The Escambray Mountains are a beautiful, forest covered mountain range located broadly in the centre of the island and incorporating the regions of Cienfuegos, Villa Clara & Sancti Spiritus.
Running east – west, the Escambray Mountains (Sierra del Escambray in Spanish) stretch for approximately 50 miles and, at Pico San Juan, reach a maximum altitude of some 960 metres.
Although less developed for tourism than one might expect, Topes de Collantes national park in particular (and Parque Guanayara within it) is home to a number of walking trails, many of which end up at cascading waterfalls and natural swimming pools.
Accommodation within the Escambray Mountains is either non-existent or very poor, so the vast majority of visitors base themselves in the beautiful towns of Trinidad and, to much a lesser extent, Cienfuegos, and explore from there.
Because tourist development is so scarce, exploring the mountains on one’s own is not generally recommended. It’s not that it is particularly dangerous – nothing is going to jump out and eat you – but you will struggle to locate the start of trails or be able to follow any reliable markings. If you’re expecting any Ordnance Survey style / quality maps of the area, you can forget that too.
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Beyond The Ordinary arrange fully bonded, tailor made holidays and tours to Cuba. Contact one of our experts on 01580 764796, email travel@beyondtheordinary.co.uk or contact us via our website. |
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While it is sometimes possible to make arrangements to explore the Escambray Mountains locally, our strong recommendation is that you book such arrangements in advance as part of a bespoke holiday. You’ll save yourself time and bother and will be certain of exploring with a licenced guide.
Beyond The Ordinary offer a number of day Trips into the Escambray Mountains while clients on our small group escorted Cuba tours will visit beautiful El Nicho en-route between Trinidad & Cienfuegos.
Aside from exploring the area on foot, for anyone considering a fly drive holiday, the direct drive through the Escambray Mountains between Trinidad & Santa Clara is widely regarded as being amongst the best drives in Cuba. It may not seem a great distance on the map but, due to the nature of the terrain, can take a good three hours.
