CubaPLUS Magazine

With irresistible charm, Rancho Querete, located in the Jobo Rosado Managed Resources Protected Area, in the central province of Sancti Spíritus, captivates its visitors with a symphony of waterfalls, pools, a stream, caves and two excellent hiking trails. And still has more.

You don't only think of music in that friendly world where nature sings in harmony. There are those who evoke paintings by the impressionist Monet or the shocking color of Van Gogh, although the true art is in the crystallized, expert and loving handling that the locals and experts have carried out there for some years.

Many newcomers have been fascinated by a certain pool with water so blue that it seems intentionally colored. This is not the case, since they owe their appearance to the calcium carbonate dissolved naturally in their volume. And there I told you a first charm. In Querete, the Valdés caves, the Genaro flap, the springs and waterfalls of the Malaffo river, close to the place, are also attractive... As if to extend the walk to other nearby tourist attractions. Both the enclave of the Ranch and its surroundings made the area recognized as a Biosphere Reserve by Unesco, at the same time that its wild assets are protected by the Ramsar Convention, due to the notorious treasure of its wetlands.

The curious traveler, but also active, will not passively observe nature, because if he wishes he can choose horseback riding and walks along the many trails. If the waterfalls are singing, inside the forest you can enjoy the shady and fresh sensation of thick foliage, where beautiful birds like the tocororo and mockingbirds live, the former considered the national species.

A variety of small reptiles and amphibians enter there, all harmless to humans. No poisonous snakes in our forests. The surface, at ground level, of that forest not only has grass and certain little flowers, sometimes also moss, ferns and dry lianas. This speaks of a fertile ground that is enriched by its cycles of life and death, as nature dictates.

The animation generated by the well-managed wilderness emporium has generated gastronomic centers, access roads, bathing and recreational areas, all very well designed to preserve the magnificence placed there by nature. In all honesty, it must be said that at Rancho Querete man has put a lot into caring for and improving the gifts of wildlife.

There are many species of flora there that were first born in nurseries and then brought to those places to live a fuller life. Reforestation has been conscious and decisive, with systematic monitoring. An example to follow anywhere in the world.