Hanabanilla Lake is Cuba's only mountain lake. Located approximately 50 km south of Santa Clara, in the province of Villa Clara, it stretches at the foot of the Escambray massif, in the municipality of Manicaragua. An artificial reservoir created in 1961, it combines a strategic role in supplying water and electricity to the island's central region with a natural environment conducive to hiking, fishing and wildlife observation.

Why visit Hanabanilla Lake

The site stands out for its high-altitude location (364 meters) in the heart of the Sierra del Escambray. Its elongated shape follows the valleys and offers expansive viewpoints from the heights, accessible via trails that traverse the wooded slopes.

Hanabanilla Lake appeals to three types of travelers:

• Hikers, drawn by the Escambray trails and waterfalls that dot the region.
• Wildlife enthusiasts, as the lake is home to the Hanabanilla toad, an endemic species found nowhere else, as well as tocororos (Cuba's national bird), parrots, woodpeckers and ducks.
• Sport fishers, who come to pursue tilapia and trout.

Visitor numbers remain moderate compared to beach and heritage destinations like Trinidad and Varadero, making it a tranquil stop on a Cuban itinerary.

History: a dam between two regimes

Hanabanilla Lake is an artificial body of water created by a dam built across the Río Hanabanilla. Construction began under Fulgencio Batista's government and was completed in 1962, after the revolution, under Fidel Castro. The reservoir was filled in 1961.

The dam serves multiple purposes. It supplies drinking water to the cities of Cienfuegos and Santa Clara, and powers a hydroelectric plant presented as one of Cuba's most important. The lake is fed by the Hanabanilla and Jibacoa rivers, which originate in the Macizo de Guamuhaya. Its average depth ranges between 30 and 40 meters.

The name Hanabanilla comes from an indigenous language and is said to mean "little basket of gold,