El Nicho is a spectacular series of waterfalls, high in the Sierra de Trinidad mountains (aka Escambray mountains) of Cuba. The mountain range reaches heights of up to 3,800 feet. El Nicho isn’t quite that high up in the mountains!
Located between the major Cuban cities of Cienfuegos and Trinidad on the central southern coast of Cuba. Nearby, the clear, warm waters of the Caribbean Sea can be found.
I stayed at Club Amigo Rancho Luna all-inclusive resort, about 15-20 km due south of Cienfuegos, directly on the Caribbean coast. From Rancho Luna, 30 CUC (pretty darn close to 3o CAD) got a day trip to El Nicho in an air-conditioned van with a guide who spoke great english and was actually quite informative. The fee included a great lunch at the on-site restaurant.
El Nicho is an amazing location with several waterfalls in a rainforest setting. The water is crystal clear and its source is close by. You can swim to the base of some of the waterfalls and even swim beneath a few (see videos below).
The area is home to the Tocororo, Cuba’s national bird – sorry, no pictures…
Images of El Nicho
The following two videos were taken on my Panasonic Lumix underwater camera. The first takes you under the waterfall. The second is the first waterfall that you pass by on your guided tour of the area. We went back while lunch was being prepared, attached the camera to a small tree using my mini-flexible tripod, and jumped in. The water was awesome and I could have stayed there all day.
Videos of El Nicho, Cuba
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