Trinidad

Trinidad was founded in 1514, but despite this early start it remained a backwater haven for smugglers until the late 18th century. Smugglers brought slaves and gold from British-controlled Jamaica, but all this changed in the early 19th century when a slave revolt in Haiti caused French planters to flee to Trinidad, where they re-established their mini-empires. Trinidad boomed until the Wars of Independence devastated the region's sugar plantations and the town again fell into obscurity. The legacy of this short-lived sugar-boom wealth can be seen in the town's baroque church towers, Carrara marble floors, wrought-iron grills and run-down mansions. The most impressive of all Trinidad's many museums must be Museo Histórico Municipal. A visit to the Taller Alfarero, a large ceramics workshop where traditional techniques are still used is also worthwhile. Some of Cuba's finest beaches are just outside Trinidad.