Postcards from Trinidad

By: Rachell Cowan Canino

Photo: RCC/TTC

For three days, the former Township of Santísima Trinidad of Cuba celebrated the first Canchánchara International Festival. Tradition and culture. They were days in which all the artistic manifestations came together to make those who visited the beautiful heritage city happier and more enamored.

Music and canchánchara were just the first reason to discover and explore the cobblestone streets that protect a history of more than 500 years. Coincidentally, the first day of the Festival also celebrated the 35 years of its declaration as a World Heritage Site.

tower of the San Francisco de Asís church. Photo: RCC/TTC

If you visit Trinidad, one of the essential places is to climb to the top of the bell tower of the San Francisco de Asís church, from where you can see the entire city. The sea, the Escambray mountains and the beautiful heritage city.

Plaza Mayor. Photo: RCC/TTC

The center of Trinidadian life is, without a doubt, its Plaza Mayor. It was in the mid-19th century when it reached its current appearance due to the boom in sugar production at the time. When arriving at this square it is inevitable to feel as if you have gone back in time.

Plaza de las Tres Cruces. Photo: RCC/TTC

The overwhelming Plaza de las Tres Cruces is located at the northwest end of the Historic Center, in the neighborhood known as El Calvario. In the middle of its large space stand three wooden crosses, installed there since at least 1826 and which were the arrival point for Catholic processions during Holy Week and Corpus Christi, which is why the square acquired relevance from the initial moments of the conquest and colonization.

Trinidad was designated in 2019 as a Creative City by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This Network of Creative Cities brings together those that base their development on creativity, whether through music, crafts and popular arts, design, cinema, literature, digital arts or gastronomy. In this, Trinidad is a relevant case.

Canchánchara. Photo: RCC/TTC

The Trinidadian drink par excellence is the Canchánchara, and another essential place to visit is the tavern that bears the same name. The cocktail based on spirits, lemon and honey has its origins in the scrubland, where it was used by the 19th century Mambí independence fighters to protect themselves from the cold nights of the Cuban countryside, to fight against respiratory diseases and to gain energy for combat.

Trinidad is a gift for the soul, but its sunsets have the most incredible colors.