The river begins in the Santa Clara Mountains and runs 118 km (73 mi) between the Escambray Mountains to the west and Sierra de Sancti Spíritus to the east.

It passes through multiple municipalities, one of which being Fomento, before flowing out into the Caribbean Sea and forming a delta.

After the river crosses the road between Trinidad and Sancti Spíritus, it gains the name "Manatí".

Throughout the 1980s, many highly polluting waste products and contaminants were dumped into the river by the Ramón Ponciano, F.N.T.A.

[2] The river has also overflowed its banks and flooded the village of Agabama multiple times.