Cuba – Trinidad Waterfall Trek
Water cascading down a lush green cliff into a dark blue pool, a good bit of exercise, nature, and coffee to finish the hike – what could be a better way to experience Cuban nature? The Trinidad waterfall trek to Vargas Grande begins at a coffee plantation and you slowly make your way down to the National Park, then steeply down into a valley where you will find a stunning waterfall. The route back is the challenging bit, with many steps to get out of the valley. Knowing that there is coffee at the end of the trail will keep you going. After your coffee stop, there is a lookout point on the drive back to take in Trinidad and the Caribbean Sea beyond. We had a free day in Trinidad and we made the best of it!
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Trinidad Waterfall Trek
I took an 8-Day Group Tour of Cuba that went to Havana, Trinidad, and Vinales. During our free day in Trinidad, if enough group members wanted to do the same activity, we could take the bus and pay a small fee to do the activity together. 12 of our 15 members decided to do the Trinidad waterfall trek and I could not be more excited. If you are not part of a group tour, you can hire a taxi to take you to the trailhead and back. It is about an hour of uphill, mountain roads, so it will be more efficient for the taxi driver to wait for you during the trek. I read one blog, where they were able to negotiate the rate down to $30 -$40 CUC for the taxi. Then don’t forget an additional $10 CUC/per person for the entrance to the National Park.
We started at the Don Pancho coffee plantation. As a coffee lover, I would have loved to simply hear about their coffee plantation and drink coffee, but our guide promised me would return this way. The well-marked hike begins with a short downhill, to a log bridge stream-crossing, then a series of meandering hills to the entrance to the National Park. There is a little hut, where you pay your entrance fee and a specific path to continue on the trail. You first go through an impressive cave and another flat area. After this, you begin the steep climb down the valley. This includes a long series of stair-like steps. It’s not too hard going to the waterfall, except for knowing that you’ll have to climb these to get out.
At the bottom of the steps, your reward is the Vegas Grande waterfall. A huge cascade into a dark blue pool and you’ll want nothing more than to get into the water.
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, great way to get in nature, see a beautiful waterfall in person
- Intensity: Bathing suit, athletic clothes, tennis shoes, and travel towel
- Location: About an hour from Trinidad, Cuba
- Cost: TBD Cost of Taxi, $10 CUC entrance to the National Park
- Hiking Distance: 3-5 km, a bit challenging at the end with many uneven stairs
- Restrooms: One at the Don Pancho Coffee Plantation
- Timing: 3 – 5 Hours
Highlights:
- Experience Cuban flora & fauna
- Swim under a stunning waterfall
- Get your heartrate up climbing the steps back to the top
The Return Trek & The Don Pancho Coffee Plantation
Yep, as expected, we had to climb the same steps to get back to the trailhead. Though it was challenging, it helped that we had done it earlier and I vaguely knew how much more we had to go. It’ll be over before you know it. With our tour guide, we went a slightly different route on our way back that did not include the cave. The trail is well-marked, so if you do this on your own, you likely will not get lost.
Past the entrance to the national park, we saw the national bird of Cuba. It is a Cuban Trogon, with a dark blue/teal back, white breast, and red lower breast area. It’s tail feathers are also arranged to make it look spiked. Such a cute bird! The meandering hills seemed to go by quickly on the way back and we were back at the Don Pancho Coffee plantation.
It’s not often that a trailhead is at a coffee plantation, where you can get a cuppa at the end of a hike. I was in heaven. Though we didn’t get a full tour of the coffee plantation, practically everyone in the group got a little cup of coffee. The coffee was delicious and you can purchase roasted coffee beans for $5 CUC. However, due to restrictions, the coffee is not sold in nice packaging with a sticker of where it is from. Instead I bought it in a sealed-off plastic bag.
Lookout Point & Beach Afternoon
On our drive back down the hill, there is a Lookout Point that we got to stop at. It is another series of stairs to the top, but if you have the energy, it is completely worth the view. You can see all of Trinidad, the Playa Ancon peninsula, and the Caribbean sea beyond. Very stunning.
We had lunch at a BBQ buffet place on our way to the beach. We did not head back into Trinidad, but if you are doing this on your own, you might need to go back to Trinidad, depending on what you negotiate with your taxi. There are also restaurants at Playa Ancon, if you are also looking to spend your afternoon at the beach.
The beach is long, with white sand with calm, blue water. There are some areas with lounge chairs and stationary palm umbrellas. The lounge chairs are loosely monitored, so if someone asks for you to pay it is $2 CUC. No one asked us during the 2 hours we were there, so we didn’t pay a thing. We also found a small hut to rent snorkels at, which we did for $6 CUC. These are old snorkels and no reef nearby, so we didn’t see a single fish. Instead, we had fun taking underwater photos with the gopro. If we were there a little earlier, we could have gone out to the reef on a mini catamaran for $10 – $15 CUC. Unfortunately, these mini catamarans were government-run hotel, so the 3 pm closing time was regardless if there was any additional business coming.
Other Things to do in Trinidad
We spent our free day doing the waterfall trek and beach afternoon, however there is plenty to do in this darling little town, such as:
- Do a day-long catamaran trip to Cayo Blanco
- Climb the stairs of the bell town for a view of the city
- Take a salsa class
- Enjoy a coffee at Don Pepe cafe
- Visit a museum or two
- Walk the town and enjoy the sights of this UNESCO town
- Eat at restaurant San Jose
- Night – Grab a drink and watch the salsa dancing at the Casa de la Musica
Overall Thoughts: Waterfall Trek in Trinidad
Although I would have loved to spend more time in the cute town of Trinidad, I was craving nature and beach time, so this waterfall trek came at a perfect time. Not only was the waterfall beautiful, but you’re also able to swim in the pool, immediately have a cup of good coffee after the hike, enjoy the lookout point, and possibly even spend the afternoon at the beach. It’s hard to imagine a day that is more suited to me.
In addition to the Trinidad waterfall trek, I did an 8-day Cuba Tour with many inclusions. You can read about the tour and all of my Cuba posts at the following links:
Don’t go chasin’ waterfalls… except do trek to them if they are stunning, like Vegas Grande in Cuba! What waterfalls have you hiked to that were absolutely stunning? Let me know in the comments, so I can check them out.
Happy Travels,
Hanna
