Cienfuegos, located on the Caribbean coast 250 km from Havana, is the capital of the province of the same name and a major seaport, and the main income of the city comes from the trade in tobacco, coffee and sugar. The historic city center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Cubans call Cienfuegos “the pearl of the south”, and literally Cienfuegos means “a hundred fires”.
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How to get to Cienfuegos
Jaime González Airport is located 5 km from the city and receives flights from Montreal and Toronto, as well as domestic flights from Havana.
By bus
The bus station is located on Calle 49 between Avs 56 and 58. Víazul buses leave Cienfuegos twice a day for Havana (cost 20-25 CUC, travel time 5 hours) and Trinidad (travel time 2 hours). And in the morning, a mini-bus (6 CUC) departs from Cienfuegos to Trinidad, which docks with other scheduled buses.
For just 1 CUC, local buses will take tourists to Rancho Luna and Pasacaballo, and for 7 CUC to Playa Girón, places with stunning beaches.
Astro flies to Camagüey (7 hours, twice a day), Havana, Santa Clara (2 hours, twice a day), Santiago de Cuba (2 hours, once a day) and Trinidad (2 hours, twice a day). in a day).
Near the bus station, you can hire a taxi for several people and follow the road leading to the El Nicho waterfall to Santa Clara and Cumanayagua.
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By train
The train station is located opposite the bus station, at the corner of Av 58 and Calle 49. If the trains are not canceled, which happens quite often in Cienfuegos, then from there you can get to Havana] (14 CUC, 10 hours, once a day), Santa Clara (2 hours, twice a day) and Sancti Spiritus (5 hours, twice a day).
Weather in Cienfuegos
Warm oceanic climate with pleasant breezes. The maximum mark of 31-32 degrees the thermometer reaches in the period from June to October, the minimum of 15-16 degrees – from December to March. The rainy season in Cienfuegos runs from May to November.
Transport
When fuel is available, a 120-seat ferry boat can take you to Castillo de Jagua (40 minutes). The Muelle Real pier is located on the corner of Av 46 and Calle 25. Ferries depart from Cienfuegos at 8:00, 13:00 and 17:30, from Castillo de Jagua at 6:30, 10:00 and 15:00. There are also two boats leaving for Castillo de Jagua from the Pasacaballo Hotel.
You can rent a moped at Club Cienfuegos located on Calle 37 between Avs 10 and 12. Havanautos rentals at Hotel Rancho Luna and Micar on the corner of Av 12 and Calle 39 rent cars.
Shopping
On Calle 31 between Avs 58 and 60 is the municipal vegetable market, and along Calle 54 is the main shopping area of Cienfuegos – El Bulevar.
Kitchen
Caribbean cuisine can be tasted at Restaurante Covadonga (Calle 37 between Avs 2 and 0), where, according to legend, Fidel Castro and his partisans dined in January 1959 during their victory march to Havana. The food here might sound delicious after a two-year stay in the Sierra Maestra, but everyone else might not. But the recognized best restaurant in the city center is 1869 Restaurant, located in the La Unión hotel.
Beaches
Rancho Luna Beach, just 15 km from Cienfuegos, is famous for its golden soft sand. Diving is especially good here – in the areas of Las Playitas and Ensenada de Barreras there are beautiful coral reefs. About 30 dive sites provide an opportunity to see underwater caves, shipwrecks, and whale sharks. On the beach of Rancho Luna, the dolphinarium is very popular with regular shows of dolphins and sea lions.
Another beach, Punta La Cueva, is located on the other side of the bay, in the west, and Playa El Inglés is located between Yaguanabo and Guajimico.
Entertainment and attractions in Cienfuegos
Of the attractions, the Castillo de Jagua fortress, located at the entrance to the Bahia de Cienfuegos bay, is of interest. The fortress was erected by order of the Spanish King Philip V in 1745 to protect the Caribbean from corsairs and pirates who raided these lands even before the city of Cienfuegos was founded in 1819.
José Marti Park, located on the central square of the city, Plaza de Armas, is the main attraction of the city, since it was here that the city of Cienfuegos was founded by French colonists in 1819. In honor of this event, a cotton tree was planted in the park.
On the main street of the city, Paseo El Prado, is the Palacio de Valle, built in 1913-1917. in neo-gothic style.
Neighborhood of Cienfuegos
Not far from Cienfuegos, in the town of Palmyra, there is a museum of Afro-Catholic syncretism Palmira Yorubá Pantheon, where visitors can get acquainted with the Yoruba deities and take part in a local ceremony.
On the road from Cienfuegos to Trinidad, there is a national natural monument – the Martin Infierno Cave (Cueva de Martin Infierno), which houses the world’s largest stalagmite 62.2 m high.
Not far from the city there is El Nicho waterfall with caves, hiking trails and amazing natural beauty.
