Trinidad

Introducing Trinidad

Quaint, compact and easy to get to know, Trinidad lives up to all of the tourist brochure hype. Declared a World Heritage site in 1988 along with the Valle de los Ingenios, Cuba's oldest and most enchanting 'outdoor museum' is one of the few tourist sites on the island where locals and foreigners can mix in a way that is both relaxed and unguarded. And with more than 300 casas particulares and only three decent city-center hotels, cross-cultural interaction is positively encouraged, creating a kind of Varadero in reverse.

Bumping and stumbling over the cobblestone streets as you enter town you'll quickly see what all the fuss is about. Trinidad's beautifully restored houses and cool, tiled, colonial courtyards combine perfectly with a stupendous natural setting - wedged spectacularly between the Sierra del Escambray and the Caribbean - to create a scene of unrivalled ambience.

There are more museums per head here than any other part of Cuba and with craning mountains and palm-fringed beaches, both within spitting distance, the setting is hard to beat. Added to this Trinidad has a degree of authenticity and intimacy that many other colonial cities lack. Faux theme park this most certainly is not. True to its socialist roots, the city crams carefully restored Unesco buildings amicably in among the ration shops and agropecuarios (vegetable markets). Relaxing contentedly under the colonial eaves, meanwhile, old women in rocking chairs and chirping caged canaries mark the passage of time as they have done for centuries.

With its Unesco price-tag and a steady stream of day-trippers bussed in from Habana and Varadero, hustlers are in the ascendancy here, and many a traveler has been ground down and worn out by the constant unwanted attention. If you feel besieged, you might want to settle for a friendly casa particular in the small towns of La Boca or Casilda, just a quick 4km or 6km jaunt respectively from Trinidad. Alternatively, consider an accommodation option that's just outside the mayhem of the historic center.

Last updated: Oct 20, 2009