Trinidad, Cuba

Trinidad () is a town in the province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba. Together with the nearby Valle de los Ingenios, it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988, because of its historical importance as a center of the sugar trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. Trinidad is one of the best-preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region.

History

Trinidad was founded on December 23, 1514,

The Narvaez Expedition landed at Trinidad in 1527 en route to Florida. Caught in a hurricane, the expedition lost two ships, twenty horses and sixty men to the violent storm.

Geography

The town proper is divided into the barrios (quarters) of Primero, Segundo and Tercero. The whole municipality counts the consejos populares (wards) of Centro, Zona Monumento, Armando Mestre, La Purísima, Casilda, Federación Nacional de Trabajadores Azucareros (FNTA), Condado, Topes de Collante, San Pedro, Manacas - Iznaga, Algarrobo, Pitajones, and Caracusey.

Economy

Nowadays, Trinidad's main industry is tobacco processing. The older parts of town are well preserved, as the Cuban tourism industry sees benefit from tour groups. In contrast, some parts of town outside the tourist areas are very run down and in disrepair, especially in the centre. Tourism from Western nations is a major source of income in the city.

Tourism

The city attracts visitors for its well‑preserved colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, vibrant plazas, and local museums, as well as nearby beaches and natural areas.

Culture

Town

thumb|View of colonial Trinidad

thumb|Taxi in the city center

;Plaza Mayor

The Plaza Mayor of Trinidad is a plaza and an open-air museum of Spanish Colonial architecture. Only a few square blocks in size, the historic plaza area has cobblestone streets, houses in pastel colors with wrought-iron grilles, and colonial-era edifices such as the Santísima Trinidad Cathedral and Convento de San Francisco. The Municipal History Museum is in town also.

;Music

There are several casas de musica, including one next to the cathedral in Plaza Major. There are also discothèques, including one in the ruins of a church; another is in a large cave formerly used as a war time hospital.

Region

;Sugar mills

The Valley of the Sugar Mills—Valle de los Ingenios, also a World Heritage Site, has around 70 historic sugar cane mills. They represent the importance of sugar to the Cuban economy since the 18th century.

The valley has la Torre Iznaga, a tower built by Alejo Iznaga Borrell in 1816.

;Coasts and beaches

from the city is Topes de Collantes, one of Cuba's premier ecotourism centres. Another attraction is the Casilda Bay, which attracts both snorkelers and divers.

A nearby islet has pristine beaches. Ancón Beach—Playa Ancón, is a white sand beach and was one of the first new resorts to be developed in Cuba following the 1959 revolution. Along the Ancón Peninsula are three hotels: Hotel Costa Sur (South Coast Hotel), Hotel Ancón, and Brisas Trinidad del Mar.

Demographics

In 2022, the municipality of Trinidad had a population of 76,500. With a total area of , it has a population density of .

Photo gallery

File:Saint Francis of Assini in Trinidad Cuba.jpg|A view from Saint Francis of Assini, Trinidad, Cuba

File:2008-06-07 Trinidad D Bruyere.JPG|Plaza Mayor and Iglesia y Convento de San Francisco

File:Cuba 2013-01-26 (8543458731).jpg|Plaza Mayor

File:TrinidadCuba.jpg|A typical colonial street in October 2000.

File:Asamblea Municipal de Trinidad.jpg|Town hall

File:Cuba 2013-01-26 (8544552364).jpg

File:Trinidad, Cuba (44170439415).jpg

File:Museo de la Lucha contra Bandidos -Cloître du Convento de San Francisco (Trinidad, Cuba).jpg|Tower of the Convento de San Francisco

File:Iglesia de Santa Ana - Trinidad - 01.jpg|Church of Santa Ana

File:Trinidad, Cuba (17136576477).jpg

</gallery>

Notable people

Alexandre Arrechea
Julio Emilio Carretero
Tomás San Gil
Manolo Urquiza