description

Although many visitors to Cuba simply pass through Cienfuegos on the way to Trinidad, the city has plenty of its own attributes to justify a visit. Considerably larger than its more famous neighbour, Cienfuegos grew to prominence as Cuba's major port on the south coast. Built around the beautiful Bay of Cienfuegos the city's main draws are its largely French influenced architecture and numerous grand, public buidings. Built on a grid system, Cienfuegos has a number of impressive streets including the Paseo del Prado, the longest boulevard in Cuba, which is surrounded by many beautiful buildings.

Beaches

Although there are many more beautiful beaches in Cuba they tend to be a long way from any towns or cities. The beaches at Cienfuegos on the other hand are only a short drive from the centre of town and as un-resort like as you will find in Cuba.

Excursions

In addition to the town's own attractions, Cienfuegos makes an excellent base from which to explore Trinidad and the Escambray Mountains to the east and the Zapata Peninsula, Cuba's largest national park, to the west.

Food

Dinining options in the city centre are limited with much better choice and quality in the Bay of Cienfuegos area. In addition to a couple of very smart options, including the delightful old Yacht Club, there are also a number of paladares, some with views over the sea.

Getting There

There are no domestic flights to Cienfuegos so the only way to reach the city is either by bus (see the Getting Around section for more details), private road transfer or self drive car hire. By private road transfer Cienfuegos is under 4hrs drive from Havana and an hour from Trinidad.

Hotels

The only hotel in the city centre is the charming and attractive, colonial-era Union Hotel. A short drive from the centre, is the very attractive Punta Gorda area overlooking the Bay of Cienfuegos; there there 3 small, heritage properties, the Palacio Azul, Casa Verde & Perla del Mar together with the much larger Jagua hotel. Alternatively, we also feature a number of casa particulars which we can pre-book.