Unique Places in Trinidad

This church dating from 1812 has long been abandoned and is in danger of falling down, such is its condition. Nothing really much to see as it is locked up. In the small square below the church there are some benches in the shade and a fine Carrara marble bust of a gentleman I forgot to take the name of. On the right hand side along the calle San Domingo is an old Spanish prison, now converted into a cultural centre and restaurant.

Behind the church on Plaza Mayor you'll find the calle Amargura which to the right meets calle Santa Ana that'll bring you directly to the Plza.

Manaca Iznaga is a good dozen kms outside of Trinidad and is in one of the three connecting valleys known collectively as the "Valle de los Ingenios". There were over 50 sugar mills operating in the region at one time. The hacienda of Manaca Iznaga is one of the only ones still subsisting but the main attraction though is the 45 metre high tower next to the railway line. It was once used for controlling the slaves on the plantation, both with a large bell for stopping/starting times but also visually. An armed foreman would stand up here all day watching for any slave not working or trying to escape, give the alarm by ringing the bell or simply using his rifle. We had our own car to get out here, but it is possible by using one of the agency tour buses or there is a tourist train that takes you the full distance from Trinidad through the valleys. The train costs around 10 CUC return and leaves from the station in Trinidad at 9h30. You can walk around freely to look, after getting through the souvenir stalls at the bottom of the tower. Guided tours are 5 CUC and 1 CUC to climb the tower. The bell that is seen in the second pic below is the original that was at the top of the tower.

4 kms out from Trinidad is La Boca, a small village with its own gravelly beach. It was not very animated when we were here in February, but were told it livens up in the summer months. There are a couple of bars and pizza places along the seafront, but don't expect a gourmet restaurant. The water infront of the beach is a little grey, apparently from the water from the river churning things up, although the locals seemed to find it okay.
A taxi from Trinidad will cost you 5 CUC and you should ask him to come back at a fixed time as there is not a lot of transportation in the area. We ended up hitching a ride with a farmer and his horse and cart. Way to meet the locals though.
La Boca is also the place where Alexander von Humboldt, a German geologist and explorer landed in 1801 during his American voyage.

Playa Ancon is about 14 kms from Trinidad but quite easy to get to. We used a coco taxi the first time and a bicytaxi the second. Cocotaxi is 5 CUC one way and the bicytaxi 8 CUC. There are buses but awkward to find the point of departure, but easy enough to come back with the bus 2 CUC each person and in either direction. There is also the option of a shared taxi. There are always taxis waiting on the parking lot close to the outside bar/resto, and if you have another couple or three people it'll only cost you 3/4 CUC each. Once there, there is of course the Playa Ancon hotels and a marina, but along the beach and even in front of the hotels is free. Slightly away from the main hotel along the beach there are plenty of sun-shades but better to get there in the morning. Also trees for shade if necessary. There is an outside bar/restaurant attached to the hotel but no problem for anyone sitting and ordering. A hamburger and a beer is around 4/5 CUC.

The second time we went out to Playa Ancon was by bicy-taxi. We had been to the Immigration office for the extensions on our tourists cards and bicy-taxi was the only transport back into town. When we mentioned that we were going to the beach afterwards, he said "No problem, I'll take you". 12 kms from the Immigration!!! It obviously took a lot longer than with a taxi, but it did give us the opportunity to stop for some photos on the road. From Trinidad to Ancon there a couple of lagoons on the way and you can get quite close on the sandbanks to the waders, herons, egrets and sometimes pelicans, which we saw on the way back, but in a taxi this time.

Full name is : La Ermita de Nuestra Senora de la Candelaria de la Popa, the oldest church in Trinidad built in 1740 up on a hill behind the old town. Unfortunately it is now in such a state of disrepair, a fence has been erected round it because of the danger of lumps falling off. In fact there were workmen shoring up one side of it when we climbed up there. One thing it does have is the best view over the town with the iconic Convent of St Francis od Assissi sticking up like a sore thumb, and the Carribean sea in the background. From the left hand side of the Plaza Mayor it is about a 15/20 mins walk, bit dusty but not too hard.

The special location of trinidad, offers a lot of possibilities for photographers

Just get on the top of one of the public towers and you won't be disapointed.

The shadow of the Museo Historico Municipal also called casa cantero, souvenir of a german

owner of sugar plantations.

The view, before sunset, is worth, the small "energetic" climbing to the top of the tower; have

good shoes!

I got a parasite and got to visit the Trinidad travellers hospital. I got an ambulance ride, 2 doctors, 3 nurses, a test, a shot, rehydration mixture and ten days worth of antibiotics for $72 not to bad. That would have easily been ten times the amount in the U.S. It is unusual to tip your doctors though.

The ruins of the Santa Ana church are on Plaza Santa Ana, just a short walk northeast from the old town. It's quite interesting and there are nice colonial houses on the street leading there.