Cuba Guide
Trinidad and Sancti Spíritus
With its location so close to both the beach and the mountains, and its status as the country's most perfectly preserved colonial city, Trinidad is justifiably the single most visited destination in central Cuba. This fantastically restored sixteenth-century town in the southwestern corner of Sancti Spíritus province has a time-frozen quality rivalled only by Habana Vieja, and, as a well-established point on the tourist trail, is well set up to receive visitors, with numerous excellent casas particulares and a reasonable variety of places to eat. Most of the flashier hotels are a fifteen-kilometre drive away on the Península de Ancón, which has the best beach on this part of the southern coast.
A half-hour train ride north from Trinidad is the Valle de los Ingenios, home to the sugar estates that made Trinidad's elite so wealthy. About 4km west of the city along the coast road, Carretera de Cienfuegos, a right turn inland takes you onto the mountain road that crosses the Sierra del Escambray whose borders creep down to the outskirts of Trinidad. Some 14km into the mountains from the turn-off you'll come to the Topes de Collantes, a rather run-down resort that offers excellent hikes in the surrounding national park of the same name.
Highlights
1 Museo Romántico Beautifully preserved nineteenth-century furniture and architecture offer an inside look at how aristocratic Trinidadians lived in colonial times.
2 Iberostar Grand Hotel Trinidad A great place to visit, whether you fork out for one of the elegant rooms, eat in the plush restaurant, chill in the smokers' lounge or sip cocktails at the bar.
3 Casa de la Música The standout live music venue in Trinidad, offering traditional Cuban sounds and more modern salsa most nights.
4 Steam train to Manaca-Iznaga ride Enjoy a half-hour ride from Trinidad in a charming old wooden carriage.