Trinidad, Cuba

A beautifully preserved Spanish colonial town of colorful single-story houses, cobblestone streets and salsa every night, near the Valley of the Sugar Mills and Playa Ancón.

Trinidad lies in Sancti Spíritus province in south-central Cuba, backed by the Escambray Mountains and facing the Caribbean Sea. Founded in 1514, it is one of Cuba's earliest Spanish colonial towns. It grew rich on sugar from the Valley of the Sugar Mills in the 19th century, and its later decline helped keep its colorful single-story houses, wrought-iron window grilles and cobblestone streets intact; in 1988 it was inscribed as a World Heritage Site together with the valley. Main areas to explore: the old town centered on Plaza Mayor, where museums, churches, the bell tower and the Casa de la Música, with salsa every night, are all within walking distance; the Valley of the Sugar Mills and the Manaca Iznaga tower to the northeast; Playa Ancón and the fishing village of La Boca, 12 km south; and waterfall hikes at Topes de Collantes in the Escambray Mountains to the north. The best time to visit is the dry season, November–April; summers are hot, humid and rainy, and August–October is hurricane season. Viazul buses take about 6 hours from Havana and about 1.5 hours from Cienfuegos, or you can share a taxi. Plan on 3 days, ideally staying in a casa particular (family-run guesthouse). Cuba's cash and card policies change often, so check before you go; street lighting in the old town is limited at night, so watch your step on the cobblestones.

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