El Nicho, an outlying segment of the Topes de Collantes Natural Park, is the name of a beautiful waterfall on the Río Hanabanilla and the protected zone that surrounds it. People come here to view the falls, swim in one of two natural pools and navigate a couple of short, steep but well-defined trails that end at a mirador (lookout point) offering views over lush mountains and the distant Embalse Hanabanilla. The area is known for its birdwatching potential. You can relax afterwards at a large farm-style restaurant.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Conjunto Escultórico Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara
27.46 MILES
The end point of many a Che pilgrimage, this monument, mausoleum and museum complex is 2km west of Parque Vidal (via Rafael Tristá on Av de los Desfiles),…
22.18 MILES
Sharing French and Italian influences, this theater on the northern side of Parque José Martí is grand from the outside (look for the gold-leafed mosaics…
18.04 MILES
Just off Plaza Mayor, this grandiose mansion, Trinidad's main museum, belonged to the Borrell family from 1827 to 1830. Later it passed to a German…
28.04 MILES
A veritable alfresco theater named for Colonel Leoncio Vidal y Caro, who was killed here on March 23, 1896, Parque Vidal was encircled by twin sidewalks…
San Isidro de los Destiladeros
22.22 MILES
After lengthy excavations, the ruins of this once grand sugar mill are accessible to the public. Dating from the early 1830s and sophisticated for its…
21.53 MILES
Just when you thought Cienfuegos' eclectic architecture couldn't get any more eclectic, you reach the southern end of Punta Gorda where, with a sharp…
Palacio Ferrer – Museo de las Artes
22.24 MILES
On the western side of Parque José Martí, this riveting neoclassical building (1918) was lovingly restored in time for Cienfuegos' 200th anniversary in…
28.15 MILES
Santa Clara is peppered with comic book–style murals, the work of a local graphic artists' collective called Melaíto, which produces a monthly supplement…
Nearby Cuba attractions
10.72 MILES
Coffee has been grown in the Sierra del Escambray for more than two centuries. In this small rustic cafe you can fill in the gaps on its boom-bust history…
10.82 MILES
Topes' token museum is this quaint little display housed in three small wooden abodes just down from the Casa Museo del Café. It tells the history of the…
3. Museo de Arte Cubano Contemporáneo
10.86 MILES
Believe it or not, Topes de Collantes' monstrous sanatorium once harbored a veritable Louvre of Cuban art, containing works by Cuban masters such as Tomás…
4. Jardín Botánico de Cienfuegos
14.05 MILES
The 94-hectare botanic garden, 17km east of Cienfuegos, is Cuba's oldest, established in 1901. (Decades later the botanical garden in Havana used its…
17.28 MILES
Laguna Guanaroca is a mangrove-rimmed saline lake southeast of Cienfuegos. It's second only to Las Salinas on the Península de Zapata as a bird magnet,…
6. Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos
17.96 MILES
The most recognizable building in Trinidad, this dilapidated pastel-yellow bell tower occupies the former convent of San Francisco de Asís. Since 1986 it…
7. Casa Templo de Santería Yemayá
18 MILES
You will need some luck to find this religious center in action. While no Santería museum can replicate the ethereal experience of Regla de Ocha (also…
8. Museo de Arqueología Guamuhaya
18.02 MILES
On the northwestern side of Plaza Mayor is this odd mix of stuffed animals, native bones and vaguely incongruous 19th-century kitchen furniture.