Casilda — also called Puerto Casilda or La Casilda— is the seaport of the town of Trinidad, 5 km upland. To get here from the East part of Trinidad (Camilo Cienfuegos street) a straight stretch of the road from Trinidad making up the main street along with two intersections and a railroad track : voilà.

During a century, colonials from Spain exploited the land in the valley of the sugar mills (Valle de los Ingenios) using hard labor from thousands of slaves — Cuba had 493,000 in 1841 — who were transported to the port in Casilda, ideally located and protected by the long arm of the Ancon peninsula. Slaves were a commodity and arrived along with furniture, porcelain and building materials from Spain and used to decorate the sugar barons' palatial homes in Trinidad.

Only a 20-min bike ride from Trinidad, the town has a couple of dollar places, a school, a couple of beauty parlors, a linear public park partially shaded, some public transportation such as horse-driven carriages, the ubiquitous 50's Chevys and Buicks and 1-cuc bus ride to the Ancon Hotel beach in the employees yellow and red busses stopping at the park twice per day.

Compared to La Boca and Trinidad, Casilda is rather quiet, except for some disco - reggaeton blasting on some nights nearby in a disaffected building. We are sure that once you are here you will enjoy all that the little village offers, including the nearby beaches on Ancon and the historic city of Trinidad.
 

DISTANCES Ancon, 5 Ciego Avila, 148 Cienfuegos, 85 Hanabanilla, 103 La Habana, 324 La Boca, 9 Manicaragua, 67 Santa Clara, 123 Santiago, 595 Sancti Spiritus, 76 Torre Iznaga, 21 Trinidad, 5 Topes, 26 Varadero, 272
MAPS & LINKS
See town map with some casas
Rising and downward tides - Casilda
Map of the Ancon Peninsula to Casilda
Detailed road map from Cienfuegos to Casilda
Map - Our own small regional map
Map to and from the heart of the city of Trinidad
Map of the sugar mill valley (Valle de los Ingenios)
Map of Topes de Collantes
All Internet cubacasas.net

TRANSPORT TO ANCON PENINSULA
• A three-times per day 1 Euro/$US bus ride to Ancon beach hotels in the employees yellow and red busses coming from Trinidad and stopping at the Casilda central park. Cheaper than the 4 €/$US
• Rent a bike to ride to Playa Aguilar or further to Playa Ancon (seaside flat easy road but without shade) or all the way to Trinidad (gradual, gentle uphill to go; easy going down to return).
• By taxi to Trinidad, from Havana, 3 hrs 30 minutes, (via autopista nationale and Cienfuegos) : figure 25€/$US per person, minimum 4 passengers.
• By Viazul a/c bus to Trinidad from La Habana : 4 hours, 25€/$US.

POPULATION 1,200 (mas o menos)

PLAYAS
In town territory, none; further (cf. Excursions below), the rocky playa at Maria Aguilar, (1,7 km) or the small and quiet Playa La Boca (4 km) or in the opposite direction, towards the east along the coast : Ancon in nice white sand (2,4 km away) with its four beach hotels (stars, rooms, all-inclusive rate for two per night in Jan 10) : Hotel Horizontes Costasur (3*, renovated in 2008, 131 rooms, 92€), Hotel Gran Caribe Ancon (3*, 279 rooms, 122€), Hotel Brisas Trinidad del Mar (4*, 134 rooms, 134€).

