can assure you, you’ll want to jump, swim and splash water all over the place once you see those beautiful natural pools! Some people will say the water is too cold to swim (it comes directly out of the mountains) but I personally couldn’t wait to dive in and cool off in the hot Cuban summers! There’s no feeling quite like that in the world!
Make sure to take some time to appreciate the peacefulness and beauty of your surroundings in between diving into the pools . Kids especially will love this adventure, and the trails are not too much for them to handle. There are always plenty of local and foreign kids in the area.
Things you might want to know:
Since the El Nicho Waterfalls are up in the major mountain range of Cuba, the one thing you definitely don’t want to forget is some bug repellent spray. I also always advise wearing a long sleeve shirt (linen ones are my go-to because you won’t overheat) to help avoid any bug bites, sunburns, and scratches while on the hiking trails. A linen shirt is a great piece of clothing to wear in Cuba, and you’ll see that many locals prefer something similar.
The waterfalls have an area to buy drinks and food in case you run out of water or forgot to bring snacks. I recommend packing a picnic style lunch and carrying it to the falls, as you might not find a ton of options there.
The park has an entrance fee of around 10 CUC ($10 USD) and a private taxi from Cienfuegos will cost between 60 to 100 CUC depending on the season and how many people are in your group! A shared taxi will be cheaper, probably around 20 CUC per person. I recommend taking a taxi and exploring on your own rather than setting up a guided tour, as you’ll have more flexibility with time and you’ll be able to make your own decisions.
If you don’t have enough time to spend the whole day in El Nicho, I recommend going in the morning rather than in the afternoon.The area will be less crowded, and you’ll probably encounter fewer mosquitos! The Cuban mosquitos love to hang out around the water at dusk (believe me, I know!) so keep this in mind when heading to a beach in Cuba.
If instead you decide to enjoy a full nature day, El Nicho falls is not the only area with natural pools in Topes de Coyantes: El Cubano and El Parque Guanayara are some other famous waterfalls in Cuba. Explore the whole area and you’ll get an experience you’ll never forget!
After her trip to the island, my friend came back fully obsessed not only with El Nicho but with Cuba in general. She’s already planning her next trip! As for me, I’ll keep adventuring and discovering the world one small place at a time, but I’ll always bring Cuba in my heart. I hope this guide and the others I have written will help you to discover some of the treasures Cuba has to offer. Take a chance and visit the island, you just might have the time of your life!
For more Cuban and North American travel guides, click here. The island offers many different attractions and destinations, from beautiful clear water beaches to colonial cities to fantastic tobacco plantations.
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Besitos,
Laura