Over the Topes de Collantes to Trinidad

Königspalmen in grünen Hügeln am Topes de Collantes

After a night in Santa Clara we drove south the next day towards Trinidad, the colourful town that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The drive through Topes de Collantes National Park, with its green landscape and small villages, was an experience in itself.

Finca Guachinango and Torre de Manaca

Instead of taking the direct route we made a small loop east of Topes de Collantes. One stop was Finca Guachinango, a nicely restored finca with a restaurant for tourists. A suckling pig was sizzling over the fire, but we were more drawn to a cold beer. Then on to the Torre de Manaca, a tower with a wonderful view over the landscape south of Topes de Collantes and the sugar cane fields.

The abandoned sugar mill of Buenavista

Shortly before Trinidad, the abandoned building of the Ingenio Jesús de Nazareno de Buenavista appeared on the left – a detour we couldn’t resist. Shortly after sunset we reached Trinidad and looked forward to a cosy evening with good food and music in the colourful streets.

Two pedestrians on the road, a white house on the right, Topes de Collantes — After a night in Santa Clara we head south – two pedestrians by the road, a white house.

Lorry between palms and a view over soft hills, in black and white — Left, a lorry between palms; right, soft hills – in black and white.

Two cattle in the field in front of palms and farms, Topes de Collantes — Two oxen leave their tracks across the field, palms and farmsteads behind.

Green hills under a bank of cloud, seen twice, Topes de Collantes — Green hills beneath a low bank of cloud, twice – the drive through Topes de Collantes.

Clouds on a wooded summit, a palm on the right, Topes de Collantes — Clouds cling to the wooded summit, a lone palm standing on the right.

Tall grass in front of a mountain and a misty ridge, in black and white — Left, tall grass in front of the mountain; right, a misty ridge.

Palms in the foreground in front of a cloud-covered mountain, Topes de Collantes — Palms in front of a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds.

Red car on the bend and an empty road under clouds — Left, a red car on the bend; right, the empty road under clouds.

Man with two yoked oxen and a barrel cart at the roadside — Two yoked oxen pull a barrel cart along the roadside.

Farm track to a white house, a cone-shaped hill behind — A dirt track leads to a white house, a cone-shaped hill behind.

Bus shelter and a tree with red blossoms by the road — A bus shelter under a tree with red blossoms – a stop in the middle of the countryside.

Palms and a house with a red roof in the green valley — Palms and a red-roofed house in the green valley – small villages line the route.

Royal palms on a green slope of the Topes de Collantes — Royal palms rise from the green slope in Topes de Collantes National Park.

Turquoise classic car on the forest road next to a round sign — A turquoise classic car comes towards us on the forest road.

Blue lorry with a green load bed in front of small houses — A blue lorry with a green cargo bed in front of small houses.

Pale road through the forest and a slope full of treetops — Left, the pale road through the forest; right, a slope full of treetops.

Densely wooded slope in Topes de Collantes National Park — Dense forest as far as the eye can see – Topes de Collantes.

Pale cow and a person in the field, seen through leaves, in black and white — Seen through the leaves: a pale cow and a person in the field.

Wooded ridges under clouds, a palm in front, Topes de Collantes — Wooded ridges under clouds, a palm in the foreground.

Yellow classic car between palms, a round traffic sign on the right — A yellow classic car between palms on the country road.

Man on the tracks of a rusty railway bridge — On the tracks of a rusty railway bridge.

Cattle and horses on the pasture, a pale horned cow in front — Cattle and horses in the pasture, a pale horned cow in front.

Yellow dining hall and a bedroom with a blue door, Finca Guachinango — Left, the yellow dining room; right, a room with a blue door – the Finca Guachinango has been lovingly restored.

Roast suckling pig on a wooden spit at Finca Guachinango — A suckling pig sizzles over the fire – we were more drawn to a cold beer.

Framed portrait of a child on a rough wall, in black and white — A framed portrait of a child on a rough wall, in black and white.

Peeling wall frieze with stars in turquoise, brown and pink — A peeling wall frieze of stars in turquoise, brown and pink.

River between dense green banks, flat hills in the background — A river between dense green banks, low hills behind.

White embroidery along the cobbled street in front of the Torre de Manaca — White embroidery hangs along the cobbled street, the Torre de Manaca rising at the end.

White lace and a colourful patchwork quilt under a tree — White lace and a colourful patchwork quilt beneath a tree.

View down from the Torre de Manaca onto stalls with white linen — Looking down from the tower: the stalls of white linen line the path.

View through a round window of the Torre de Manaca over fields — Through a round window of the Torre de Manaca the view opens onto the fields.

View from the Torre de Manaca over pastures, fences and scattered houses — A glorious view from the Torre de Manaca over pastures and fields to the mountains.

View from above onto the village at the Torre de Manaca, laundry between roofs — The village at the foot of the tower, laundry between the rooftops.

Torre de Manaca with a pointed roof above a bed of purple flowers — The Torre de Manaca with its pointed roof above a bed of purple flowers.

Overgrown ruin behind fence posts and power lines — Shortly before Trinidad the abandoned Buenavista sugar mill appears on the left.

Façade of the abandoned sugar mill on the slope, in black and white — The facade of the Ingenio Jesús de Nazareno de Buenavista on the hillside, in black and white.

Grand portal and peeling red door of the abandoned sugar mill — Left, the grand doorway; right, a peeling red door – a detour into the abandoned sugar mill.

Roofless interior of the sugar mill with a brick block — No roof left, grass on the floor, a masonry block in the middle.

Tiled threshold and a stone balustrade above the valley, in black and white — Left, a tiled threshold; right, a stone balustrade above the valley.

Brick arch over an opening in the wall of the sugar mill — A brick arch above the opening, the plaster long since fallen away.

Two worn shoes in a sunny doorway of the ruin — Two worn-out shoes in a sunny doorway of the ruin.

Overgrown staircase up to a round arch, in black and white — An overgrown staircase leads up to a round arch.

Low stone ruins under large trees by the sugar mill — Low stone ruins beneath large trees near the sugar mill.

Radiator of a Buick Eight with lettering, in black and white — “Buick Eight” on the chrome grille, in black and white.

Black classic car on the track and a red steering wheel inside — Left, the black classic car on the track; right, its red steering wheel.

Wide valley with palms in front of a mountain range, in black and white — A wide valley with palms in front of the mountain range, in black and white.

Single tree on a pasture in front of the wooded mountain range — A lone tree in the pasture in front of the wooded mountain range.

Two views over fields and rows of trees in front of the mountains — Twice, the view over fields and rows of trees to the mountains.

Wooden cross on a yellow wall and a colourful lane with a horse cart in Trinidad — Left, a wooden cross on a yellow wall; right, a colourful lane with a horse cart – arrived in Trinidad.

Older man with a white beard on red steps in Trinidad — White beard, red steps: an encounter in the colourful streets of Trinidad.

Square at night and a wet lane in Trinidad, a person at the window — Left, a square at night; right, a wet lane with someone at a window.

Dark lane in Trinidad, warm light and a small group — Warm light in a dark lane – the evening in Trinidad begins.