PALADARES & RESTAURANTS
Locally, many have sprouted in recent years. No need for local lodgers to go to Trinidad for fine dining. The reverse is now happening : so many Trinidad paladars have waiting lines that casa guests prefer coming down here for an evening (or lunch) meal. Most if not all specialize in seafood and fish. El Galeon on Jovellanos 20; "simple baked lobster with rice pilaf. Mine was the best lobster and the best rice my wife had had. Drinks and deserts were great. Service was great. Nice little bar. Open air area for groups." Tel (41) 99-5428; La Piragua on Concordia 11 "This place is amazing. The food just keeps coming to your table. The lobster plates are a must"; Cafetin Yaguajay on Valdespino behind Cristina Hostal : tiny place with tiny prices "Gustavo is a great cook, funny, charming and educated. Traditional Cuban food, great prices, always busy. Nice patio too."; Tropical Caribe on Diego Velázquez # 78 e/ Jovellanos y Concordia. "more popular at lunchtime. We opted for the set menu 20 CUC which turned out to be excellent value. The fish soup was light and the best ever" Tél. (41) 99-5299 Cel 54 08 22 16; La Gran Piedra on Jovellanos 165 esq (corner) Perla. Cel 52 51 17 24; Paraiso on Iznaga No. 49 e/ calle Diego Velázquez y calle Hernán Cortés Tél. (41) 99-5379 Cel 59 07 16 17; La Rosa on Real (main street) #145-B e/ Perla & Iglesia. Tél. (41) 99-5283 Cel 53 77 28 55; outside of town on way to Ancon beaches : Gril Caletas on seaside, curva de Alfredo is more of a snack bar kind a place with a view of the road joining Ancon, La Boca and Trinidad; Grill Caribe on seaside a bit further down with pricey menu (view included); (CLOSED La Marinera on Jovellanos 178, e/Iglesia y Perla;)

MUST-SEE IN TRINIDAD TOWN
Convento San Francisco de Asís (Museo de Lucha contra los Bandidos) • Iglesia Santísima Trinidad • Museo Arquitectura Colonial • Museo Romántico • Palacio Cantero

MUST-SEE IN TRINIDAD AREA
Valle de los Ingenios (San Luis, Manaca Iznaga, etc) by train • Salto (waterfall) Cuba in Parque el Cubano • Topes de Collantes in the Escambray mountains • Playa Ancon

Looks easy in a car but walking from Casilda to La Boca requires stamina and a beeg bottle of agua © sogestour, jan 2023


Less than 2 km from town, the beach at Punta Maria Aguilar, with its parking, its seaside restaurant Grill Caribe a nice rather pricey restrant with a view of the eastern tip of Ancon on the horizon © eyanex, panoramio •]• Same spot, looking at the beach bar and restaurant (Ancon hotels are a good long walk away. © eyanex, panoramio.com


Bikes + lonesome walker on Ancon beach, January 2023 © sogestour


To the sea, crew ! Full of hope, time for these seamen to drop the cages © sea scout blog •]• Other type of transport locally but with same poetic slowness © FeRo, geo-reisecommunity


Ancon and its all-inclusive resorts, seen from Casilda with an arcoiris (rainbow) thrown in © sogestour


A pie o en bici, todos se van to the port where pescadores are returning with their catches © sogestour


As elsewhere on this sick planet, there seem to be permanent waiting lines in pharmacies. © sogestour

Mercado : mini, shaded and nicely framed by a bouganvilia, it will have frutas y legumbres of the day. A better choice than in the photo above. © sogestour

Barcos awaiting pescadores. Someone's gotta catch the fish and seafood that guests of the new dozen or so local restaurants will enjoy. (Not updated list at left) © carlos luis sotolongo, granma


The pescadores try their luck (and secret spots) while protected by the Ancon peninsula or out in the open Caribbean sea beyond the playas of the resorts : Enseñada de Casilda stretches south of Trinidad

LAS PALMAS
Five ac br's, pools, plants, patio, super menu
Calle Real (main street) 145, entre Iglesia y Perla, in front of casas Villa Dalia and Puerto Casilda Tel. (41) 99-52-00 whatsapp +5352447898

DOÑA BARBARA V
One ac bedroom, ensuite
Calle Iznaga 71, e/ Cortes y Iglesia Cel

RECOMMENDED BY PAPERBACK GUIDEBOOKS (LONG BEFORE THE PLANDEMIC)
Footprint (FH), Le Routard (LR), web site Trip Advisor (TA)
::: FH : Villa Dalia ::: LR : Hostal Tropical Caribe, Casa Novoa ::: TA (Reviews) : Sergio y Lesly (485), Las Palmas (396), Villa Dalia (201), Casa Novoa (146), Puerto de Casilda (137), Buena Vista (110), Doña Barbara (96), El Rubio (25), Cristina Hostal (19), La Gran Piedra (6), Doña Coralia (11), Hostal Elaine (5), Tropical Caribe (2), El Dorado, Santa Elena, 010818