Trinidad
Sugar and slavery:
Duration: 3 hours with guide and taxi service.
Only 15km away from Trinidad is the Sugar mill valley, the place where the economic engine of the area was located mainly during the 19th century. The sugar industry was for centuries the main economic activity in Cuba and had a great development throughout the country. In Trinidad, specifically in this Valley, there were more than 50 sugar mills also known as “Ingenios”, of which some archaeological remains and haciendas are still preserved and have been turned into museums or restaurants, among them that of the Manaca-Iznaga family, Buenavista and San Isidro de los destiladeros.
Through the visit to Mirador Del Valle and two of its most important archaeological sites, discover the great development of this industry in the area and its important and sad connection with its slave labor, which reached the number of about 11 thousand slaves spread in 14 square kilometers by 1827.
Nature and fresh air:
Duration: All day with guide service, transportation and lunch according to the trail.
Trinidad is blessed with many natural beauties. In addition to its beaches, it is surrounded by the mountains of Sierra de Guamuhaya, where the Topes de Collantes Natural Park is located, the perfect opportunity for those who love to be outdoors and surrounded by green lush vegetation.
In its beginnings, it was an important coffee producing area. Some plantations are still preserved and the peasants continue to produce it. At the end of the 30s, the cleanliness of the atmosphere began to be taken into account and since then many efforts have been made to build a road that would make it easier to access from Trinidad. It was during the government of Fulgencio Batista when it was finally finished and at the same time it was inaugurated in 1953, a Medical Center to treat Tuberculosis and other respiratory diseases. This imposing construction still remains and today it is a government hotel that provides long stays to the military and their families.
The Park offers several trails of different degrees of difficulty and in all of them, the guide delves you into the history of the place, its flora, its fauna and you end up refreshing yourself in the cold waters of its lakes and natural waterfalls. It is the opportunity to see our National Bird, the Tocororo, and other very interesting ones like the Cartacuba and the hummingbird.
We recommend the Guanayara and El Cubano trails, as they are the most attractive and easily accessible. You may also be interested in Codina, Vegas Grandes or La Batata.
If you are not attracted to going inland, you can also enjoy the area by visiting the Mirador with spectacular views of Trinidad Bay, tasting a good coffee at the Casa del Café and learning about the history of the place in the local museum, where you will learn about the fights against the counterrevolutionary groups that took refuge in these mountains shortly after the triumph of the Revolution.
Another interesting attraction is the small Museum of Art where you can appreciate a valuable collection of paintings by Cuban artists well known today, but who in the 60s, began their professional career and these works were their contribution to the decoration of the former Medical Center for Tuberculosis turned into a School for Teachers and now a Hotel.
From Trinidad, you can also visit El Nicho, highly recommended but a little further away, about 90kms away.
Duration: All day with Catamaran service, drink and lunch.
In this part of the Caribbean Sea you have the opportunity to enjoy several beach options: Playa Ancon just 10 km from Trinidad, and also Cayo Blanco and Cayo Iguanas which you reach at by Catamaran, therefore it is an all-day excursion for sailing, snorkeling and relaxing on the beaches of these small islands.
