The Escambray Mountains () are a mountain range in the central region of
Cuba
Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
, in the provinces of
Sancti Spíritus
Sancti Spíritus () is a municipality and capital city of the province of Sancti Spíritus in central Cuba and one of the oldest Cuban European settlements. Sancti Spíritus is the genitive case of Latin ''Sanctus Spiritus'' ("Holy Spirit").
...
,
Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos (), capital of Cienfuegos Province, is a city on the southern coast of Cuba. It is located about from Havana and has a population of 178,368 in 2022. Since the late 1960s, Cienfuegos has become one of Cuba's main industrial centers, ...
and
Villa Clara.
Overview
The Escambray Mountains are located in the south-central region of the island, extending about from east to west, and from north to south.
Their highest peak,
Pico San Juan, rises to above sea level. The Escambray range is divided into two sections by the
Agabama River. The western part is called the
Guamuhaya Mountains, and the eastern part, raising between
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
and
Sancti Spiritus, is best known as
Sierra de Sancti Spíritus. After Pico San Juan, the highest points are
Caballete de Casas,
Gavilanes,
Loma de Banao,
Caja de Agua, and
Pico Tuerto.
Topes de Collantes is a nature reserve park established in the south-eastern ranges of Escambray Mountains, protecting and showcasing caves, rivers, waterfalls, and canyons. The
Valley de los Ingenios is developed at the south-eastern foot of the mountains, and is a
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
.
The mountains were the theater of the
Escambray Rebellion
The Escambray rebellion was an armed conflict from 1959 to 1965 in the Escambray Mountains during which several insurgent groups fought against the Cuban government led by Fidel Castro. The military operation against the rebellion was called th ...
in 1959–1965. It was also a planned refuge during the
Bay of Pigs Invasion
The Bay of Pigs Invasion (, sometimes called or after the Playa Girón) was a failed military landing operation on the southwestern coast of Cuba in April 1961 by the United States of America and the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front ...
; however, it was never used as such.
Gallery
Image:EscambrayVC.JPG, Escambray near Hanabanilla lake in Villa Clara Province
Villa Clara is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is located in the central region of the island bordering on the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Matanzas Province to the west, Sancti Spiritus Province to the east, and Cienfuegos Province to the Sou ...
Image:HanabanillaLake.JPG, The Hanabanilla lake is at 364 meters over sea level and averages 40 meters deep.
Image:11 Sierra Escambray VC.JPG, Tropical rain forest near in the heart of Topes de Collantes, Sancti Spíritus
Sancti Spíritus () is a municipality and capital city of the province of Sancti Spíritus in central Cuba and one of the oldest Cuban European settlements. Sancti Spíritus is the genitive case of Latin ''Sanctus Spiritus'' ("Holy Spirit").
...
Province
Image:La Boca and Escambray.JPG, La Boca fisherman's village near Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger, more populous island of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the country. The island lies off the northeastern coast of Venezuela and sits on the continental shelf of South America. It is the southernmost island in ...
with Escambray at the back
Image:Presa Jibacoa (Embalse Hanabanilla).jpg, Hanabanilla lake wall, in the village of Jibacoa, in Villa Clara, Escambray.
See also
*
Geography of Cuba
Cuba is an Archipelago, island nation in the Caribbean Sea. It comprises an archipelago of islands centred upon the geographic coordinates 21°3N, 80°00W. Cuba is the principal island, surrounded by four main archipelagos: the Colorados Archipel ...
References
External links
{{Mountain ranges of Cuba
Mountain ranges of Cuba
Geography of Cienfuegos Province
Geography of Villa Clara Province
Geography of Sancti Spíritus Province