Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains holidays
Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains holidays at a glance
Southeast of Havana, wedged between the south coast and the Escambray Mountains, Trinidad is Cuba’s most graceful and cultured city – a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a music scene to match. Isolated for decades from the rest of the country, this colonial treasure more or less bypassed the 20th century altogether, and stands today as one of the best-preserved baroque townscapes on the continent, with cobbled streets, grand palaces and small museums tucked behind pastel façades.
This is a place where Cuba’s history, culture and landscape knit together. In the city itself, fill your time with colonial architecture, live music, dance lessons or a visit to a craft workshop. Step beyond the centre and the region opens out into the Escambray Mountains, chunky, woodland-draped peaks studded with jade-green pools, where trails at Topes de Collantes lead to cascading waterfalls and rewarding walks.
Trinidad also earns its place in a wider Cuba itinerary. It sits around 375km from Havana by road, a journey of up to six hours, and combines naturally with Cienfuegos, Sancti Spíritus and the mangrove-fringed cayes of the north coast, including Cayo Santa Maria and Cayo Ensenachos.
Why choose Journey Latin America for your holiday to Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains
We’ve been planning trips to Central and South America for over 45 years, longer than any other UK specialist. Every holiday is built around you by a Travel Expert who has been to the places they recommend, with support from your first enquiry to the day you fly home.
Trinidad is where Cuba’s history, music and culture come together. Explore UNESCO-listed streets, enjoy live music and venture into the nearby Escambray Mountains.
When to visit Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains
Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains can be visited year-round, but the best time depends on the balance you want between weather, humidity, festivals and outdoor activities.
The weather during high season is often sunny, dry and not overly humid. Hike to cascading woodland waterfalls in the Topes de Collantes protected land high up in the mountains, or explore the beauty of colonial Trinidad by foot. The second week of Jan features live music, dancing and exhibitions as part of the Semana de la Cultura, while the processions that mark Semana Santa are some of the only religious celebrations in the country.
This is the wet season, with increased rainfall and the chance of hurricanes between Aug and Nov. In June there are exuberant carnival celebrations, with lively parades, glittery costumes and dancing to contagious drumming rhythms in the streets.
Top Things to do in Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains
Trinidad rewards slow exploration as much as it does a checklist of sights. Spend a morning wandering the cobbled streets of the colonial centre, ducking into craft workshops and small museums along the way, then let the evening unfold at Casa de la Trova or Casa de la Música, where live bands and salsa dancing spill out into the plaza.
Visit Trinidad’s Casa de la Trova to feel the rhythm that fuels Cuban life.
Explore the cobbled streets of colonial Trinidad. You might extend the trip with an optional tour of the old sugar mills in the surrounding Valle de los Ingenios.
Hike in the glorious, fertile landscapes around Trinidad to reach waterfalls cascading into jade pools.
Situated in the heart of Cuba, Santa Clara is a vibrant city steeped in history as a result of its involvement in the battles which took place during the Cuban Revolution. Che Guevara is especially venerated here, the site of his Mausoleum. In 1967 Guevara and a couple of dozen of his Cuban comrades were…
Accommodation in Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains
Staying in and around Trinidad puts you close to the colonial centre, with its music venues, plazas, museums and restaurants all within easy reach. Our options here range from the intimate Hotel del Rijo to Hotel Las Cuevas, the Iberostar Grand Hotel Trinidad and Mystique Trinidad, so there’s a style of stay to suit most tastes.
Restored colonial mansion in the heart of town, with spacious rooms, high ceilings and plenty of colonial character.
Hillside hotel with sweeping views across Trinidad and the surrounding landscape.
The Iberostar Grand Hotel Trinidad is an elegant, restored colonial property, with an impressive marble staircase, cigar bar and beautifully decorated rooms.
A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.
Holidays to Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains
Group Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains Tours
Our group tours follow expertly designed, well-planned routes with an experienced local guide throughout. Prefer to keep it to your own party? Book the same trips privately for four or more.
Parakeet: Cuba Beyond the beach
Places visited: Havana · Viñales and the Sierra de los Organos · Cienfuegos, Santa Clara and Bay of Pigs · Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains
12 days from £2,872
Tailor-Made Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains Tours
Prefer to travel on your own terms? We’ll build a trip around your dates, your pace and the things you most want to see – whether that’s a first run at Machu Picchu, a family adventure mixing history and wildlife, or a food-focused journey through Lima and the Sacred Valley. Our Travel Experts can help shape it with you.
Self-drive Cuba: Explore the east
Places visited: Havana · Cienfuegos, Santa Clara and Bay of Pigs · Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains · Santiago de Cuba
13 days from £2,280
Signature Cuba: The best of the highlights
Places visited: Havana · Viñales and the Sierra de los Organos · Las Terrazas · Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains · Caribbean cayes and coast · Cienfuegos, Santa Clara and Bay of Pigs
14 days from £2,300
Signature Cuba: The complete Cuba
Places visited: Havana · Las Terrazas · Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains · Viñales and the Sierra de los Organos · Cienfuegos, Santa Clara and Bay of Pigs · Santiago de Cuba · Southest Cuba
18 days from £3,010
Value Cuba: Cuba at a glance
Places visited: Havana · Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains · Viñales and the Sierra de los Organos · Caribbean cayes and coast
11 days from £1,450
FAQs about visiting Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains
Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains is one of the most popular destinations, and there’s plenty to think about before you go. Here, our specialists share their best advice.
- When's the best time to visit Trinidad?
The high season for visitors is Dec – Apr when the weather is usually sunny, mostly dry and not too humid, though there can be cool days. Hurricane and tropical storms are possible Aug – Nov.
- What's the official language in Trinidad?
Spanish.
- How do I get local currency in Trinidad?
For the latest currency information, please see our FAQs page for Cuba.
- What's the time difference between Trinidad and UK?
GMT -5 hours; usually there is daylight saving in the summer but it is a moveable feast.
- What places combine well with Trinidad?
Sancti Spíritus (55 km) small, unspoilt colonial town; Cienfuegos (61 km) the Pearl of the South. Beach time on one of the mangrove-fringed sandy cayes off the north coast – Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Ensenachos.
- How do I get to Trinidad?
A journey by road from Havana (375 km) takes up to 6 hours.
- What are the festivals, sport and cultural events in Trinidad?
Semana de la Cultura, Trinidad, second week of Jan. Live music, dancing and exhibitions.
Carnival: Trinidad, Jun. Complete with carnival queen and other festivities.
Semana Santa: Trinidad; processions and Easter celebrations, one of only a few religious festivals in Cuba.
Ready to start planning?
Tell us where you want to go, and we’ll take it from there. No obligation, no sales pitch – just a conversation with someone who knows the region inside out.