Welcome to Trinidad, a perfectly preserved colonial town founded in 1514 in Cuba by Spanish conquistadors. You will love walking around its cobbled streets lined up with colorful buildings, where the clocks seem to have stopped ticking hundreds of years ago. Trinidad once was very prosperous thanks to the sugar production. The riches of the town pre-war of independence times are still visible on the façade of the beautiful mansions. You will feel like walking around an open museum.
After a few days in La Habana, we went to Trinidad. Since our time in Cuba was limited, we did not go by bus (which was cheaper but took longer) but by taxi. We got to travel the 300 kilometers from La Habana to Trinidad in an old-style taxi from the fifties. It was certainly not the most comfortable ride of our lives but it was definitely the most authentic one.
Here is the best of what we saw of Trinidad.
Plaza mayor
We loved the homogeneity of the buildings surrounding this peaceful square which once hosted Hernana Cortez troops who gathered there before invading Mexico.
The original church, Iglesia de la Santisima Trinidad, was destroyed several times and even attacked by pirats and the church that you can see today was built in 1892 in a neo gothic style unique in Cuba.
Plaza de las Tres Cruses
Plazuela del Cristo
We will then arrive on this beautiful square. Like everywhere in Cuba, people are very talented musicians and artists. Here also you will hear latino music being played at every street corner.
Convento de San Francisco de Asis
From the top of the convent, we enjoyed a beautiful view on Trinidad tiled roofs and on the nearby sierra.
Walking back to our hostal, we enjoyed these little streets lined up with beautiful cars.
Playa Ancon
Even though I am not a beach person, I could not go to Cuba without enjoying at least one of its beautiful white sand beaches. So one afternoon we went to Playa Ancon, which is said to be one of Cuba’s most beautiful beaches.
Cienfuegos
On our way back to La Habana, we stopped a couple of hours at another beautiful city: Cienfuegos.
Where to stay in Trinidad
We arrived in Trinidad about three and a half hours later, without having a room booked. This proved not to be a problem. Our taxi driver helped us find a room in a “casa” and we quickly found the best place we could have dreamed of to stay at in Trinidad: the Hostal Gregorio.
For 25 euros per night, we had the whole upper floor of the house for ourselves and most of all the best company we could have imagined. We were treaty like family by Lili and Ivan, the two owners of the casa. We stayed two nights there. At night, after diner we would sit and talk on the terrace about life in Cuba, France, Mexico…
What’s more, the casa was located very close to the center, so it was the perfect location to start exploring the city.
The end…
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