Hotel Los Helechos is located in the heart of the Sierra Escambray

Hotel Los Helechos *** is located in the National Park Topes de Collantes

and 5 km above Trinidad

It is a perfect base for exploring the mountains

Next to the hotel is the Spa Hotel Escambray for Cubans who need medical treatment

Several hiking trails are on a short distance from the hotel

After hiking or horseback riding, you could relax in the pool or have

a drink at the bar

Furthermore, there is not much to do because the hotel is very remote

We had a spacious and clean room in a bungalow which was quiet

Sometimes there was suddenly a hole in the garden

The maids were very creative with blankets, bedspread and towels

With a guide we've seen waterfalls and lots of tropical plants in Parque Natural Topes de Collantes

In the Escambray Mountains you will find the 110 square km

Parque Natural Topes de Collantes that lies 16 km from Trinidad

There is an extraordinary flora and fauna including several

endemic species such as the parrot cotorra

In an old Russian army truck we went into the

mountains whit very steep roads

This village was built for the workers of a coffee and banana plantation

On the south side of the park are deep ravines carved by storms

This is a beautiful landscape with valleys where coffee is grown

Coffee plant

Freshly picked coffee beans

Topes de Collantes is divided into smaller parks

We've visited Parque Guanayara with this guide

During the walk, which lasted over five hours, he let us

see and taste and told a lot about the local nature

Orchid

This fruit tasted like marzipan

Some tourists had their name in the bamboo stalks scratched

Higher up is the cold (16/25 C) and humid atmosphere ideal for

epifytplanten clinging to branches of eucalyptus trees

A very large termite nest

From afar we heard the roar of the 65 meter high

waterfall 'Salto el Rocio' that I found wonderful to see

A Cuban orange

In the Netherlands these are houseplants

The Tocororo is Cuba' s national bird because he

has the colors of the Cuban flag

Unfortunately I couldn`t get a better picture of him

Halfway you could choose to make a "Rambo tour"

with the guide or just follow the path

The Rambo tour went through the waterfalls, you had to swim,

dive and climb rocks

At the last waterfall you had to grab a liana and swing

over the waterfall and drop into the water

Halfway was a Cuban with a horse selling drinks

This farmer lived alone in the mountains far away from everyone