Cienfuegos City

Cienfuegos - Other Cities and Attractions

Cienfuegos is a delightful and interesting city with a history largely different to that of the rest of the country. Its coasts are bathed by the Caribbean Sea and a wonderful harbor prized by pirates and colonizers since time immemorial.

Located in an earth tongue inside the bay, the city of Cienfuegos, founded in 1819 by french colonist Luis de Clouet which came from Burdeos, was named Fernandina de Jagua. It is popularly known as La Perla del Sur (Pearl of the South). Perfectly simetrical, its streets were subdivided from the Central Park Jose Marti. It is considered as a modern city, clean and wide. Cienfuegos has palaces, parks, theaters, churches, restaurants and an avenue named as Paseo del Prado, wich stretches its way up to the sea, where the people meet, always laughing and elegant

There is remarkable Gallic influence in the city. This influence, indeed, played a prominent role early this century in its agricultural and architectural development. An Arc de Triumph similar to the one in Paris was erected in the old part of the city.

This legacy makes the city a unique tourist product. Its charms will certainly not disappoint those who make a short stop there in their way to Trinidad, the colonial village.

Attractions Cienfuegos City

Botanical Gardens

The Botanical Gardens is perhaps the most famed botanical garden in the country, housing over 2,000 tropical and sub-tropical plants. Among the impressive collection of plant species are more than 200 types of palm trees of araceae and there is also a collection of different types of palm trees indigenous to Cuba.

Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Jagua

This fortress was built in 1745 by the bay. It is representative of the Cuban 18th century’s military constructions. At that time, it was the only defense structure aimed at protecting the country’s central region from pirate attacks coming from the Caribbean.

Parque Jose Marti

On the eastern side of this park is the impressive Catedral de la Purisima Concepcion, which was built in 1870. Also overlooking the park is the Provincial Government Palace, a grand building with great columns and marble floors. Due west of the park stands the Casa de la Cultura.
Teatro Tomas Terry, situated on the north side of the Parque Jose Marti, is a beautiful and impressive structure whose facade is topped by 3 multi-coloured mosaic murals.

Prado Avenue

Prado Avenue is the longest street in Cuba; it is flanked by beautiful buildings.

Reina cemetery and the Tomás Acea necropolis

These are both National Monuments and part of the province’s culture. The Reina cemetery was built in 1830 and is a veritable museum of the funeral art. Vertical dugouts, a widespread burying system used during the colony, can be admired in this site.

Valle Palace

Palacio del Valle, on the Punta Gorda, is an example of the architectural eclecticism prevailing in the city, where Mudéjar, Byzantine, Venetian, Gothic and Baroque styles are harmoniously combined. This Moorish style country house was bought by Alejandro Suero Balbin. Its fading pink colours fail to diminish the overall grandeur of the building which contains some excellent furnishings and porcelains.