Trinidad, located in central Cuba, is a 500 year old colonial town that has been subject to little modernisation in it’s tenure. Plumbing and electricity has been built in without changing the fabrication of the town itself.

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there has been some restoration in the main hub of the town. This is where the tourists flock to see the colourful buildings, resplendent with the patina of “old”. Here we visited a restored church and feasted in remains of another.

Step away from the throngs of tourists and down the hill and the buildings become more dilapidated, the patina’s, less intentional and you get a real glimpse at life in Trinidad.

Taking this trip with Coast to Costa, helmed by charismatic and fluently Spanish speaking, Andrew Tyree, allowed us to experience Cuba in a way that the tourists shlepped in by the bus load were just not able to. Andrew was willing to strike up conversation with anyone, which led to us unearthing a pottery studio and an ancient cocktail recipe, amongst other things.

From the rooftop of our Casa.

Dinner in the ruins of an old church.

Away from the throngs of tourists. Here Andrew struck up conversation with a local butcher cooking up the innards of an entire few hundred pound pig.

Another well timed conversation lead to this pottery studio. Whilst we were picking out what we thought were tiny planters, Chichi, the owner, explained to us that they were in fact cups for an ancient cocktail, native to Cuba, the “Canchanchara”. The cocktail consists of rum, sugar, honey and lime (or lemon). It’s very tasty.

The Trinidad area is also home to Playa Ancon, one of Cuba’s most famed beaches.

More from central Trinidad and a snap of our #CubaSquad. From left to right: Scott, Andrew from Coast to Costa, Erin, Michael and Megan from Fresh Off the Grid.

So much more to come from Cuba!