Topes de Collantes

Sancti Spíritus City - Sancti Spíritus City Attractions

Mother Nature turned Topes de Collantes into an earthly version of Eden. Located in the Escambray Mountain range and in the vicinity of Trinidad and over 800 m above sea level, this natural park boasts a breathtaking beauty marked by pinewoods, tree-size ferns, wild orchids, waterfalls and a whole lot more.

The high level of endemism and the perfect balance between the flora and the wildlife are key elements in the natural scenery of Topes de Collantes, in Cuba’s central province of Sancti Spíritus.

All the splendor of south central Cuba is centered around the Guamuhaya Mountain Range, the aboriginal term that the island’s first dwellers used to call the Escambray Sierra. That’s one of Cuba’s 4 biggest mountain ridges, declared a Protected Natural Landscape by UNESCO.

This mountainous region is characterized by steep peaks and deep in-between valleys, lavish vegetation, scores of endemic flora and wildlife species, waterfalls, natural ponds, cave systems and natural trails that allow visitors to traipse in awe around this spectacular neck of the woods.

The healthy, pure and isolated environment far from any sign of civilization, coupled with superb weather conditions – featuring environmental wellbeing parameters above 60 percent- make Topes de Collantes an ideal location for relaxation and rehab treatments. As a matter of fact, the National Rehabilitation Center, whose treatments are based on traditional medicine and therapeutic physical exercises, is perched atop those marvelous mountains.

The institution is outfitted with state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment, a weatherized swimming pool, steam baths, sauna and a highly qualified staff in charge of providing medical treatments. However, there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that the biggest health restoration effect is the possibility of living nature at its best in a sound microclimate.

In Topes de Collantes, natural conditions are simply exceptional. In addition to that, the practice of trekking, birdwatching, cave exploration and other activities are at the fingertips of nature enthusiasts.

Make no mistakes about it; this is a travel destination with a seal of its own, closely linked to the environment, and in which preservation and proper balance between nature and development are the name of the game.

The paradise-like natural scenery is complemented by the existence of over fifteen pinewood species, a dozen birches, more than a hundred ornamental plants, and a considerable assortment of ferns, medicinal plants, wild orchids, plus such trees as mahogany, poplar, cedar and magnolia.

This is also the natural haven of lots of local species like the Cuban frog, one of the world’s tiniest toads. Furthermore, this one-of-a-kind topography carpeted by varied vegetation receives the positive influence of the so-called ecological edge”, a condition that increases the presence of parrots, blackbirds, hawks, woodpeckers and tocororos (Cuba’s national bird), as well as quails, ringdoves and pigeons.

In a practical way, this region operates like a natural wildlife reserve. Its distinctive features play a significant role in the breeding and protection of Cuba’s animal species.

The list of endemic birds registered in the Topes de Collantes-Caburni-Potrerillo area is long, yet some species worth mentioning are the ordinary and green woodpeckers, the long-tail hawk, the thrush, the hummingbird, the mockingbird, the spotted owl, the finch, the jackdaw and the Cuban pheasant.

In the same breath, such subspecies as the red-tail ringdove, the sparrow hawk, the Cuban owl, the vulture, the buzzard, the cardinal, the oriole, the blue jay, the white-headed quail, the querequete and the Cuban thrush also find shelter in this region. In the realm of crawlers, the lizard, the newt, the gecko, the white chameleon and an assortment of harmless snakes –like the Santa Maria and the Magdalena- round up this unique wildlife.

Rivers up there are narrow and full of rapids, most of them creating deep valleys in between the mountains and jaw-dropping waterfalls along the way. Vegas Grandes, El Rocio and El Caburni (the latter is a National Monument) are good cases in point.