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travelalain Trinidad - A travel report by Alain
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Trinidad,  Cuba - flag Cuba -  Sancti Spíritus
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travelalain's travel reports

Trinidad, a city with a lot of interesting sights

  11 votes
Page: 1 2

Trinidad travelogue picture
Trinidad was founded in 1514 by Diego Velazquez and got the name of Santisima Trinidad. And in 1988 it was declared a world Monument by the Unesco. Trinidad feels and breaths like an ancient city, when you walk in its street it feels like the time stood still.

The city center is car free and on the stone roads you can walk at your leisure to explore the town square, the children playing on the street or the men playing domino.

Also from Trinidad thousands of slaves were sold and traded to the other Caribbean countries.

Trinidad has lot's to offer and that is also because of it's location, at one hand close to the sea and at the other hand the mountains. So you can do a wide variety of activities in Trinidad.

Favourite spots:
Trinidad travelogue picture
The Park at La Cubana, is a great place to do a day hike, if you prefer you can also do the same trip with horses, but we preferred the hike.

During the hike, you will find some nice spots to have a swim, it feels great to plunge in that cold water under that hot Cuban sun.

It's best to hire a local guide who shows you around and the only thing you have to do is to enjoy the nature that is everywhere around you.

What's really great:
Trinidad travelogue picture
The Topes de Collantes, is a nature reserve where it's great to have a day hike. You can see lot's of birds, plants and trees during the hike.

This hike brings you to a small waterfall with a refreshing pool. Have a swim and enjoy nature. You can even walk to the top of this waterfall and see the swallows drinking in there flight. The water is crystal clear and drinkable so we can refill our almost empty water bottles.

It's best that you do this with a local guide. We just asked in our guesthouse if he could recommend a good guide and we got in contact that guide a few hours later. We did two-day hikes with this guide and I must say we enjoyed them very well. Let the Cubans do what they do best: arranging things.

Sights:
Trinidad travelogue picture
Why not rent a bike at your guest family and start a relaxing day. Ride your bike towards Playa Ancon. You go through a small village and have a great view on the ocean. You can also take the newer road through the open area next to the sanded harbour of Trinidad. At the beach of Playa Ancon, you can have a swim or a sunbath before you ride on or back.

We spend several hours just relaxing on the beach, had a meal in the restaurant and just enjoyed the Cuban sun. But be aware the coral is close to the water surface, so it's not ideal swimming there.

Or go to the Plaza Mayor and just enjoy the buildings on this plaza or take a sit on the bench and let the Cuban atmosphere come to you.

Around the plaza you can find many colonial buildings and even a small Santeria shrine in one of the houses. There are many things to explore in that neighbourhood.

You will see the children playing on the streets with their own made toys.

Accommodations:
Trinidad travelogue picture
We stayed in the Casa Grande, a casa particular.

Like most of the guesthouses in Trinidad, the Casa Grande is also a colonial house, with big cool rooms and a big inner yard.

These big colonial houses can host up a big group, we were with 8 people and it was no problem for us to stay all at the same place.

It gives you also an good impression about the colonial times and the big inner space is ideal to relax or hang the laundry.

But especially I have to mention the rocking chairs, I loved those.

Nightlife:
Trinidad travelogue picture
Well if you want to have a swell evening, go to the casa de la cultura.

We notice immediately that this place is very good. You see only Cubans if you don't count the 6 tourists besides us. John his batteries are again recharged and the movements are flowing over his body. The usual 4 (John, Marinette, Nele en Marijke) are again swinging on the dance floor with Cuban partners. A Cuban guy is giving dance lesson to John, who's very eager to extend his repertoire of dancing steps. They bought are giving a small show. We will see this Cuban later also in Baracoa. It's a swinging place and that for an entrance fee of 2-peso and a cocktail for 5 pesos in a plastic cup. This is even less then the 10-peso for a bottle of beer. They signalling me several times to go onto the dance floor, but I always say no need for me. At the end of the evening when the Cola is already sold out and the rum is drunk pure they manage to get me on the dance floor.

Hangouts:
Trinidad travelogue picture
There are some places where you can have a small drink on a terrace, but mostly the tourists are going to the casa de la Musica or the casa de la Cultura.

In that last place, I was dancing with a Honduras Lady who's married with a Cuban. Just before that I had some drinks with her husband and I couldn't refuse any more. This was a good ending for this tiresome travelling day.

Restaurants:
Trinidad travelogue picture
A paladar is a family owned restaurant, it’s dining at the house of the Cubans. Some are official restaurants, some of theme are not so official, but one thing they have all in common: the food is very good and you get more then you can eat. Here you see the dish we got in l’Estrella in Trinidad and then I have to tell you that there were two small tables next to this mean table to hold all the food. Delicious and so much that we were full and couldn’t finish our dessert anymore. Try it and you will eat no where else anymore.

So if you like good dining, go to L'Estrella, just ask your guest family or at the reception if you stay in a hotel, they will point you in the right direction.

Other recommendations:
Trinidad travelogue picture
When you are in Trinidad, you must pay a visit to the Valley des Ingenios and climb in the tower, you have a breath taking view over the landscape.

Valley des Ingenios means valley of the sugar mills. The first thing you see when you get out of the bus is the big tower that dominates the whole area and the bells that are standing in front of it. From this tower you have a very good look over the surrounding landscape, the hilly country with in the background the mountains.

This tower was used to watch the slaves in the old days. If there was an attempt to escape, they sounded the alarm immediately and off course the hunt for that escaped slave would be opened. In this Valley they grow a lot of sugar canes, and the Indians had to work for the Spaniards, as slaves, in harvesting the sugar and this tower was one of the means to keep them in control.

Published on Wednesday April 28th, 2004


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Fri, Dec 16 2005 - 05:26 AM rating by jorgesanchez

very good report!

Wed, Apr 28 2004 - 04:24 PM rating by britman

A fantastic report Alain + great pics - pity I missed your dance ;-)

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