The vibrant, colorful buildings of Cuba do not only exist in Havana or Cienfuegos, but also south west of the island in a small town called Trinidad. Below the southern slopes of Sierra de Trinidad, this once wealthy haven for rich merchants stands as a photographic memory of a time before Cubans revolted against Spanish colonists.
Trinidad reminded us of the former capital of Guatemala, Antigua, with its stylish colorful colonial buildings, cobbled-streets, and an extensive choice of restaurants and cafes catering to the burgeoning tourist crowd.
The town was founded by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar in 1514, and named Trinidad in honour of the Holy Trinity in Christianity. In 1988, Trinidad was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with the Valley de los Ingenios nearby.
Bursting with color, each building looks freshly painted, a blend of both European and North African Muslim architecture. Your wandering feet will take you through churches, art galleries, local shops, restaurants, and the sweeping landscape of its nature reserve.
Here are just a few places you can visit, among many others, and entertain yourself while immersing yourself in the rich tapestry of this historic town.
Casa Particular in Trinidad
One of the best ways to get to know the cultural heart of a new destination is to live within the same environment as the locals. In particular, local homes called casas particulares are offered to tourists not only to capitalize on the island’s flourishing tourism business, but also to share a little bit of Cuban identity.
Our casa particular in Trinidad was a colonial house built in 1793. The entrance of the compound is an art gallery parlor exhibiting various local Cuban artists. Most of the hardwood mahogany furniture from that time period still exists in the house. The building surrounds a garden courtyard, and is adorned in a now-faded green with a brown-tiled roof. Outside of our room the beautiful garden and its patio beckoned us to stay within its compound, but we insisted on wandering the town.
Gran parque natural Topes de Collantes
The Gran parque natural Topes de Collantes is a scenic park reserve on the Escambray mountain range. Many trails can be found here for hiking, followed by cooling off in the waterfalls. You can hop on a taxi or collectivo to the north of Trinidad, and explore on your own or with a tour guide.
Valley de los Ingenios
Valley de los Ingenios is the valley of the sugar mills. Santa Rosa, San Luis, and Santa Meyer are the three valleys connecting each other to make up the Valley de los Ingenios. From town, an hour hike east will take you to a scenic view of the valley.
The site contains 75 cane sugar mills which were worked by 11,000 African slaves in 1827. Many plantation houses and barracks can be found in these valleys, formerly in use but now in decline. It is a testament to the spectacularly grim industrial use of human slave labour.
Plaza Mayor
One of the most photographed areas of Trinidad, and where we found many gathering in the evening for communal quality time, is the Plaza Mayor. This square in the centre of the town is composed of mini gardens encircled by an intricate white gate with rustic street lamps at each corner, and a central sculpture of Terpsichore, one of the nine muses of art in Greek mythology.
After the sun had set, and the street lamps cast shadows, dimming the colors of the buildings, practically the entire town gathered at Plaza Mayor.
Cafe El Mago
As we walked around the town taking photographs we were drawn to an eclectic cafe bar called El Mago. It was a modern and funky, yet grungy cafe reminding us of the bar scene in Berlin. The small space was scattered with short wooden boxes intended to be tables and chairs. A DJ was set up in the corner where house-techno played.
As we looked around, a few of the wall decorations cemented our suspicions that El Mago was inspired by Berlin. A colorful t-shirt reading Berlin, hung from green window shutters. There were also quotes written on the wall in German encouraging you to be unique in your individuality and not succumb to the herd.
The smell of cigarette smoke in the bar, the too-cool-to-acknowledge-you vibe from the service staff, the techno music, the trendy yet tattered grungy decor on the walls, and the German words transported us back in time to our days in Berlin.
La Botija
Armondo, our guide during our day trip to Las Terrazas recommended that we visit La Botija while in Trinidad. Given his track record when welcoming us to Don David, an excellent local Cuban restaurant, we trusted his word and stepped into the restaurant with enthusiasm.
The decor on the walls were a bit unsettling, exhibiting the equipment used to constrict slaves, such as shackles used around the ankles and wrists. However, we found the reminder that it was slaves who transformed Trinidad into an affluent town during the 19th century, a righteous acknowledgement.
The restaurant was packed with both locals and tourists. We started off with some Papas Frites, then ordered grilled chicken accompanied by veggies. Although it was tasty, it did not compare to the mouthwatering deliciousness of Don David.
Visiting the small town of Trinidad is a quick excursion, especially once you see the same cobbled streets and brilliantly colored buildings. Our tip: head north, away from the town to Gran parque natural Topes de Collantes or east to Valley de los Ingenios, where you can hike around and encounter picturesque views.
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