“To the Valley of the Mills, A Trip Through Time” Tour

“To the Valley of the Mills, A Trip Through Time” Tour

Founded by Spanish colonizer Diego Velasquez as the third settlement of the island, the colonial gem of Trinidad is nowadays one of the best preserved towns of the Caribbean and the second in Cuba to earn a UNESCO listing after Havana. After Hernan Cortes set sail from here to discover Mexico, the city became incredibly wealthy through the sugar trade and the exploitation of slave labor in the cane sugar mills of the Valle de los Ingenios. Much of the heritage remains visible today and can be explored in and around the colorful cobblestone streets of Trinidad.

Trinidad is the best preserved colonial town in Cuba and the Valle de los Ingenios is a living museum of the former sugar trade of the 18th and 19th century. This UNESCO site is located at the southwestern coast of Cuba, in the Sancti Spiritus province, in the center of the island. Originally founded in 1514 by Diego Velazquez, most buildings in Trinidad date from the time of the sugar trade in the 18th and 19th centuries. The UNESCO inscription happened in 1988.

The Valle de los Ingenios is a living museum of the former sugar trade of the 18th and 19th century. The Valley of the Sugar Mills is known as Valle de los Ingenios to the Cuban people and technically is comprised of three different valleys — Meyer, San Luis and Santa Rosa. This region of the country extends more than 100 square miles and contains more than 70 former sugar mills.

The Cuban sugar empire lasted from the late 18th to the late 19th century. At its peak, 50 sugar mills were concurrently in operation, producing 140,000 sugar cane arrobas per 32 acres. Part of the reason the Valley of the Sugar Mills was ultimately named a UNESCO World Heritage Site is because these sugar plantations were closely tied in with the slave trade that was rampant at the time. It's estimated that some 80,000 Africans were brought to Cuba to work specifically on these sugar-producing farms during that time period.

Description:

Those who visit the City of Trinidad are captivated by its beauty and colonial splendor. Hence the importance of knowing the history of the San Luis Valley, where sugar was produced in big mills with the predominant slave labor of Africa. Providing its owners with great wealth that gave birth to the great palaces that we enjoy today as we walk through its streets, giving rise to the start of the Trinitarian Sacarocracy.

• The tour begins with an explanation of the Guide on the itinerary to follow. Walking through the streets of Colonial Trinidad.
• Visit to the Casa de La Ceramic Red , of the Santander Family, where the client will enjoy a large collection of handmade elements made by the family in red ceramic, copy of the porrones used to distill the sugar molasses in the sugar mills and see the production process, you can also buy souvenirs. - Visit to the Mirador del Valle nestled in the height of a mountain that will allow you to enjoy the natural beauty of the San Luis Valley. For adventure, lovers can take aerial photos from a canopy (not included) and go deeper into history.
• Visit to Manaca Izaga, there are the ruins of this old mill, its original boilers and bells. The Manaca Tower, the main attraction with its 43.5 meters high and architectural elegance of its design, national monument, is the most beautiful of its kind in the country. In La Casa Hacienda preserved until today is the Trapiche built in 1877 (machine for the extraction of cane juice, original of the mill.) There is the blacksmith's shop, the infirmary and the hamlet of the slaves that constitute by their architectural typology unique exhibitions in Cuba.
• Visit to Hacienda Guáimaro, the sugar plantation that achieved the most sugar production in its time, there are relics of archaeological excavations, as well as a large display of objects used by the landowners of great historical and cultural value (the Chapel with the Original Bible written in Latin and covered in gold threads and enameled in emeralds, as well as the graphic history of the Borrell family. The hacienda house has walls covered with mural painting from floor to ceiling with romantic and neoclassical themes of the time made by an Italian artist of those times; they include landscapes and portraits of a fine artistic finish.
• Visit to San Isidro de Los Destiladeros, the most preserved in these days, there is La Hacienda House in excellent condition and the three-level tower with a neoclassical layout of Renaissance Europe used as a lookout and bell tower. There are the ruins of the hydraulic system to supply the sugar mill and the novel system known as the Jamaiquino Train for cooking sugar. All this facilitates the understanding of the process of obtaining sugar.
• Return to the city, to the Cespedez Park or accommodation of the client.
• End of the tour.

Customer’s pick-up location: in the address of the hostel where they are staying or in place of reference (municipal library, located in marty street, in front of the bank and place of with drawal of cash in ATM very popular). Departure in taxy 8:45 a.m. Visit to the Santander family red ceramic factory. Visit to the viewpoint of the Valle de los Ingenios, visit to Manaca Iznaga, visit to San Isidro of the distilleries. Visit to Guáimaro. All were haciendas and sugar mills of great importance.