My Search For The Perfect Colonial Town Ends

As impressed as I was with Antigua, with its picturesque streets and an impressive volcano looming in the near distance, there was something missing from an otherwise perfect colonial town. Authenticity. Not that Antigua wasn't a real colonial town, but it was restored for tourism and as such, was super clean, tidy and each house was a hostel, travel agent, artisan shop or some kind of eatery.

So in a way, Granada had a more real vibe, being a town where locals actually still lived. The buildings were not as impeccable as Antigua, having peeling paint and faded wooden doors, but these details as well as the sight of locals sitting on their doorsteps or ambling along in horse-drawn carts gave it more character.

Cuba's Trinidad had an even more authentic vibe than Granada and was just as pretty as Antigua. There were a few touristy streets, for sure, but mostly, Trinidad fascinated me with its picture perfect streets, architecture and ever-present cars from the 1950s. Everywhere I turned was a pretty cobbled street, fancy wrought iron grills or beautifully textured tile roofs. People lived in these houses, many offering neat double rooms for board (you will get a flurry of offers as soon as you leave the bus station).

There seemed to be music played on every street. Performers sang in the café restaurants while drum bands rehearsed in side streets. During the evenings, larger restaurants and clubs played live music to entertain diners and dancers. Near the little main square, was the Casa de la Música, set up on the steps by the church. Tourists sat on the steps or at tables laid out on one of the landings, drinking beer from one of the small bars nearby. A salsa band would rip out some great rhythms while tourists and locals alike danced, and then we were treated to Afro Cuban beats and colorful dance performances.

I was happy to plunder away a few days in the pretty town, taking photos at every opportunity. Window grills, louvres and ornamental singing birds hung from eaves in wooden cages at the break of dawn, colorful facades and the real people of Cuba.