Trinidad Cuba, Experiencing This City

As our bus rolled into Trinidad, we realised we made a great choice when planning our Cuban itinerary. With its mix of colonial architecture, brightly coloured buildings, cobblestone streets and gorgeous central plaza. This must is a must when visiting Cuba. The old part of Trinidad is a UNESCO heritage site (link) and has been since 1988. 

We took the bus from Playa Giron and travelled through the countryside and down the coastline making a quick stop in Cienfuegos before continuing on. The trip itself took around 4 hours (check) and the views were just beautiful. 

We only had a couple of nights so had to make the most of our time. We found our accommodation via Airbnb and are glad we did.

This was the first time I hopped off a bus in Cuba only to have accommodation touts waiting, they are like seagulls flocking over a chip. It’s loud and a little overwhelming.

We hightailed it out of there pretty quickly, which in reality aren’t that quick when you have a two-year-old. 

This post highlights our top things to do in Trinidad. However, on reflection, we wish we spent a couple of extra days here but that’s like most places we visit.

Things To Do In Trinidad

Strolling the Historico Streets

Just a few blocks from where we stayed, this was our first stop after breakfast. The Plaza is located in the historical centre, surrounded by a cobblestoned street, is split into quarters.

There is lovely old wrought iron fence enclosing four raised garden beds as well as the whole Plaza. With paths to stroll around, plenty of seats to relax.

Some of Trinidad’s best tourist attractions preside over the Plaza too; 

– Iglesia Parroquial de la Santísima Trinidad – The largest church in Cuba with its picturesque facade. Inside is the wooden statue Senor de la Vera Cruz (Christ of the True Cross). This is with a look. The alters are spectacular.

– Palacio Brunet – Built in the early 19th Century and owned by Conde de Brunet. The museum houses some of Brunet’s possessions along with other art pieces from that era.

– Palacio Cantero (Museo Historico) – If you are looking for an amazing view of Trinidad then this is perfect. Sadly, my fear of heights got the best of me so Connie and Lukas climbed while Sawyer and I remained grounded.

Connie said the view is a must, a great photo opportunity. The Museo itself is worth a wander through, learning about the history of Trinidad.

– Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco – Built-in 1813, it has been a church, a jail and how houses the Museo Nacional de Lucha Contra Bandidos (National Museum of the Struggle against Bandits).

This is a great place to learn more about Cuba’s revolutionary history. There are great views from the top of the bell tower too.

– Casa de Aldeman Ortiz (Galeria de Arte) – This colonial mansion was built in 1809 and now has a range of paintings and artworks for sale along with an onsite art school. Nice place to wander around and look at a variety of Cuba art.

We didn’t stay long with a two-year-old getting grumpy.

– Museum of Colonial Architecture – This museum has guided walking tours, which talks you through the streets exploring Trinidads architecture. The museum itself consists of interior displays from the 18th/19th Centuries.   

Playa Ancon  

A short taxi ride south from Trinidad (around 10CUC for the family) or if you are keen to rent a bike (5CUC for the whole day), the ride takes around 40 minutes.

Described as one of the most beautiful beaches on the southern coast. In fact most visitors say it’s in their top 10 beaches in Cuba. The beach stretches around 4km (2.5mi) and yep it makes for a good day out.

Our kids love water and here it was calm, clear and as a family, we enjoyed relaxing for a few hours. You can also hire sun lounges, umbrellas or you can make your way to a quieter spot and relax under a tree.

If you are looking for a break, a beautiful spot to relax then this is a great place to do it. There are also locals offering boats trips/tours, here they will take you out to cays nearby.

Casa de la Musica (Evening)

This is a great night out, it’s an open-air venue where you can listen and enjoy live music or simply dance the night away.

When we arrived it was busy, hardly a seat to be had, so by the looks of things get here arrive.

However, we stayed, stood for a while, well as long as you can stand with children. Once the music started our kids even danced, sadly we didn’t last the whole night.

Both Sawyer and Lukas grew tired so we made our way home. 

Markets

– Art and Craft – this is a popular tourist market. Here you will find handmade textiles, souvenirs and little nick-nacks. Our kids enjoy these types of markets as there was an opportunity for them to find something Cuban (mainly carved cars).

– Ceramics Market – ‘Taller Alfarero’ is great and a must if you are looking for handmade ceramics. You can watch local artists making their ceramics on a potter’s wheel.

Our boys enjoyed it however I felt nervous walking around with Sawyer whose hands like to reach out and grab things. After a little while, my nerves got the better off me and it was time to go. Much my relief!

 

 

Other Activities 

Unfortunately, we ran out of time to do the following activities, they were on our list but when you are travelling with kids sometimes you need to slow down. 

Visit the Topes De Collantes National Park, it’s a bit of a trek but well worth it. You can explore the park a number of ways either on foot, driving or horseback.

Vegas Grande Waterfall is meant to be beautiful, make sure you read Sophie’s (from Bitten by the bug) post for plenty of great advice.

Final Thoughts

Overall Trinidad is a great place to visit, three to fours days is about right. You can see why this city is a UNESCO World Heritage site. From its colonial old style buildings to its cobblestone streets.

The people here are lovely and always happy to help. There is plenty to see and do along with a range of places to stop and eat. Once more our wonderful hosts made our stay special and if we have the chance we would return.