At the central south coast of Cuba there is a town called Cienfuegos. Cienfuegos has the nickname “Pearl of the South” and is the only city in Cuba founded by French settlers.
It’s near to Trinidad and has a quite atmosphere.
The City is considered one of the most elegant cities in Cuba.
Cienfuegos has two main parts, the town and the peninsula Punta Gorda.
For the real holiday experience I recommend staying in Punta Gorda and going to the city for sightseeing and for dinner. As it is a rather small town distances are not so long, but you can take a bike taxi or a carriage to travel between the two parts.
As I mentioned before the town is also a good starting point to do excursions to places like:
-Trinidad
– Castillo de Jagua
– Guanaroca
Here are a few tips for your stay in Cienfuegos.
Hotel La Unión
View from the bar
Adress: Calle 31 esq.54. The Hotel Union is a beautiful hotel in the center of Cienfuegos. I don’t recommend it for staying there but for going to the rooftop bar and have a drink. You will get a really nice view on the main square and the bay of Cienfuegos and they have a great barkeeper. I recommend to try the Mojitos and the Daiquiris.
Restaurant Bahía
Adress: Ave. 40 #3713 e/ 37y 39. Its a small restaurant in the town of Cienfuegos close to the Malecón. It has a great variety of seafood and fish and huge portions. On the walls you can see old pictures of the town and the area.
Palacio del Valle
Outside el Palacio del Valle
In Punta Gorda there is an Arabian, Indian, gothic, baroque and venice Style palace built by a rich Spaniard in 1914 as a summer residence. It’s an impressive building with a lot of details to discover and a bar on the top floor with a nice view., especially for Sundown.
The Marina
For a nice cold beer, some good sandwiches and nice contacts to other tourists or locals I recommend the Marina, also in Punta Gorda. From there you could also get on a boat and do a little tour around the bay of Cienfuegos.
Casa del Chocolate
For chocolate, sweets and ice-cream you should visit the Casa the Chocolate located at Prado. There you can enjoy cheap sweets and Cuban chocolate.
I also recommend to walk all the down at Punta Gorda to visit the old wooden colonial houses and the bay. You could also have a bath in the sea or just dip your feet.
When you take a walk around the town you should take a walk on the boulevard and then turn right at the parque Martí to keep on walking on it and visit some of the art galleries.
If you need some recommendations for BnBs in Cienfuegos feel free to ask.
Also feel free to commend your recommendations for Cienfuegos.
