Come with me and plunge into the streets of historical Trinidad, Cuba. We stayed 6 days and in three different BB’s and met an Australian woman called Fiona and her Cuban husband who introduced us to their friends who run bars and restaurants but more about them in later blogs.
This colonial town celebrated its 500th anniversary in 2014 and is arguably one of Cuba’s most precious historical legacies. Because of that you will have to share these precious streets with many visitors… but don’t let that put you off.
Declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1988, Cuba’s oldest and most enchanting ‘outdoor museum’ attracts busloads of visitors. Yet the cobblestone streets, replete with leather-faced guajiros (country folk), snorting donkeys and melodic troubadours, retain a quiet air. Come nightfall, the live-music scene is particularly good.
Trinidad is also ringed by sparkling natural attractions. Twelve kilometers south lies platinum-blond Playa Ancón, the best beach of Cuba’s south coast. Looming 18km to the north, the purple-hued shadows of the Sierra del Escambray (Escambray Mountains) offer a lush adventure playground with hiking trails and waterfalls.
Trinidad has an older “city center” area around Plaza Mayor where most of the historic buildings and attractions are located. It’s a pedestrian walking area, no cars are allowed. Most tourists tend to stick around Plaza Mayor.
But taking a long walk down some of Trinidad’s side streets until you get completely lost is one of my favorite things to do. You’ll get a glimpse of what life in Trinidad truly looks like.
Locals often gather on doorsteps and street curbs, hiding from the relentless sun. You may see games of dominoes, deep conversations, bird cages hanging from porches. Don’t be afraid to say hello — and ask some questions too. Most people will be happy to chat!
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Dear Lorrie, Did people in Cuba call you Comrade and did that remind you of the days of the Whitlam Socialist Government? That was the case today when I walked into the Green Left Bookshop and said I was running the Marabana, the Havana marathon, next month and what information did they have on Cuba.
My friend Carolyn Parfitt alerted me to you Trinidad pictures, thanks for a hint of the coloured walls and the deeply etched faces. Any chance of getting Fiona’s contact details? I’ll be in Cuba from Nov 17 – Dec 8 and Trinidad is on my list.
Yours, Murray Cox.
Superb, Lorrie! Love these photos.