Discovering Trinidad, Cuba: Exciting Things to See and Do

Traveling to Trinidad is a captivating experience full of historical buildings, charming streets, cultural richness, friendly locals, and natural beauty.

The entire country of Cuba is a unique travel destination, and each city inside Cuba comes with a vibe of its own. Viñales is the rural countryside, Havana is the urban destination, Varadero is the resort city, and Trinidad is the old historical city where life unfolds in a very different way.

Below is a map with the most important attractions and activities in Trinidad. You can explore the map in more detail if you click on it, and even create your own copy on Google MyMaps.

Stroll Around the City

Trinidad is rather a town than a city, with a vibrant cultural scene, characterized by lively music, dance, and local traditions, showcasing great cultural heritage. Strolling around the city is a great way to get immersed in everything this place has to offer.

Trinidad, Cuba: Heritage, History, and Hidden Delights Revealed

Natural Beauty

Beyond the city, Trinidad is not short of breathtaking natural landscapes. Either spend a day relaxing on the nearby beaches like Playa Ancón or explore the lush Topes de Collantes National Park, which offers hiking and swimming opportunities. A very short distance away from Trinidad lies another UNESCO World Heritage Site called Valle de los Ingenios.

Trinidad Nature Escapes: Playa Ancón, Topes de Collantes, and Valle de los Ingenios

The Challenges We Faced in Trinidad

Like every place in Cuba, Trinidad comes with challenges. We covered most challenges that travelers generally face in Cuba in a separate article, but Trinidad is special and there are things that you should know before going. Flexibility and a positive attitude will go a long way in enjoying your trip.

Goods shortages

Occasionally, Trinidad is hit by shortages of certain goods. Just before we visited Trinidad, there has been a shortage of soap in the area. While we did have soap at our accommodation, children on the streets were begging for shampoo and soap. It was a very unusual begging request that revealed a lot of sadness about the local life. Unfortunately, we did not know about this, otherwise we would have taken something for those kids. Candies are the second most requested item on their list, so bring some sweets with you to bring smiles to their faces.

Food and Restaurants

We already wrote about food safety in Cuba, but I want to reiterate that Trinidad is the place where Stefan chewed on a shard of glass inside his food and broke a dental crown. The restaurant staff was very apologetic and refunded the entire cost of the food for the two of us. However, having dental issues while traveling, especially in places like Cuba, is a very unpleasant experience that can break your trip.

Shard of glass found in food and spoiled fish

My apologies for the disgusting photo above, but this is the reality. That was a single shard of glass that Stefan chewed and smashed between his molars.

We had a hard time recovering psychologically and to continue enjoying our time there. We entered a state of anger and despair and all we wanted was to leave the place and get back home. We were no longer able to enjoy our remaining time in Trinidad.

Food shortages

Food shortages are common for locals, but restaurants always have reserves for tourists. However, this doesn’t guarantee that the food is fresh or safe to consume. For example, the fish I had at the restaurant where Stefan broke his dental crown was spoiled and I could not eat it. From then on, we switched to avoiding meats and easy perishable ingredients to avoid any additional digestive issues.

We never thought that eating pizza with cabbage could be a thing. It was called veggie pizza, and I suppose that they didn’t have enough vegetables for it.

Even on a veggie diet, we still encountered dangerous foreign objects inside foods in Havana. If you plan to visit Cuba, don’t forget to read our entire article about safety in Cuba before you leave. It is always a good idea to know what you are facing and protect yourself.

Is It Safe To Travel To Cuba And Can You Do It Alone?

How to Get to Trinidad?

We personally got to Trinidad by Viazul and left by private taxi. We purchased Viazul return tickets in advance from Havana to Trinidad and back. Our journey with Viazul from Havana to Trinidad was such a pain that we gave up our return tickets and paid for a private taxi. Read more about transportation in Cuba is our honest guide: