Horseback Ride to the Waterfalls in Trinidad, Cuba
Welcome to Trinidad, a small former Spanish colonial town in Cuba. Trinidad is a must see destination in Cuba for all history lovers and those looking to go out on the town for a romantic evening or late night parties. Trinidad is quite small and popular among tourists for it’s cobblestone street, artistic vibes and brightly colored buildings. Alisa and I loved it for an entirely different reason, the hospitality.
We spent our best day in Cuba in Trinidad. Starting in a packed one horse wagon on bumpy muddy road heading towards the local waterfalls outside of town, followed by hours cooling off at the refreshing waterfalls, and ending at a local’s family farm as dinner guests and new members of the family. It was the experience unlike any other and why you too should open your hearts to Trinidad.
Welcome to Trinidad
Trinidad, Cuba is a small town of 75,000 located along the south coast. It is one of the most well preserved Spanish colonial towns in the Caribbean when it served as a hub for the many surrounding sugar plantations during the 16th century. Today, the cobblestone streets and brightly painted archways and buildings are a throwback to this history.
The main industries are tobacco processing and tourism. Naturally, there are many ranches and tobacco farms where once sugar plantations reigned supreme. Tourism is also very important to life in Trinidad. The town is small but attracts a large number of western tourists that fill the many restaurants, bars and shops and streets. The city is full of art. We even encountered a writer on the streets, a poet. It had that kind of charm that simply exists, that can’t be faked. I felt the atmosphere in Trinidad would have been right at home in an 18th century Spanish novela about love and loss, and half expected a musician to start playing a sad ballad on the street corner. It didn’t, but it felt like a possibility.
Trinidad was recommended by a few other travelers, so I added it to my list without knowing much about it. It was a great choice and well worth the time spent on the bus and taxi collectivo. Alisa and I fell in love with Cuban culture and hospitality here, thanks to Leonel and Maria who welcomed us into their home and hearts.
Waterfall Horseback Tours
The thing to do in Trinidad is take a horseback riding tour to one of the many local waterfalls. I’m not sure if Cuba has a dry season like other tropical places, but July was fairly sunny and dry. Perfect for a horseback ride but terrible for trekking on foot. This is a few months before the hurricane season that starts in September, so the weather is hot but a little stormy. The journey on horseback is really fun – slowly trotting through the countryside with a cowboy hat on. You can feel like a true Cuban rancher. That’s not what Alisa and I experienced.
I was dumb and insisted on hiking the 8 kms to the waterfall, in July, in the middle of the day. That was a terribly decision I was lucky enough I didn’t have to live with thanks to Leonel. Shortly out of town, while suffering from the sun in the open sky, Leonel rode up in his wagon and offered us a ride. I was skeptical, I always am, but I knew Alisa wouldn’t make it in this mid-summer heat. So whatever it would inevitably cost, we hoped in the old wagon.
Leonel proceeded to pick up everyone who needed a lift until we were all packed on the one horse wagon. The kids had been swimming in the river, others were returning from town or the market. As we rode through the countryside, everyone waved hello to Leonel, including his best friend, whom Leonel referred to as his second wife and jokingly as his gay lover… At which point I knew these were truly lifelong friends.
We rode further out of town until only Alisa, Leonel and I were left. We didn’t ask how far he intended to take us, we simply rode along chitchatting. The wagon ride was hilariously bumpy as the dirt roads were heavily rutted and muddy – all my photos are slanted – odd pictures were the least of my problems as my bottom was in a heap of pain on the wooden bench. We were holding on for dear life, with our cameras away as Leonel picked up the pace.
As we arrived at the trail leading to the waterfall, all the horses were tied off in rows. Leonel’s horse was spectacular, healthy and clean, but fair warning that some of the horses were quite heavily branded, as cattle usually are on a ranch, other had open wounds, their hair looking more than a little worse for wear. Whenever animals are used in tourism, the ethical treatment question inevitably arises. I don’t know enough about horses or ranching to know the good from the bad. But I recommend asking your casa or around town for the best tours and inspecting the horses yourself.
The waterfall was fairly small with a narrow pond at the base with icy-cold water. A small cave with stalactites and stalagmites is off to the right. When we arrived there were dozens of tourists bathing, drinking mojitos and jumping off the ledges. It was fun but more than a little dangerous. Objectively, the waterfall is nice but it’s just an excuse to spend a half day riding through the countryside, soaking in the details of local life in Cuba. Unlike the hired guides who just stood around with the horses, or playing cards, Leonel joined us in the pond, diving in head first. He was an absolute madman at one point trying to climb up the waterfall – in stream – before doing a backflip back into the water.
Leonel's Farm - Life in Cuba
After a great half day at the waterfall, soaking in the sun and enjoying the refreshing cool water we headed back into town. As guests of Leonel, we didn’t know where we were headed until he invited us to his family farm for dinner. The farm was tucked away into the countryside, down a hill and across the train tracks. Leonel’s mother, seen with me in the photo, runs a popular restaurant and for all the horseback riding tours. You’ll likely stop there to eat after a tour without knowing it. Leonel’s farm is perhaps 100 meter away.
This was the best experience of our time in Cuba and it was completely unexpected and so heart warming. It’s experience like this that make traveling the way we do instead of staying at fancy resorts or hotels incredibly memorable. It’s one thing to stay at a casa for airbnb and another to be invited into someone’s home, break bread and enjoy their company.
The farm was small and quaint with a brood of chickens, a pig pen, a cow, a tiny covered hut for Leonel’s precious work horse. In the back was a crop of vegetables, with stalks of corn and wheat. Leonel took us to the river that ran along the back of his property. He had partially dammed the river to create a small pond for bathing. Of course, we just had to take a dip and enjoy it together with his adorable puppy.
After a quick change of clothes in their one room brick house, large enough for only two beds, a closet and a 1990s TV with Lord of the Rings playing in the DVD player, we sat down under the trees for a meal of rice, beans and eggs with a cup of fresh juice. It was the best beans and rice I’ve ever had. Although Leonel’s wife spoke little English, we spoke of life in Cuba, romance, love and family.
This was not an experience tourists can buy, but something special that I had to share. Alisa and I live for these kinds of personal experiences that go beyond above and beyond simply being friendly or welcoming. Before we departed after getting a lift back into town in the wagon, Leonel called us his ‘familia’ and welcomed us to return and visit anytime in the future. I felt incredibly guilty for initially thinking he just wanted to charge us for a ride. Leonel didn’t treat us (tourists) any different from the others in his community. He opened his heart to us and didn’t ask for anything more than our time. It was a lesson learned, he opened our hearts too. I know If I ever have the chance to visit Cuba again, I will visit Trinidad and ask around for Leonel and Maria. Everyone in the town seems to know Leonel, so they won’t be hard to find.
A huge thanks to Leonel and Maria, for sharing their lives with us making us fall in love with Cuban hospitality.
Airbnb Casas in Trinidad
Alisa and I arrived in Trinidad late in the evening around 6pm. We weren’t exactly sure where our Casa was and had difficulty navigating the streets at night. This served as yet another lesson to confirm the location via GPS coordinates (No data in Cuba but GPS works), or make an arrangement with the Casa owner to meet somewhere like the Viazul bus station if you believe you’ll have difficulty.
Trinidad is very small, we were fortunate to ask a few locals who ran their own casa for help. These locals were actually personal friends of our casa owners who came down the street to pick us up after more than an hour of walking the streets lost. It’s important to keep a cool head in these moment, take a breather and do the smart thing by asking for help. People are always willing to lend a hand and Cubans are incredibly friendly.
Our Casa, Hostal Friends hosted by Yilian was wonderful, the room had two double beds, a small kitchenette, air-con, a roof-top patio and indoor dinning area with a large balcony. The fridge was stocked with water and fresh mango juice. After a quick shower, we were ready for a night out in Trinidad and were invited out to join the locals at a popular hangout spot for drinks and music. The next morning, we opted in for the delicious breakfast which included fresh fruit, bread, Cuban style biscuits and amazing coffee. 10/10 would stay again.
Trinidad Nightlife
Trinidad is a great town for a night of fun, dancing and drinking. The town doesn’t have the urban sprawl and hidden alleys like Havana, it’s way smaller and has this wonderful vibrant nightlife. It’s also very different from the clubs filled with tourists on Varadero Beach.
Alisa and I were invited for drinks at a popular spot among local young Cubans called El Mago Bar. This bar was a hole in the wall… it had a hole in the wall where the DJ was. The bar has this really cool vibe of young local Cubans all coming in and out for drinks smokes and just having a good time. There were few tourists, but as guests of the co-owners we felt right at home. Young cubans love modern music, especially electronic music and R&B/Hiphop.
The bar was decorated with artwork, one of our hosts had attended University in Cuba for fine arts, she is an incredibly talented portrait artist. Chairs and tables are tied to the ceiling with cloth and string, while the bar itself this colonial brick building. We loved it, and it’s just one of many small local treasures near Park Plaza Mayor in the center of town. Check out Tripadvisors 5 Best Spots for Nightlife in Trinidad for more info.
Near park Carrillo, there was a huge crowd of young local Cubans. It turned out to be a music concert! The music was really great, although the speakers were a little messed up with interference… People roamed the park talking, drinking and enjoying the free show. We stayed until a fight broke out and dozens of young guys started running in every direction and the cops eventually came to break it up That was a good hint to move on home for some rest.
Taxi Collectivos - Getting to Trinidad
From our last article about Varadero Beach, we looked at the Viazul Buses that run between cities across Cuba. One of the few alternatives is the taxi collectivo network.
From Trinidad to Vinales, our next destination in Cuba, there is no direct Viazul Bus route. We would have had to stay a night back in Havana before heading to Vinales the next day. So the taxi collectivo was our only real option as we did not want to rent a car ourselves. At first we were quite hesitant about it because taxis in general are always questionable in foreign countries. Always. I have a personal policy that I will always take public transportation over taxis when given the choice, even in Canada. That’s why I also approve of apps like Uber and Grab.
Alisa and I took a taxi with another couple from Trinidad to the outskirts of Havana. From there we transferred to this big blue truck-van and waited for others arriving from other cities. The pit stop had toilets but no real places to eat, so bring snacks for the ride. While waiting I was reunited with Clem from Korea whom I met on my chaotic arrival into Havana. After 45 minutes we departed for Vinales and the driver dropped people off near their booked Casas. Just give the driver your phone to see the address.
The taxi collectivo network was very reliable, quick and wasn’t too expensive. We paid 70-80 CUC ($70-80 USD) for two. Each driver relies on the network as a whole and the trust travellers have in it. Otherwise, they risk losing their livelihoods.
More Info on Cuba
I think of Cuba as one of the last remaining frontiers of the old world. From the classic cars, to colonial architecture and small local farms with horses and wagons… Cuba is this unique place frozen in time is some ways, while modern and hip in others. The best place to start your journey into the depth of Cuban history and travel is with these three articles:
For more travel related tips, check out our following articles below.
