The Sights and
Sounds of Trinidad, Cuba
By Emma
Lelliott
If you're looking to sample a slice of rural Cuban life,
then a stint in a Trinidad hotel could be just the ticket. Located in the center of the
island, the city is labeled as a UNESCO world heritage site and is a hot sleepy town
filled with colonial architecture and idyllic cobbled streets. Here's everything you need
to know about it, if you're considering making a holiday in Trinidad, Cuba a
"must" for your next visit to the island.
The Town Itself
The main attraction of a holiday in Trinidad is undoubtedly the town itself.
Photographers will have a field day, taking advantage of the charming traditional
architecture and timeless feel of the place, while others will just enjoy wandering around
and soaking up the atmosphere. There are no cars allowed in the centre, adding to its
charm, and visitors can take in the city's 1211 buildings, which are mostly made up of
wonderfully restored colonial houses, painted in a selection of bright colours, topped
with terracotta tiles. The whole experience of walking through the town is a mixture of
fairytale beauty, Latin-American vibrancy and peaceful tranquility.
Mixed in with the pretty surroundings are a couple of notable buildings: a handful of
idyllic churches, public squares and a number of informative museums each show-casing the
architecture, archaeology and history of the old town. While nearly as attraction-packed
as Havana, a stay in a Trinidad hotel has enough to hold your attention and allows you to
enjoy your stay in a more relaxed and traditionally Caribbean manner.
The Beach
In addition to the days you can happily invest in strolling around the delicious town
itself, Trinidad's coastal location lends itself nicely to hours (or days!) spent lounging
upon its undisturbed white sands. The region has two splendid beaches - Ancon and Maria
Aguilar - and both of them are local to the town and some of the best on the south coast.
As for what you do there, you are largely free to pursue your interests - you can relax in
the sun, go swimming or enjoy some water sports. Perhaps the best way to enjoy it though
is snorkelling or scuba diving, as visitors can roam amongst the wide selection of
sponges, gorgonians, sea fans, black coral and various colourful tropical fish. Those
wanting a premiere dive site can find many in Cuba, whilst Trinidad's coast is a nice plus
for those who want to dive as an extra, rather than as the main focus of their trip...
The Nature Reserve
Trinidad itself is set in an absolutely stunning setting, nestled between the Sierra de
Escambray Mountains and gorgeous coastline. If you want to feel even more at home with
nature though, the Topes de Collantes Natural Park features an impressive selection of
plants and birds, set high up in the mountains. Visitors can expect to see a selection of
wildlife include various colourful birds, ferns, and precious wood trees.
The Old Sugar Mills
The city of Trinidad isn't the only historical point of interest in the area to be
granted UNESCO heritage status. The Valle de los Ingenios (Valley of the Sugar Mills) is a
group of three valleys that were the island's centre for sugar production between the 18th
and late 19th century. The whole area is approximately 100 square miles, and includes the
sites of more than 70 former sugar mills. Many of them are now in a bad state of repair,
but the region's inherent beauty and the history contained within the area makes it well
worth a look for those staying locally in one of Trinidad's hotels.
Far from the tanned crowds of Varadero, and the (comparatively) bustling city life of
Havana, a holiday in Trinidad presents a whole new example of Cuban life that many
tourists miss completely. From the charming town, to the relaxed beach and the enchanting
local attractions, Trinidad, Cuba, is the perfect place to stay to sample rural life on
the island, and to get away from the hectic pace of life in the UK.
Emma Lelliott is the General Manager of Captivating Cuba, an independent
specialist in Trinidad
holidays and hotels. With offices in Havana and the UK, Captivating Cuba can help you
tailor-make the perfect Cuban holiday experience.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Emma_Lelliott
Discovering
Varadero on Your Cuba Holidays
By Robert Santry
Whilst many visitors on their Cuba holidays are more than content to lie on the warm,
sandy beaches of Varadero and make the most of the various all-inclusive cocktail bars
offered at their luxury Cuban hotels, there is also plenty to explore in the surrounding
area for the more active tourist.
One of the main attractions of Varadero is the stunning caves that make up the region,
of which the most popular are the Bellamar Caves, featuring stalagmite formations and
carsick crystals. But whilst these natural elements may both be considered breathtaking,
what really sets the Bellamar Caves apart from any other are the painted frescoes on the
cave walls. These, along with the fossilised remains, show evidence that they were
inhabited many years ago.
The Delfinario is definitely worth visiting on your Cuba holidays, particularly if you
plan on travelling with young children. This venue is both the place to go to swim with
dolphins and to attend one of the world-famous dolphin shows. The dolphins are kept in a
natural fresh-water lagoon and approach their keeper when they want to appear in the show,
and not vice-versa. Whilst adults can enjoy a couple of hours swimming with these playful
porpoises, smaller children can be carried into the water in life-jackets for photographs.
However, the highlight of Varadero is definitely the native flora and fauna of the
area. Varadero is located in Cuba's Matanzas Province, which is best known as the region
where The Bay of Pigs Invasion took place. The Cienaga De Zapata nature reserve, located
in this area, is the only place in the world that you can spot the rare bee hummingbird.
On your Cuba holiday, joining a bird-watching tour is your best bet of spotting one of
these elusive birds. This is because the qualified guides, that lead the tours, not only
know all the signs to watch out for, but also the most popular nesting areas in the
national park. As well as bee hummingbirds, a tour of the Cienaga De Zapata National Park
will give you the opportunity to spot native birds, such as the Cuban crow and the
Neotropical Cormorant. This National Park is considered by many avid ornithologists to be
the best place in the world for bird-watching, and as such the guides who work in the area
are passionate about what they do. Many of them can even emulate the cries and catcalls of
numerous Cuban birds, which is definitely worth seeing on your holidays in Cuba.
Located a short walk away from Cienaga De Zapata is the Criadero Cocodrillo Centre; the
largest crocodile centre in Cuba. Criadero has been instrumental in the breeding of the
Cuban crocodile, a crocodile, which is currently only found in the wild at the Cienaga De
Zapata Swamps. Holding one of the centre's baby crocodiles is both a rare and thrilling
privilege, which will provide the perfect ending to your Cuba holiday.
About the Author
Rob Santry is a Cuba holiday expert for key2holidays, an online tour operator
offering Cuba
holidays, as well as trips to Australia, the Caribbean, Europe, Egypt, the
Far East, the Maldives, the Seychelles, Dubai and the Arabian Gulf. Key2holidays has a
dedicated team of experienced travel consultants to share their knowledge and help you to
plan and book your ideal holiday.
To learn more about Cuba, visit our other Cuba Pages
