Cienfuegos

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Overview

In his song 'Cienfuegos,' Benny Moré described his home city as the city he liked best. He wasn't the settlement's only cheerleader. Cuba's so-called 'Pearl of the South' has long seduced travelers from around the island with its elegance, enlightened French airs and feisty Caribbean spirit. If Cuba has a Paris, this is most definitely it.

01 / Attractions

Must-see attractions

Teatro Tomás Terry
Cienfuegos
Sharing French and Italian influences, this theater on the northern side of Parque José Martí is grand from the outside (look for the gold-leafed mosaics…
Castillo de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Jagua
Cienfuegos
Predating the city of Cienfuegos by nearly a century, this fort, to the west of the mouth of Bahía de Cienfuegos, was designed by José Tontete in 1738 and…
Palacio de Valle
Cienfuegos
Just when you thought Cienfuegos' eclectic architecture couldn't get any more eclectic, you reach the southern end of Punta Gorda where, with a sharp…
Cementerio la Reina
Cienfuegos
A listed national monument, the city's oldest cemetery was founded in 1837 and is lined with the graves of Spanish soldiers who died in the Wars of…
Palacio Ferrer – Museo de las Artes
Cienfuegos
On the western side of Parque José Martí, this riveting neoclassical building (1918) was lovingly restored in time for Cienfuegos' 200th anniversary in…
Juragua Nuclear Power Plant
Cienfuegos
Across the bay from Cienfuegos with its dome clearly visible from the city is the infamous, but never completed, Juragua nuclear power plant, a planned…
Museo Histórico Naval Nacional
Cienfuegos
Close to the railway tracks, five blocks northwest of Parque José Martí, is this crenelated blue and white museum, dating from 1933. It's housed in the…
Palacio de Gobierno
Cienfuegos
Most of Parque José Martí's south side is dominated by this grandiose, silvery-gray building where the provincial government (Poder Popular Provincial)…