Having witnessed the splendor that Trinidad’s aristocracy once enjoyed, today’s excursion will reveal how its slaves suffered. Valle de los Ingenios, a lush expanse of greenery just outside town, acted as the center of the Cuba sugar production from the end of the 18th to the beginning of the 19th century, a feat made possible by the work of over 30,000 African slaves. On this full-day tour, you will visit a number former sugar mills to explore warehouses, manor houses, and slave quarters. You’ll have the opportunity to climb a 45-meter bell tower that used to signal the end of the work day along with prayer times, and possibly served as a lookout point for runaway slaves. Today, it commands the best views of the valley.

You will continue to explore Trinidad’s historic city center. Your first stop of the afternoon is the extremely-grand Museum of Colonial Architecture, set in an 18th-century mansion previously owned by the sugar barons of the Sanchez Iznaga family. The tour continues with a visit to Casa de Aldeman Ortiz, a mansion built in 1809 for Ortiz de Zuniga, a slave trader and mayor of Trinidad. The building now hosts an art school and gallery, mainly exhibiting contemporary Cuban pieces. The student’s work is on sale to the public.

Refreshed, you’ll visit the Municipal History Museum, also set in a converted mansion. The history of the building is almost as interesting as the exhibits on display. It was home to Justo Germán Castro, a German planter, who is reputed to have acquired vast sugar estate by poisoning his close friend and marrying his widow, who also suffered an untimely death.

You’ll have another opportunity to sample Trinidad’s lively music scene with a trip to Casa de la Musica, probably the city’s most vibrant evening spot. Visitors and locals alike shake their hips to salsa rhythms – feel free to join in!