Manaca Iznaga Tower

The Torre Manaca-Iznaga is the tallest privately built tower in the Caribbean, rising 45 metres above the floor of the Valle de los Ingenios, 14 km east of Trinidad. It was built between 1816 and 1845 by the Iznaga family, who owned one of the valley's most productive sugar plantations, and its purpose was to oversee the plantation's workforce — a watchtower for the slave economy.

The tower is climbable via seven flights of increasingly steep stairs, each floor with progressively better views of the valley, the Escambray Mountains to the north, and the sea to the south. The plantation house next to it is now a small restaurant and souvenir shop. Both are run by the Cuban state; admission is cheap. You can combine a visit with the steam train excursion from Trinidad, which stops here, or come by taxi in about twenty minutes.

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A story
The Manaca Iznaga Tower was built by the Iznaga family in the early 19th century and served a purpose that combined prestige with surveillance: overseers rang the bell at the top to signal the start and end of the working day — and to call back any enslaved person who had strayed. At 45 metres, it was tall enough to see across most of the estate and into neighbouring plantations.