Cuba - Lonely Planet [238]
Reduced to a small rural backwater by the 17th century and cut off from the colonial authorities in Havana by dire communications, Trinidad became a haven for pirates and smugglers who controlled a lucrative contraband slave trade with British-controlled Jamaica.
Things began to change in the early 19th century when the town became the capital of the Departamento Central and hundreds of French refugees fleeing a slave rebellion in Haiti arrived, setting up more than 50 small sugar mills in the nearby Valle de los Ingenios. Sugar soon replaced leather and salted beef as the region’s most important product and by the mid-19th century the area around Trinidad was producing a third of Cuba’s sugar, generating enough wealth to finance the rich cluster of opulent buildings that characterize the town today.
The boom ended rather abruptly during the two Wars of Independence, when the surrounding sugar plantations were devastated by fire and fighting. Floundering in the years that followed, the industry never fully recovered. By the late 19th century the focus of the sugar trade had shifted to Cienfuegos and Matanzas provinces and Trinidad, cut off by the Sierra del Escambray from the other parts of Cuba, slipped into a somnolent and life-threatening economic coma. Trinidad’s tourist renaissance began in the 1950s when President Batista passed a preservation law that recognized the town’s historical value. In 1965 the town was declared a national monument and in 1988 it became a Unesco World Heritage Site.
Orientation
Trinidad turns on two hubs. The museums and churches of the casco histórico (old town) are focused around Plaza Mayor, while the everyday facilities serving the local people are on – or near – Parque Céspedes. The bus station is west of Plaza Mayor. Everything is walking distance.
Information
BOOKSTORES
Librería Ángel Guerra ( 99-37-48; José Martí No 273 btwn Colón & Zerquera; 8am-3pm Mon-Sat)
INTERNET ACCESS & TELEPHONE
Café Internet Las Begonias (Antonio Maceo No 473; internet access per half hr CUC$3; 9am-9pm) On the corner of Simón Bolívar. Crowded.
Etecsa Telepunto (cnr General Lino Pérez & Francisco Pettersen; internet access per hr CUC$6; 7am-11pm) Freshly refurbished Telepunto with brand-new computer terminals.
LIBRARIES
Biblioteca Gustavo Izquierdo (José Martí No 265 btwn Colón & Zerquera; 8am-9pm Mon-Fri, to 6pm Sat, to 1pm Sun)
MEDIA
Radio Trinidad Broadcasts over 1200AM.
MEDICAL SERVICES
General Hospital ( 99-32-01; Antonio Maceo No 6) Southeast of the center.
Servimed Clínica Internacional Cubanacán ( 99-62-40; General Lino Pérez No 103; 24hr) On the corner of Anastasio Cárdenas. There is an on-site pharmacy selling products in Convertibles.
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ASK A LOCAL
When you arrive in Trinidad by bus or car, you’ll most likely be besieged by touts offering you a private room. If you’ve already booked somewhere, they’ll tell you that your owner’s since moved, closed or even passed away. Don’t believe them. These people work for a commission (you’ll pay CUC$5 extra if you use their house) and they’ll say anything to get you to follow them.
Hector, Trinidad
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MONEY
Banco de Crédito y Comercio ( 99-24-05; José Martí No 264)
Cadeca ( 99-62-63; José Martí No 164) Between Parque Céspedes and Camilo Cienfuegos.
POST
Post office (Antonio Maceo No 418) Between Colón and Zerquera.
TRAVEL AGENCIES
Cubatur ( 99-63-14; Antonio Maceo No 447; 9am-8pm) On the corner of Zerquera. Good for general tourist information, plus hotel bookings, car rentals, excursions etc. State taxis congregate outside.
Havanatur ( 99-61-83; Simón Bolívar No 424) In the Mesón del Regidor cafe.
Infotur (