Day Trip from Cayo Coco to Trinidad
October 19
After breakfast, we continue with our Geely across the causeway back to the mainland heading towards Trinidad.
Ciego de Avila
Our first stop is in Ciego de Avila, a very authentic town - we drive through and stop at the town's biggest attraction, the Theatro Principal from 1927, glowing in light blue. At Parque Marti, you encounter colonial palaces right next to ugly concrete apartment blocks. The town is dominated by the Catedral de San Eugenio de la Palma, which is worth a visit. A beautiful photo motif is also the town hall in sunny yellow with arcades and a clock tower. But there's also a pedestrian zone that we stroll through, past the peso shops where only locals are allowed to shop. But the best part was truly the toy store we passed - Cuban children would think they'd landed in paradise if they could just once visit a German toy store.
In Ciego de Avila, we also go to the bank and manage to withdraw money from the ATM, since everything else would have taken far too long due to the long queues.
Sancti Spiritus - Cuba
Our next town is almost one of our favorites - it's Sancti Spiritus, a colonial town with an almost medieval flair, and I believe it's also the only town where nobody approached us. Particularly worth seeing - also inside - is one of the oldest churches in Cuba, the Iglesia Parroquial Mayor Espiritiu Santo in a magnificent blue. At the Parque Central, there are beautifully restored mansions and palaces in colonial style. Be sure to take a stroll through the pedestrian zone and over the cobblestones to the Yayabo Bridge, a brick bridge that has spanned the river of the same name since 1817. Nearby, slightly to the east, you'll find the oldest lane in town. It charms with tile-roofed single-story colorful houses, often equipped with a kind of hatch in the front door for "quick doorstep business and conversations."
Valle de los Ingenios: Mirador Loma del Puerto & Manaca Iznaga Tower
Our next highlight on the way to Trinidad is the Valle de los Ingenios, which together with the sugar mill ruins is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To get a first overview, we drive to the viewpoint Mirador Loma del Puerto, a restaurant with bar located right at the entrance sign to Trinidad (turn right uphill). Well, then we realized we had driven past one of the main attractions - the tower used to watch the slaves. The Iznaga Tower is in the village of Manaca and was built over 7 levels with 136 steps. The view from 44 meters high is wonderful and the ascent is adventurous. When coming from Trinidad, you can see it from far away. On our route, unfortunately not, so pay attention!
Hotel Trinidad Las Cuevas
Finally arriving at our hotel, we want to take a quick dip in the pool to cool off. The security guard allows it even though it's already closed. The view from our Hotel Trinidad Las Cuevas (Las Cuevas Finca Santa Ana Sancti Spiritus, Trinidad, 62600), also booked half-board through Logitravel, is superb and the evening show with dance and song overlooking Trinidad is impressive.
Ayala Cave Disco
To crown the evening, we visit a cave disco (the first in our lives) called the Ayala Cave Disco, which also belongs to the Hotel Las Cuevas and is reached via a longer path. Here we watch the regulars and the tourists - yes, we join in too. A cool atmosphere! We're not back at the hotel until after 2 AM.
Continue in the Cuba travel guide: Trinidad and onward to Cienfuegos
