Cienfuegos
It is the smallest province of Cuba, but has the third most important port of the island. This port is mostly for sugar exports. Here you can see the Nuestra Señora de Fort de los Angeles de Jagua defense system, built to protect the city, and has a pier (better known as Malecon) of about 2 km ending on the main road of the city (Paseo del Prado ).
In the city, as well as being able to admire the colorful facades, the José Martí park concentrates the most beautiful examples of architecture in the city, with buildings from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, considered National Monument. 25 km from the city, where lies the Botanical Garden, you can enjoy a variety of collection and tropical species such as the royal palm, native plant of the island.
The city that is considered UNESCO Heritage, was dubbed the “Pearl of the South”. It was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1494 and occupied by Jaguas Indians. At first named Fernandina de Jagua, the city was renamed Cienfuegos in 1829 by General Jose Cienfuegos.
The city is structured by blocks and so it is much easier to walk without getting lost. In the middle of Cienfuegos we found the Martí Park, the city’s main square and declared a national monument because of the buildings of the utmost importance that has around, including the theater Tomás Terry, opened in 1886. I spent much of my time here in the square in bar El Palatino with live music and terrace, right next to the Ferrer Palace, whose blue dome will soon get your attention.
Cienfuegos is a small, quiet town, not much to do except walking around the streets and observe the surrounding architecture. One of the best avenues to walk is the Paseo del Prado, here you will see whole families sitting on the porches listening to radio and playing cards, children playing in the street … it is one of the cities that I enjoyed the most in Cuba. Such as Trinidad takes you to another time. It is interesting to see that here the houses have “no doors”, privacy extends to the sidewalks. It makes me remind of my childhood in Algarve.
You may even visit Punta Gorda a “panhandle” extending into the sea and it’s worth to walk and enjoy the colorful wooden houses. Valle Palace is another attraction of the city, perhaps the most original building in the region for its Gothic architecture and the Arab appointments.
For those who want to want to go for a swim or eat a lobster, the beach of Rancho Luna is a little less than 15 minutes drive from the city. It is not Cayo Coco’s beach, but it’s good enough for not wanting to leave before sunset.
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Hi! My name is João Cajuda, I’m a travel blogger from Portugal and founder of this website. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and give you tips about hotels, restaurants, activities and destinations to visit. You can travel through my videos or join my group tours that I organize to selected destinations. Visit my Adventure Travel Agency LEVA-ME and join one of my journeys!