Trinidad Old Town
The best-preserved colonial city in the Caribbean, where colourful buildings and cobbled streets form a beguiling maze of time.
Overview
Trinidad was founded in 1514 and is the best-preserved colonial city in Cuba, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. Around the Plaza Mayor stand Baroque churches, aristocratic palaces and museums. Its colourful sandstone buildings, cobbled streets and drifting salsa music give the small city a distinctive Caribbean charm.
History
Trinidad grew wealthy in the 18th and 19th centuries from the sugar trade, and the grand houses around the Plaza Mayor were built by sugar planters of that era. When the sugar economy declined the town was left largely untouched, which is why so much of its colonial fabric survives. It was inscribed as a World Heritage Site together with the nearby Valle de los Ingenios sugar mills.
Highlights
- •The architecture around Plaza Mayor
- •Live salsa music
- •The sugar plantation valley nearby
Practical tips
- •Wear comfortable shoes for the cobbles
- •Evenings in the plaza are especially atmospheric
Practical information
- Best time
- November to April
- Tickets
- Free to visit
- Opening hours
- Open all day
- Local food
- Seafood, sugarcane sweets and rum
- Getting around
- The town is walkable, and the beaches are reached by sightseeing bus
- Visa
- Chinese citizens may enter visa-free for stays of up to 90 days with a passport valid for at least six months. Travel insurance covering medical care is recommended.
Traveller reviews
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