Trinidad, Cuba

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Trinidad
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settlement_type = Municipality
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image_caption = Street of Trinidad


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pushpin_label_position = none
pushpin_map_caption = Location of Trinidad in Cuba
pushpin_mapsize = 280
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = flag|Cuba
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = Sancti Spíritus
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established_title = Founded
established_date = December 23, 1514
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area_total_km2 = 1155
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population_as_of = 2004
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population_total = 73466
population_density_km2 = 63.6
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timezone = EST
utc_offset = -5
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latd= 21|latm= 48|lats= 15|latNS=N
longd= 79|longm= 58|longs= 59|longEW=W
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elevation_m = 80
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area_code = +53-41
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footnotes = Trinidad is a town in the province of Sancti Spíritus, central Cuba. Together with the nearby Valle de los Ingenios, it has been one of UNESCOs World Heritage sites since 1988.

History

Trinidad was founded on December 23, 1514 by Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar under the name Villa De la Santísima Trinidad. Its one of the best preserved cities in the Caribbean from the time when the sugar trade was the main industry in the region.

Economy

Nowadays, Trinidad's main industry is tobacco processing. The older parts of town are well preserved as the Cuban tourism industry sees benefit from tour groups. In contrast, some parts of town outside the non-tourist areas are very run down and in disrepair, especially in the centre.

Tourism

Tourism officials like to say Trinidad is a museum in itself. Those visiting the 500-year-old city will find Spanish colonial architecture, underscoring a colonial ambiance that marks the tiny city one of the country’s greatest attractions. Only a few square blocks in size, historic Trinidad is famous for its lovely, cobblestone streets, pastel coloured houses with elaborate wrought-iron grills, as well as majestic palaces and plazas. The city can be toured in a few hours, by foot or by horse-drawn carriage. The city’s is located near both the Escambray Mountains and the Caribbean beach.

One of the area’s most interesting sights is the Valley of the Sugar Mills, which has been declared a World Heritage Site. The valley has around 70 long-standing sugar mills that are a reminder of the importance of sugar to the Cuban economy over the centuries. Twenty km from the city is Topes de Collantes, one of Cuba’s premier ecotourism centres. Another ttraction is the Casilda Bay, which attracts both snorkelers and divers. A nearby islet has pristine beaches.

Ancon Beach is a white sand beach that boasts a number of three- and four star hotels. Ancón was one of the first new resorts to be developed in Cuba following the 1959 revolution. Along the Ancon Peninsula are three hotels: Hotel Costa Sur (South Coast Hotel), Hotel Ancon and Brisas Trinidad del Mar (opened in 2002)

Attractions

*Plaza Mayor
*Municipal History Museum
*Santísima Trinidad Cathedral
*Playa Ancon

Demographics

In 2004, the municipality of Trinidad had a population of 73,466.Cite web| url=http://www.atenas.inf.cu/todo/Estadisticas/TABLA%20No_3balance.htm| title=2004 Population trends, by Province and Municipality| author= Atenas.cu| year= 2004| accessdate=2007-10-07 Es icon] With a total area of km2 to mi2|1155|abbr=yes|wiki=yes,Cite web|url=http://www.statoids.com/ycu.html|title=Municipios of Cuba|author=Statoids| year=2003| month=July| accessdate=2007-10-07 ] it has a population density of Pop density km2 to mi2|63.6|abbr=yes.

The municipality is divided into the barrios of Primero, Segundo, Tercero, Aguacate, Cabagán, Caracusey, Casilda, Guaniquical, Río de Ay, San Francisco, San Pedro and Táyaba.Cite web|url=http://www.guije.com/pueblo/municipios/vtrinidad/index.htm|title=Trinidad|author=Guije.com|accessdate=2007-10-07 Es icon]

References

External links

* [http://www.guije.com/pueblo/avillas/trinidad/index.htm City webpage] es icon
* [http://www.mycubavisit.com/cities/Trinidad.html Online travel guide to Trinidad]
* [http://www.cuba.tc/Trinidad.html Trinidad hotels]