Trinidad is the fourth of the first seven towns in Cuba founded by Diego Velázquez in 1514. It was first established on the Bahía de Jagua, and then transferred to the area of Guamuhaya in the indigenous village of Manzanillo.

The town of Trinidad (population app. 50,000) is perhaps the most colonial city on the Cuban island. Much is there to remind the visitor of the settlers that came here from various corners of the world, most notably from Spain. It earned Trinidad both the nicknames of ¨outdoor museum¨ and ¨museum-city¨, as well as a place on UNESCO´s national heritage list in 1988.

Despite being a World Heritage Site, Trinidad has retained its tranquil atmosphere and managed to avoid the tourist-industry that often accompanies a UNESCO nomination. It is located in the Sancti Spíritus province and is surrounded by sugarcane plantations, a once booming industry that gave an important impetus to the town's growth and prosperity.

Situated between the Topes de Collantes mountains and the Caribbean Sea, Trinidad provides the traveller with an excellent point of departure either for exursions into the heights or, more laidback, to the nearby beaches.

Trinidad itself offers outstanding historic and cultural value. The museums, but even more the streets, squares and churches, allow one to travel back in time.

Don't miss out on a visit to the Manaca-Iznaga tower, which allows you to see the whole of the Valle de los Ingenios, which is 12 km from Trinidad between the Guamuhaya mountain range and the sea. This valley once had a large number of sugar mills that made Trinidad one of the most prosperous cities on the island. Today, there are several archaeological sites, machinery and objects taken from the factories, slave barracones (bunkhouses), warehouses and 11 farmers' houses, some totally rebuilt yet some in ruins.

Also, the tower allows for a view of the Ancón and María Aguilar beaches, the Caburni waterfall, the Calavera cave and the Zaza lake.