Trinidad, a colourful UNESCO World Heritage site
December 27, 2022
During our stay in Cienfuegos, we arranged for a colectivo to take us to Trinidad, a colourful UNESCO World Heritage site. A German traveler and his Cuban friend joined us on the journey. We had booked a casa particular on Airbnb, based on a recommendation from friends who had visited Cuba a few years ago.
Upon our arrival in Trinidad, our landlady welcomed us and kindly offered to switch our room to a quieter one at the back of the house. After dropping off our luggage, we set out to explore the historical center of the city. The area has been beautifully restored, with colorful houses lining the streets. Although some places are still under renovation, the city is generally in good condition. We visited several museums, including the Romantic Museum, which is housed in a colonial building and contains a collection of artifacts from all over Europe that were owned by the Count and Countess who lived there.
We also visited the Museo Nacional de la Lucha Contra Bandidos, which displays pictures from the Cuban Revolution. From the tower of the museum, we enjoyed a breathtaking view of the city and the countryside. Later, we stopped at Café Don Pepe for some coffee and sandwiches, where we met a couple of tourists from Switzerland who told us about a free walking tour of the city, which we decided to join. The walking tour, led by a multilingual local guide, was informative and insightful. We learned about the current economic and political situation in Cuba, which was valuable information.
The next day, we decided to visit Playa Ancón, considered to be one of the best beaches along the south coast of Cuba. To get there, we took a double-decker bus departing from the center of Trinidad. Visitors must purchase a bus ticket at Cubatur for $10, payable only by a credit card not issued by an American bank. Upon boarding the bus, we exchanged our voucher for the actual ticket. If you don’t have a credit card, there are alternative options, such as a taxi or colectivo, or you could rent a bike, though the heat may make the latter unappealing.
Playa Ancón was stunning, with a few all-inclusive hotels along the coast and only a handful of tourists. We were surprised by the lack of visitors during what should have been the high season. After spending a few hours at the beach, we caught the bus back to town. The bus departs from the beach at 12:30pm, 3:30pm, and 5:30pm.
On another day, we decided to explore the Valle de los Ingenios, which houses the ruins of 19th-century sugar mills. A double-decker bus departs from the restaurant The Colonial daily at 9:30am, with a steep price of $50 per person, which includes lunch and a knowledgeable guide. We were the only two tourists on the bus that day, but there may be other agencies with cheaper options. We saw another smaller Transtur bus with tourists at the same stops while on our tour.
Our final day in Trinidad was spent leisurely exploring the city. We arranged for a private taxi to take us to Camagüey, as there were no colectivos or buses available. Alternatively, we could have taken a colectivo to Santa Clara and then caught a Viazul bus to Camagüey, but we had plans to visit Santa Clara on our return trip from the eastern part of the island.
