The real Cuba lies beyond the resort

Liz Brown, For the Calgary Herald 


For many Canadians, Cuba is a ray of sunshine during our bleak northern winters. After a morning of digging out from a snowstorm, who wouldn't dream of lounging on Varadero's white sands, frosty Cuba Libre in hand, or sipping a mojito in Havana at Ernest Hemingway's favourite bar, La Bodeguita del Medio?

But travel beyond Varadero's famous beaches and Hemingway's haunts and you'll find a smaller, more laid-back city on the opposite side of the island. Trinidad, in Sancti Spiritus province, isn't as well-known as other Cuban destinations, but it should be.

Located near the Ancon peninsula, its beaches rival Varadero's, and the city offers some of the best preserved examples of colonial architecture in the Caribbean. In fact, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated this city of 70,000 a world heritage site in 1988.

I stayed at a resort on the Ancon Peninsula, about eight kilometres from the city. I used my resort as a base, but spent most of my time trekking the cobblestone streets of the city.

The first day, I took a tour bus from the resort. The first stop was the Mirador de La Loma del Puentos, a lookout that provided a panoramic view of Valle de Los Ingenios, another UNESCO world heritage site. The valleys hold the ruins of several sugar mills from the 19th century.

During the 18th and 19th century, Trinidad was a major sugar hub, and the Spanish brought slaves from Africa to the area. At the industry's peak, there were 58 sugar mills in the area, but with the abolishment of slavery in 1886, the sugar industry began to decline. Against this historic backdrop, you can enjoy a mojito or ice cream from the lookout's bar.

Next stop was Trinidad's centre, Plaza Mayor.

The city was somewhat forgotten after the sugar industry's decline, with minimal new construction taking place, and the centre remains virtually the same as it was 200 years ago.

Pastel-coloured colonial mansions, many converted into museums, line the heaving cobblestone streets. You can spend all day poking through museums, but a must visit is the Palacio Cantero (Calle Simon Bolivar 423). Housed in a mansion that was built between 1827 and 1830, it features historic documents and artifacts. The mansion itself overshadows the collection, with its massive courtyard, Italian marble floors and lookout tower.

Although a steep and rickety climb, the journey to the top of the tower is worth it. The view includes the city's main square, which features Iglesia de la Santisima Trinidad (Holy Trinity Church), one of the largest churches in Cuba. From here, you can also see one of the most familiar landmarks in Trinidad, the yellow and white tower of the Convent of St. Francis of Assisi.

After my first taste of Trinidad, I was ready to explore the city on my own. For two Cuban convertible pesos (CUC) (just over $2 Cdn), you get a round trip bus from the Ancon Peninsula to the city centre. Like most things, you get what you pay for, and though cheap, the bus isn't always reliable. In the city, I waited at two bus stops but a bus never showed up and I ended up taking a cab back.

Back in the city, I scouted out casa particulars, the Cuban equivalent of a bed and breakfast. Since the 1990s, the government has allowed some small businesses; with the casa particulars among the most popular. In the three-kilometre area surrounding Trinidad's centre, there are 400 families who rent rooms. Look for a generic blue arrow above a home's door, which signals that there are rooms to rent inside.

My favourite casa was that of Mabel Ortiz Duran (Fco. Javier Zerquera 360), just a few blocks from the Plaza Mayor. A big attraction in this house was the private en suite bathroom. Twenty five CUC ($27 Cdn) will get you a night's stay.

Just down the street from Duran's was a great little paladar, or private restaurant. Paladars are another product of the slow economic reform in Cuba. These are run out of homes and generally offer better fare at cheaper prices than state-run restaurants.

I enjoyed a leisurely three-course lunch at the paladar of Odalys Garcia (Fco. Javier Zerquera 61). Starters included tomato salad, fried banana chips and split pea soup. The main course was a massive lobster tail on a bed of rice. For dessert, Garcia's homemade flan is delectable. With two glasses of wine, lunch cost 14 CUC ($15 Cdn).

The paladar is close to the main square, home to a sculpture of Terpsicore, the Greek muse of song and dance -- a fitting tribute in a city where dance is a part of life.

Despite its small size, Trinidad has a vibrant night scene. For those who want to salsa to live music, the Casa de la Musica is the perfect spot. The open air bar is on the cobblestone steps next to Holy Trinity Church. Locals here take their dancing seriously and it was easy to spot the tourist from the well-practised Cuban.

I didn't pick up any new dance moves, but did learn an important lesson -- stilettos, cobblestones and alcoholic beverages don't mix. I suggest more practical footwear if you plan on spending a night dancing in Trinidad.

If you crave thumping bass, Discoteca Ayala (Finca Santa Ana) is quite literally the hottest spot in Trinidad. The bar is carved out of an underground cave and lacks air conditioning. Cram a few hundred grooving bodies inside on a 30-degree night and the venue quickly turns into a sauna.

It's pricier than other bars in the city, with a cover charge and drinks running $2 CUC and more, but the atmosphere is well worth the prices. There's not too many places in the world where you can dance to Spanish club tunes reverberating off a cave's stalactites.

Seven days slip by quickly, and by the end I realized I hadn't spent enough time on the beach. But, the ribbing I got about my pale skin on my return was a small price to pay for ditching the beach and exploring beyond the walls of the all-inclusive resort.