Trinidad

Trinidad
—  Municipality  —
The Iznaga Tower in Trinidad
Location of Trinidad in Cuba
Coordinates: 21°48′15″N 79°58′59″W / 21.80417°N 79.98306°W / 21.80417; -79.98306
Country	Cuba
Province	Sancti Spíritus
Founded	December 23, 1514[1]
Area [2]
- Total	1,155 km2 (445.9 sq mi)
Elevation	80 m (262 ft)
Population (2004)[3]
- Total	73,466
- Density	63.6/km2 (164.7/sq mi)
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	+53-41

Trinidad and the Valle de los Ingenios*
UNESCO World Heritage Site
State Party	Cuba
Type	Cultural
Criteria	iv, v
Reference	460
Region**	Latin America and the Caribbean
Inscription history
Inscription	1988  (12th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. ** Region as classified by UNESCO.

Trinidad is a town in the province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba. Together with the nearby Valle de los Ingenios, it has been one of UNESCOs World Heritage sites since 1988.

History

Trinidad was founded on December 23, 1514^[1] by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar under the name Villa De la Santísima Trinidad. Francisco Iznaga, a rich Basque landowner in the western portion of Cuba during the first 30 years of the colonization of Cuba, was elected Mayor of Bayamo in 1540.Iznaga was the originator of a powerful lineage that finally settled in Trinidad where the Torre Iznaga is. His descendents fought for the Independence of Cuba and the Annexation to the US from 1820 to 1900. Its one of the best preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region.

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 non-tourist areas are very run down and in disrepair, especially in the centre.

Tourism

This article is written like a travel guide and may require cleanup. Please help improve it by rewriting it in an encyclopedic style. (July 2009)

Tourism officials like to say Trinidad is a museum in itself. Those visiting the 500-year-old city will find Spanish colonial architecture, underscoring a colonial ambiance that marks the tiny city one of the country’s greatest attractions. Only a few square blocks in size, historic Trinidad is famous for its lovely, cobblestone streets, pastel coloured houses with elaborate wrought-iron grills, as well as majestic palaces and plazas. The city can be toured in a few hours, by foot or by horse-drawn carriage. The city’s is located near both the Escambray Mountains and the Caribbean beach.

One of the area’s most interesting sights is the Valley of the Sugar Mills, which has been declared a World Heritage Site. The valley has around 70 long-standing sugar mills that are a reminder of the importance of sugar to the Cuban economy over the centuries.It has la Torre Iznaga, a 45 meter tower built by Alejo Iznaga Borrell in 1816. Twenty km 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.

Ancon Beach is a white sand beach that boasts a number of three- and four star hotels. Ancón was one of the first new resorts to be developed in Cuba following the 1959 revolution. Along the Ancon Peninsula are three hotels: Hotel Costa Sur (South Coast Hotel), Hotel Ancon and Brisas Trinidad del Mar (opened in 2002)

Attractions

• Plaza Mayor
• Municipal History Museum
• Santísima Trinidad Cathedral
• Playa Ancon

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of Trinidad had a population of 73,466.^[3] With a total area of 1,155 km² (445.9 sq mi),^[2] it has a population density of 63.6 /km² (164.7/sq mi).

The municipality is divided into the barrios of Primero, Segundo, Tercero, Aguacate, Cabagán, Caracusey, Casilda, Guaniquical, Río de Ay, San Francisco, San Pedro and Táyaba.^[1]

Photo gallery

Plaza Mayor and Iznaga Tower  Plaza Mayor  A typical, colonial street  Street  Street  Trinidad just before a storm  Children in Trinidad  Playa Ancón

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trinidad

Cuba portal

External links

• mycubavisit.com, Online travel guide to Trinidad
• fotopedia.com, Selected photos of Trinidad

v • d • e World Heritage Sites in Cuba Alejandro de Humboldt National Park · Historic Centre of Camagüey · Urban Historic Centre of Cienfuegos · Archaeological Landscape of the First Coffee Plantations in the South-East of Cuba · Desembarco del Granma National Park · Old Havana and its Fortifications · San Pedro de la Roca Castle, Santiago de Cuba · Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios · Viñales Valley

v • d • e Municipalities in Sancti Spíritus Province Cabaiguán · Fomento · Jatibonico · La Sierpe · Sancti Spirítus · Taguasco · Trinidad · Yaguajay