Trinidad and the Valley de los Ingenios

Trinidad, founded in 1514, is one of the best preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region. The Valley de los Ingenios is a series of three interconnected valleys about 12 kilometres (7 miles) outside of Trinidad. The three valleys, San Luis, Santa Rosa and Meyer were a centre for sugar production from the late 18th century until the late 19th century.

Year	Decision	Comments
1988	Inscribed	Reasons for inscription
1988	Deferred	Evaluation can continue now that Cuba has indicated this is its only Tentative list Cultural property

Reviews

stewart ayu (canada):
I visited Trinidad in 1990 while staying at a resort several kms away. I went into town on a motor bike with a group and a local guide. The small town was pretty and painted in pastels. The local people were friendly. It was a pleasant place with lots of flowers and singing birds in cages in front of people's homes. Quaint and worth an hour or two at most.

Date posted: March 2009

():
Visiting Trinidad is like going back in centuries.Can you imagine the following scene:In an old house who is a day nursery for children I saw a little child in a cradle(small
swing wooden bed) sleeping on a mattress of straw.I thought: this is a new-born Jesus Christ.The absolute poverty of people in Cuba does not comply with their optism and their complete "joie de vivre". You have to visit this country to find out that money means nothing to those who discovered the real meaning of living in its absence.

Michiel van der Veur (Netherlands Antilles):
Trinidad is like walking back into time.

The city centre is characterised by low rise houses and small cobble stone streets. No cars are allowed in the centre, making it sometimes surrealistic to walk around in this city, adding much to this back in time experience.

You wake up with the sound of people selling bread and milk, the chickens looking for food and a cow pulling a cart.

Of course Trinidad has some cigar factories and a Casa de la Musica. In the evenings the square in front of the Casa is the centre of entertainment: the old city, music, dancing, cigars and rum all blend into this incredable atmosphere.

Trinidad can easily be reached by bus. Viazul is very reliable (in 2001), but the busses are extremely cold since the airconditioning has only one grade: feezing.

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