French immigrants from Bordeaux and Louisiana founded the colony of Fernandina de Jagua on 22 April 1819, around a beautiful, wide bay on the central southern coast of Cuba. In 1830 it changed its name to Cienfuegos in honor of the general governor of the island, José Cienfuegos. Fifty years later it was declared a city and its outstanding beauty won it the title of “The Pearl of the South”. At the end of the 19th century its prosperity made it the fourth most important city in the country. Since 1976 it has been the capital of the province of the same name and one of the cities with the greatest industrial develop ment of the archipelago.

How to get there

The 256 kilometres separating Cienfuegos and Havana can be covered by car along the national motorway and the Aguada de Pasajeros road. Jaime Gonzalez airport receives medium and small cargo international flights while Puertosol, the yachting harbour company, on the Bahia de Jagua, opens its doors to pleasure boats.

Sun and sand:

As with all cities by the sea, Cienfuegos has always had very close ties with its coastline. Two of the places that contribute most to this bond, in addition to the bay, are Rancho Luna and Inglés beaches. The first offers a semicircle of fine sand and peaceful waters, while the second is one of the best places for swimming in the sea and practicing water sports. Near both beaches, the well-inhabited corral formations make SCUBA diving an attractive proposition.

City:

So beautiful that it is considered the jewel of Cuban architecture of the 19th century, Cienfuegos stands out for the perfect layout of its streets and the refinement and elegance of the buildings in the Historical Centre, which was declared a National Monument.

With an important collection of historical and cultural treasures, this part of the city contains some of its most outstanding buildings, such as the Casa del Fundador, Nuestra Señora de La Purisima Concepción Cathedral, the Tomás Terry Theatre and the Palacio Ferrer, as well as José Marti Park, wherein stands the only Arc de Triomf in Cuba.

Visitors won’t have far to walk to find the Paseo deL Prado, the longest avenue in the country, the Palaclo de Valle, the Naval and Provincial History Museum, the Cementerio de Reina and the Fronton Jai Alai. Situated a little further from the centre are the Fortaleza Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Jagua, the setting for the popular legend of the blue lady, the Cementerio Tomás Acea, where there is a replica of the Parthenon, and the Botanic Gardens, the second largest on the island.

Culture:

“The city I Like best” is precisely how Cienfuegos was defined by one of the famous representatives of this land and national culture, Bartolomé Maximiliano More, known to Cubans simply as Beny More or the Bárbaro del Ritmo (literally the Beat Barbarian). In honour of the great son performer, the festival that is named after him is held every year in Santa Isabel de Las Lajas However, the refinement of the people of Cienfuegos also stands out in their culture, in particular the plastic arts, the art and music, in which the name of the Aragón orchestra (which is over half a century old) and a solid movement of trios are well known,

Nature:

Cienfuegos has the second largest botanic garden in Cuba and one of the richest in the continent of America. It was founded at the turn of the 20th century under the auspices of Harvard University (USA). Approximately 10% of the province’s surface area of 4177.2 Km.2 is taken up with the Cordillera de Guamuhaya, which is brimming over with indigenous flora and fauna, springs, waterfalls, caves, pot holes, natural vantage-points and valleys between the mountains, where exciting adventures, country life and various mountain sports are there to await you. It would be unforgiv able to leave without visiting places such as El Nicho, the Valle de Yaguanabo, the Cueva de Martin Infierno (NationaL Monument) and the Pico San Juan.

An abundance of migratory ducks, rabiche and aliblancas pigeons, quails, Guinea fowl, pheasants and yaguasines make up the fauna of Yariguá.

Active tourism:

At 30 diving points near the coast it is possible to see grottoes, sunken ships, underwater valleys and reefs, inhabited by multicoloured fish, gorgonians, molluscs, turtles, crustaceans, sponges and sea snails. But the wonderful thing about the seabed here is Notre Dame, the largest column reef in America (4 metres), so called owing to its structure similar to that of the Paris cathedral.

The exceptional conditions of Bahia de Cienfuegos, well sheltered and covering an area of 88 Km have made it into an ideal place not only for commerce, but also for boat trips around the Carenas, Loco, Alcatraz and Ocampo keys and Perché fishing village, as well as fishing, regattas, kayak, wind-surfing, sailing and other water sports. It was declared the sailing capital of Cuba and each year the city holds one stage of the formula T-1 speedboat Grand Prix.

Health:

Anyone suffering from skin disorders, arthritis and circulatory problems may find the perfect remedy in the mineral and medicinal waters of Ciego Montero, 23 kilometres from Cienfuegos. From these springs rise one of the finest table waters that are most in demand on the national market.

The tourist authorities in the province are keen to encourage the congress and incentive trip industry and there fore, as well as creating the necessary conditions for holding such important events as the Fiesta de Los Amigos del Mar (Friends of the Sea Festival), they recently set up the Cuba Conventions Bureau secretary’s office for the island.

Leisure and restaurants

Caribesur Complex: restaurant, café, pool table, mini-golf, swimming pool, piano bar, grill, natural swimming pool, shops and berths for boats, with local culture also making a major appearance.

The Afro-Cuban Night in Palmira includes a visit to the museum and a cabildo (an ethnic gathering) to get to know the impressive Yoruba Pantheon and to witness a ritual ceremony of the Regla de Osha.

The Guanaroca Cabaret and the Club Beny More, one at the Jagua hotel and the other at the boulevard, are places to enjoy good Cuban music and dance till you drop.
Regularly making an appearance at the Tomás Terry Theatre are concert players, theatrical and dance groups, comedians and performers from right around the province and the country.

In this city by the sea the most popular restaurants specialize in seafood and fish dishes, such as La Cueva del Camarón, Casa Caribeña, Palacio de Valle and Covadonga. There are also restaurants serving international, Italian and Creole cuisine. Among the finest are Cubanacán Palniares, Pizza Nova, Pollo Ditu Rumbos, Piropo and El Rapido.