Tourist Train in Trinidad Resumes Operations in Valley of the Sugar Mills

Despite being touted as a flagship product by the Transtur branch, the tourist train in Trinidad has resumed operations with a fare of 840 Cuban pesos, not including lunch, adding to the cost for visitors choosing this mode of exploring the famous city.

The train, an articulated vehicle known as a road train or trackless train, traverses the Valley of the Sugar Mills, recognized as a World Heritage Site since 1988, as reported by the government-run newspaper Escambray on Monday.

Despite the cost, the tour, dubbed "Knowing My Valley," remains popular, according to the government mouthpiece, which lauded the resumption of the tourist train operations in the Valley of the Sugar Mills in Trinidad as an achievement.

Historic Stops and Scenic Views

Starting from the Carlos Manuel de Céspedes Park, the train makes stops at historic sites such as the Valley Viewpoint, Buena Vista Estate, Manaca Iznaga, and ends at the Guachinango Estate, where an optional lunch is offered.

This tourist package, organized with the Cubanacán Travel Agency, has attracted both domestic and international visitors since its resumption in April 2023. Maireny Medinilla Ortega, Transtur's commercial specialist, commented that the service is designed to provide a complete cultural and scenic experience.

However, the high price has been a point of contention, especially during the summer season when the domestic market constitutes the majority of the clientele. Additionally, there is an option to extend the itinerary to the Ancón Peninsula, although it was not specified if this alteration would increase the overall cost of the trip.

In 2022, after a two-year hiatus, the tourist train through the Valley of the Sugar Mills reinstated its 20-kilometer route, utilized by both locals and foreigners visiting this heritage site. Before the COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba, the tourist train operated with four carriages; however, upon its reopening in 2022, it began trips with only two.

While the regime boasts about this investment and the tourist attractions in the region, the Cuban government has previously acknowledged that the city of Trinidad, located in Sancti Spíritus, fails to adequately retain visitors. "Tourists only stay for an average of 2.2 days, even though we have attractions to keep them for up to five," tourism officials noted, according to a report by the official newspaper Escambray.

Nonetheless, Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero recently inaugurated a new five-star hotel in Cuba, the Meliá Trinidad Peninsula. The hotel's opening comes during a period of deep economic crisis.