The small town of San Nicolás de Tolentino is the main agricultural centre of the region. It’s officially known as ‘La Aldea de San Nicolás de Tolentino’.

Tomato growing used to be the main source of income here, but nowadays they grow all kinds of fruit including banana, mango, avocado and papaya. There are numerous orange plantations here too.

Although tomato production has decreased over the years, they still export over 100,000 kilograms a year.

The town itself is quite small and has little to offer in terms of historical buildings or architecture, but the surrounding landscape more than makes up for it. The only building of any real interest is the San Nicolás Church. It was built in 1972 on the site of an old 18th Century chapel. It has some fascinating sculptural works by Lujan Perez.

If you like cactus trees, you’ve come to the right place. San Nicolás is home to the “Cactualeda” cacti park; a very popular tourist attraction. You’ll see every kind of cacti imaginable here - Mexican, Madagascan, Guatemalan and Bolivian. Set amongst lush palm trees and aloe plants, this is a colourful and very tranquil park; it’s perfect for a day out with the kids.

The drive up to San Nicolás de Tolentino is quite spectacular. On the way you’ll pass by the Barranco de Veneguera valley and the Reserva Natural Especial de Güi-Güi.

Barranco de Veneguera is integrated into the nature reserve Parque Rural del Nublo and therefore can’t be developed into a tourist zone. It remains an impressive landmark, untouched by man or tourism.

The Reserva Natural Especial de Güi-Güi covers an area of over 3000 hectares of land. It’s home to a fantastic variety of indigenous vegetation all under protection of the state. Close by is the very popular La Fuente de los Azulejos - a natural attraction where oxidation has turned the once blue rocks into a strange blueish-green hue. Quite an interesting site.