The Cuban archipelago, a tourist destination par excellence in the Caribbean, holds a wide range of historic elements that attract the interest of thousands of vacationers, both domestic and foreign, every year.

That way, traditional sun and beach options are complemented by those linked to the country's centuries-old history, especially in the city of Trinidad.

Originally named Villa de la Santisima Trinidad, it was one of the first villages founded in Cuba by the Spanish conquistadors. The region holds the so-called Valle de los Ingenios (Sugar Mills' Valley), which is a unique treasure of the development of the sugar industry in the Caribbean island.

Designated Humankind's Heritage by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), along with the city's historic heart, Valle de los Ingenios holds the ruins of dozens sugar mills, summer estates, barracks and other facilities linked to sugar production.

A living museum on sugar in Cuba, the valley holds the vestiges of a monumental industrial architecture, due to its dimension and variety of materials, in addition to one-of-a-kind examples of domestic buildings, some of which have been preserved despite the passing of time.

As a sign of the boom of that economic activity in 1827, the region of Trinidad, which had a population of 28,700, had 56 sugar mills that used more than 11,000 slaves as labor force.

The region currently has hotels, diving centers and marinas that create a unique tourist offer.

Near the city is Ancon Beach, which benefits from the warm, crystal-clear water of the Caribbean Sea, in an environment that invites tourists to practice nautical sports in some 30 diving hotspots.

Meanwhile, diving enthusiasts can visit Cayo Blanco de Casilda, where they can watch black corals, turtles and crustaceans.

Maria Aguilar Beach, near the Village of Trinidad, offers warm shallow waters with sea bottoms inhabited by a wide variety of corals, sea fans, tropical fish and chelonians.

Trinidad, which is also called Cuba's Museum City, has the privileged of being one of the country's colonial cities and is among the most complete and best preserved architectural complexes in the American continent.

Colonial mansions that are big, comfortable and ventilated, palaces where luxury and squandering prevailed to integrate into Cuban colonial art, turn Trinidad into an undisputable centuries-old urban and architectural jewel.

The characteristic decoration of the city houses is based on neoclassic ornamentation, which is reflected in murals, mouldings, wood frames and the capricious shapes of iron-wrought railings, making it one of the city's main attractions.