Trinidad is located in the central province of Sancti Spiritus in Cuba. It is a small, beautiful colonial Spanish town and one of the oldest cities in the Caribbean. Founded by the Spaniards in 1514, it is one of the first seven cities in Cuba.
Trinidad, with a population of around 50,000, is one of the best preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region. Nowadays, its main industry is tobacco processing. The older parts of town are well preserved as the Cuban tourism industry sees benefit from tour groups.
In 1988 the UNESCO declared Trinidad a World Heritage Site due to its colonial character with a well kept architectural compound. It is one of the best examples of Latin America colonial architecture. The nearby Valle de los Ingenios has also been named by UNESCO a World Heritage site.
As with many Spanish and Latin American cities, urban life centres itself on the city´s main square or Plaza Mayor; this is the place where you can find the Santísima Trinidad Church, which contains the "Cristo de la Vera Cruz", one of the most precious religious Cuban treasures, and the marble altar devoted to the Virgin of Mercy.
In Trinidad you can find one of the best known city palaces, the Romantic Museum in the Palace of Count Brunet, where its exhibition rooms display precious stones taken directly from the European factories during the Romantic era, among them crystals and porcelain. There are other palaces in the city such as the Cantero Palace and the Borrell Palace.
Surrounding Trinidad there is a magnificent sandy beach called Ancón, which is lapped by the warm Caribbean waters and covered in fine sand. It is only a short bus ride from the town centre. You can do various water sports on this beach with scuba diving being one of the most enjoyable water activities. There are more than 30 places where you can head underwater and see the varied Cuban sea-life by this beach.
At night, the atmosphere is wonderful, with live music and Salsa dancing in almost every corner.
Trinidad is the perfect place to combine leisure, history and culture, all surrounded by the happiness and kindness characteristic of Cuban culture. Tourists or students visiting Trinidad will enjoy a stay that they will never forget!
