From Cobblestones to Beaches: An Unforgettable Journey in Trinidad, Cuba
Trinidad is one of Cuba’s best-known and most-loved gems, and any trip to the Caribbean island must include a stop there. Its colonial style and pastel-colored homes caught the attention of UNESCO, which made it and the nearby Valle de los Ingenios a World Heritage Site in 1988.
History
There are more than 70,000 people living in Trinidad today, and many of them make a living from tourism or related businesses. The Spanish conquistadors built the city in 1514 and gave it the name Villa de la Santsima Trinidad. They made it very wealthy by using slaves on sugar plantations in the 17th century, even though pirates often attacked. So, castles and homes for the Colonials started to appear in the town, changing how it looked over the course of the 19th century.
During the independence wars against Spain and the first half of the 20th century, Trinidad was in a deep economic crisis. It wasn’t until the 1950s that the economy started to get better, just as the roads to Cienfuegos and the capital, Sancti Spiritus, and the Cuban Revolution were about to open. Because the island was cut off from the rest of the world for more than a century, almost all of the buildings have stayed almost the same. Some of them are a little run-down, but that makes them even more beautiful.
Things to do in Trinidad
Trinidad is one of the most-visited places in Cuba. The best way to get to know it is to wander freely through its cobblestone streets, looking in the open doors and windows of the colonial houses to get a sense of how Cubans live.
The heart of the city is the Plaza Mayor, which is surrounded by old buildings like the Iglesia de la Santsima Trinidad and the Palacio Brunet, which is home to the Museo Romantico.
Other “minor” museums, like the Museo de Arqueologa Guamuhaya and the Museo de Arquitectura Trinitaria, also look out over the Plaza Mayor. The Galera de Arte is in the Palacio Ortiz, on the corner of Calle Rubén Martnez Villena and Calle Simon Bolvar.
You can feel the spirit of Trinidad on this colonial-style square and on the famous stairs in front of the Casa de la Musica, where local bands play live music in the evenings.
The Museo Histórico Municipal is in a 19th-century building not far away. The view of the city from the top of its tower is well worth the price of admission.
Just one cuadra (one block) from the Plaza Mayor is one of Trinidad’s most famous landmarks: the bell tower of the old convent of San Franciscio de Ass. This tower is often seen in postcards and photos taken by tourists. In the building is the Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos, which tells the story of how the Cuban government fought against US-backed counter-revolutionaries in the 1960s.
Those who want to can spend a good part of the day going in and out of museums, but they might miss out on the fun of discovering Trinidad, where the grilles on the huge windows in the colonial houses hide the elegant and, at the same time, decadent interiors that remind people of the past. Trinidad is also a rocking chair on a porch, a TV with a soap opera on all the time, music that fills the cobblestone streets where old 1950s Chevrolets or horse-drawn carts plod along, and the smell of Creole food cooking in the paladares, which are family-run restaurants. In short, this quiet and lively town has a lot of reasons why you should follow your gut without worrying.
Surroundings of Trinidad: beaches, valleys, and mountains
The city is built where the hills of the Valle de los Ingenios and the mountains of the Sierra del Escambray slope down toward the sea. The Valle de los Ingenios, which is also called Valle de San Luis, is a World Heritage Site. In the past, African slaves used the area to grow sugar cane and then process it.
Today, you can go see the ruins of the sugar factories and barracones, which are the houses where slaves lived in small groups. The 44-meter-high Manaca-Iznaga Tower is the sign of the valley. It was used to keep an eye on the fields and slaves. From the top, the view of the valley is very interesting.
Nature lovers can go to the Sierra del Escambray, which is famous for having hosted Che Guevara in 1958 before the decisive fight of Santa Clara, to see the natural park that surrounds the town of Topes de Collante. The town isn’t interesting at all, but the tourist office has maps and information about trips you can take in the area.
But Trinidad is also very close to the sea. The Caribbean Sea is less than 10 kilometers away, and Playa Ancón, one of Cuba’s most beautiful beaches, is about 12 kilometers away.
Its white beach with golden flecks has become famous all over the world, and it’s easy to get to from the city center by car, taxi, or bike. Follow the signs for Casilda and the beach as you leave Trinidad on the road that goes south. Playa Ancón is on the point that sticks out into the Baha de Casilda. It is in the south. Playa La Boca is another beach near Trinidad. It is 6 km west of the city, near the mouth of the Rio Guaurabo in the Caribbean Sea.
Getting to Trinidad
From most of Cuba’s big towns, it’s easy to drive to Trinidad. Havana (La Habana) is 315 km away. From the city, you have to get off the Autopista Nacional at Aguada de Pasajeros and head toward Cienfuegos. From Cienfuegos, you can get to Trinidad. If you would rather enjoy the beautiful view of the Sierra del Escambray on your way from Havana, we suggest that you first go to Santa Clara and then cross the mountains to get to Trinidad. For those arriving from the east, the Carretera Central de Cuba passes through Sancti Spiritus (the provincial capital, 65 km away), from where you continue to Trinidad.
If you don’t have a car, the bus is the easiest way to get around, and you can use it to get to all the key towns in Cuba. The stop is two blocks west of the Plaza Mayor, on Calle Piro Guinart.
There is also a train line that goes to the Valle de los Ingenios. Two trains, one for tourists with a steam engine and the other diesel-powered but very old, stop at Iznaga and Meyer before going back to the city.
Top 4 Spots to Take Incredible Pictures in Trinidad
- Plaza Mayor: Stand at the pulsating center of Trinidad, Plaza Mayor, a square that’s bursting with life and vibrancy! Encircled by a mesmerizing spectrum of pastel-colored colonial architecture and a park so pristine, it’s like stepping into a postcard. Strike a pose and let this timeless Trinidad backdrop do the talking in your photos.
- Bell Tower of Convento de San Francisco de Asís: Challenge the heights and conquer the iconic Bell Tower of Convento de San Francisco de Asís. This stalwart of Trinidad’s skyline provides a formidable backdrop for your shots. Don’t just stop there; ascend to the apex and feast your eyes on a panoramic spectacle of fiery red rooftops and rugged cobblestone streets. Your photo here will scream the untamed spirit of Trinidad!
- Casa de la Música Steps: Immerse yourself in the electric atmosphere on the iconic steps of Casa de la Música. Essential for any nocturnal adventurer, especially when twilight turns the area into a hotspot of rhythmic music and vivacious dance. Capture this raw energy, this unfiltered essence of Trinidad’s dynamic nightlife, in your snapshots.
- Playa Ancón: Surrender to the call of the wild at Playa Ancón. For those who swear by the sun, sand, and surf, the unblemished white beaches offer a paradisiacal canvas for your photos. This spot fuses the untamed natural allure of Trinidad with the tranquil turquoise of the Caribbean Sea. Your image here will roar of a perfect blend, where land romances sea under the Cuban sun.
