It’s a bit of a drive out to El Nicho waterfalls, but the road is surprisingly good considering it’s way up in the hills. There are several stunning waterfalls to see plus a good swimming hole.
As we had our own hire car it was easier to go to El Nicho waterfalls on the way to Trinidad. We had to double back a bit but not too far. The drive in is lovely with great views and a good road. There is another road which is much more direct from the El Nicho to Trinidad but after hurricane Irma you needed a 4×4 to get through so we couldn’t go that way.
There is a big carpark with plenty of guides around to make sure your belongings are safe, we didn’t have to pay any extra for parking the car, whew! After paying our $10 CUC each we had our own personal guide to show us around the area.
It’s a very compact place with an easy walk in a circle around each of the waterfalls. Our guide was chatting away the whole time showing us different plants and pointing out some birds. We were lucky again and saw a stunning humming bird.
Just before we left the park there is a nice restaurant so we decided to have lunch. Our sandwiches were both really good for $4.95 CUC each.
How to Get There
From Havana
You can stop into El Nicho on your way to Trinidad in the same day. If you leave Havana early, say around 8am, you’ll have plenty of time for the watefalls.
It says on Google maps that it’s around 2 hours and 40 mins to drive from Havana to Cienfuegos, but it will take more like 3 to 3.5 hours as the roads are not well maintained even though this is one of the big main highways, it still has a lot of pot holes everywhere.
I would advise also taking your own snacks as there are very few places to stop and they are expensive on-site with very little on offer.
From Ciengfuegos
From Cienfuegos to El Nicho it could take up to 1.5 hours drive. When leaving El Nicho you will then have to double back about 26k and turn off at the town called Cumanayagua.
This road will then hook up with the main Cienfuegos – Trinidad road. It might take you a couple of hours to then get to Trinidad.
Driving Tips
But please do not try and use Google Maps in Cuba, it is not detailed enough. You must download MAPS. ME then download the map for Cuba before you arrive in the country. You will see on Maps. me much clearer the route to take as I have described above.
I would advise booking your rental car before you arrive in the country, if you haven’t already. It can be a big problem if you don’t.
Our Opinion
Excellent place to visit. The waterfalls are big with great swimming holes. Don’t forget the short walk on the other side of the road to yet more falls. $10 CUC with personal guided tour was really good value. The restaurant is good too, with clean toilets which actually had toilet seats!