Topes de Collantes is a nature reserve park in the

Escambray Mountains The Escambray Mountains () are a mountain range in the central region of Cuba, in the provinces of Sancti Spíritus, Cienfuegos and Villa Clara. Overview The Escambray Mountains are located in the south-central region of the island, extending a ...

range in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

. It also refers to the third highest peak in the reserve, where a small settlement and tourist center is located, all sharing the same name.

Geography

Topes de Collantes, literally Collantes’ Highs, almost above sea level, along with Potrerillo peak, and tallest San Juan peak, are located in the Escambray range. These mountains are shared by the three central provinces of the island;

Villa Clara Province Villa Clara is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is located in the central region of the island bordering with the Atlantic at north, Matanzas Province by west, Sancti Spiritus Province by east, and Cienfuegos Province on the South. Villa Clar ...

to the north,

Cienfuegos Province Cienfuegos () is one of the provinces of Cuba. The capital city of the province is also called Cienfuegos and was founded by French settlers in 1819. Overview Until 2011 Cienfuegos was the smallest province in Cuba (excluding the city of Hava ...

and Sancti Spiritus Province to the west and east respectively. The wet winds coming off the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

have made the north face of the mountains a luxurious refuge for plants and animals, while the drier south face hosts important ecosystems, in which lie two famous UNESCO World Heritage sites; Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Sugar Mills), and

Trinidad Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands of Trinidad and Tobago. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is often referred to as the southernmos ...

city, both living examples of early 17th-century wealthy colonial Cuba.

Nature

Nature is the big attraction here. Caves, rivers, falls, grottos, canyons, natural pools with crystal clear water, mountain hills surrounded by mariposa (butterfly lily, ''

Hedychium coronarium ''Hedychium coronarium'', the white garland-lily or white ginger lily, is a perennial plant, perennial flowering plant in the ginger family Zingiberaceae, native species, native to the forest understorey of Asia. Other common names include butt ...

'') Cuba’s national flower announcing their presence with a soft unique flagrance from June to early September. More than 40 indigenous species of

orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowerin ...

s and 100 species of

fern A fern (Polypodiopsida or Polypodiophyta ) is a member of a group of vascular plants (plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce via spores and have neither seeds nor flowers. The polypodiophytes include all living pteridophytes exce ...

s, of which 7 are tall palm-like

tree ferns The tree ferns are arborescent (tree-like) ferns that grow with a trunk elevating the fronds above ground level, making them trees. Many extant tree ferns are members of the order Cyatheales, to which belong the families Cyatheaceae (scaly tre ...

, wild

plantain Plantain may refer to: Plants and fruits * Cooking banana, banana cultivars in the genus ''Musa'' whose fruits are generally used in cooking ** True plantains, a group of cultivars of the genus ''Musa'' * ''Plantaginaceae'', a family of flowerin ...

and banana trees, jasmine,

begonia ''Begonia'' is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Begoniaceae. The genus contains more than 2,000 different plant species. The Begonias are native to moist subtropical and tropical climates. Some species are commonly grown ind ...

s, several representatives of the ginger family and around 40 species of coffee are growing under the shade of giant 40 meter tall

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as e ...

, West Indian mahogany (''

Swietenia mahagoni ''Swietenia mahagoni'', commonly known as American mahogany, Cuban mahogany, small-leaved mahogany, and West Indian mahogany, is a species of ''Swietenia'' native to South Florida in the United States and islands in the Caribbean including the Ba ...

'') and

magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

s making the wonder of this

tropical rainforest Tropical rainforests are rainforests that occur in areas of tropical rainforest climate in which there is no dry season – all months have an average precipitation of at least 60 mm – and may also be referred to as ''lowland equa ...

. Important animal species live here as well. They include the Cartacuba ('' Todus multicolor''), Cuban ivory-billed woodpecker (''Campephilus principalis bairdii''), unique hummingbirds, and the tocororo (''

Priotelus temnurus The Cuban trogon or tocororo (''Priotelus temnurus'') is a species of bird in the family Trogonidae. It is endemic to Cuba, where it is also the national bird. Taxonomy and systematics The Cuban trogon shares its genus with the Hispaniolan ...

''), which is Cuba's national bird.

History

Coffee growers were living in the area when president

Fulgencio Batista Fulgencio Batista y Zaldívar (; ; born Rubén Zaldívar, January 16, 1901 – August 6, 1973) was a Cuban military officer and politician who served as the elected president of Cuba from 1940 to 1944 and as its U.S.-backed military dictator ...

ordered the construction of a massive battleship-like

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal, make healthy'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, are antiquated names for specialised hospitals, for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often ...

for

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

patients in 1954. Rumor has it that his wife Martha was battling against this illness and once there she fell in love for the place. As a result she persuaded Batista to build her a cottage in the area as well. After the

Revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

the hospital was converted into a school, and in the mid-1970s it was returned to a similar use as a hotel specialized in rehabilitation and special therapies. The Kurhotel is also famous for its vast collection of original Cuban art. Scattered in its 210 rooms, lobbies and halls, almost 800 pieces of art from the most famous Cuban painters of all times can be found. As a result, a small worker’s settlement was developed around the place. The ''Universidad de Montaña'' or Mountain Campus of Las Villas University was built here in the 1980s. Due to its connection with Trinidad city and the beaches of the Ancon peninsula a couple more hotels and a resort villa catering to tourist have been developed.

Attractions

There are several places to go, these are some of the most popular trips: Caburni Falls, at about is the most popular hike through coffee plantations, traditional farmers houses, and cliffs to end in Caburni river which falls from a rock wall into a series of ponds. La Batata, from the city, offers scenic views as well, ending in an underground river-cave system with several levels of natural ponds. Hacienda Codina, a ranch with several attractions: medicinal mud baths, medicinal and ornamental gardens, the orchid’s collection has more than 40 local species including bamboo; Altar’s cave from where a secret passage ends in a natural lookout facing south of the mountain system and the Valley of the sugar mills, Trinidad and Ancon can be seen. Paseo Ecologico, Ecology walk, local path connecting the Kurhotel with hotel “Los helechos” filled with mariposa shrubs and arborescent ferns under the canopy of pines and eucalyptus. Parque La represa, a park developed around the original house built for Batista’s wife Martha. Placed on the banks of River Vega Grande, there is an arboretum with more than 300 exotic species. The highest and oldest mahogany ever found in Cuba lives in this place. Snak Bar “El mirador”, literally The Lookout, it in the way down to Trinidad, between the Valley and the range in the back, but still 600 meters above sea level offers views of the city and peninsula below. With around 500 years of history in its stone built streets and colonial architecture the UNESCO’s

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

is located close to the white sands and blue waters of Ancon and La Boca beaches.

External links

*Cuba Tourism Department
Topes de Collantes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Topes De Collantes Parks in Cuba Mountains of Cuba Nature reserves in Cuba Geography of Sancti Spíritus Province Geography of Cienfuegos Province Geography of Villa Clara Province Tourist attractions in Sancti Spíritus Province Tourist attractions in Cienfuegos Province Tourist attractions in Villa Clara Province