On our recent trip, we visited Cienfuegos in Cuba .
We chose to visit this city because of the historical aspect since its recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
The cost of this tour was reasonable compared to our other excursions as it only costed 25 CUC.
Other excursions cost between US $50.00 to 100.00 per person per outing.
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| Cienfuegos, Cuba |
We were picked up at 11.a.m. by a tour bus. The ride was comfortable and it took about an hour and half from our resort.
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| A wide street in the downtown area of Cienfuegos, Cuba |
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| Our tour guide explaining some history to us at Parque Jose Marti, Cienfuegos, Cuba |
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| People relaxing in Parque Jose Marti, Cienfuegos' Central Square, Cuba |
We have never heard of Cienfuegos until this trip.
Founded by the French in 1819, Cienfuegos was one of Cuba’s newest settlements.
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| Cienfuegos is known for its colourful colonial era buildings |
We could see the |French influence on many of the buildings in this city
A pretty city with a population of about 150,000 residents, Cienfuegos is a good size city in Cuba.
Cienfuegos reminds me of an European city.
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| Palacio de Gobierno, the Government Palace, Cienfuegos, Cuba |
It is full of French architecture.
We saw a lot of grand buildings such as the Government Palace at the Central Square but we did not have time to go in and see them in detail.
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| Statue of Jose Marti, Cienfuegos Central Square, Cuba |
Cienfuegos' central square - called Parque Jose Marti, named after a beloved Cuban hero who led and was shortly martyred during the Cuban revolution.
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| Cienfuegos Boulevard, Cuba |
A good size town, Cienfuegos is visited by many tourists.
Unlike Havana where it was crawling with tourists everywhere we went, Cienfuegos was a lot quieter, and unhurried.
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| Stalls selling local arts and crafts items at the marketplace |
We walked the market place looking for some interesting souvenirs.
I saw a beautiful original piece of artwork and kicked myself not buying it right there. It was gone when we went back to get it after dinner.
There were a few restaurants opened to feed hungry tourists.
We enjoyed a Cuban lunch in a small restaurant close by the water.
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| Waterfront area of Cienfuegos, Cuba |
Cienfuegos is situated on the Caribbean coast of south central Cuba.
It is a town known for its colonial era buildings with colourful facades, wide streets and charming French colonial architecture.
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| Cinefuegos is also called Pearl of the South |
It is called the Perla de la Sur (Pearl of the South).
With only about an hour before heading back to our tour group, we hailed and got on a horse drawn carriage at the waterfront.
The carriage driver took us for a ride to the neighborhood around the waterfront area.
It was a short fun ride.
Next time, we must remember to take a longer ride when we are in Cuba!
We stopped at a rooftop restaurant and had some coffee and dessert there.
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| A typical street in Cienfuegos, Cuba |
From the top of the restaurant, we had a good view of the neighborhood streets of the city.
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| French architecture abounds at Parque Jose Marti Cuba |
In only a few hours, we were able to pack in a stroll & a dinner on the waterfront, a carriage ride, and dessert and coffee on a rooftop restaurant in the urban historic part of Cienfuegos.
We got back to the Parque Jose Marti to rejoin our tour group.
The evening lights had already came on in the square.
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| Parque Jose Marti, ( Central Square) Cienfuegos, Cuba, seen in the evening lights |
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| Waterfront area, Cienfuegos, Cuba |
We enjoyed our visit to Cienfuegos!
The only regret - our visit was too short! I am sure if we could stay here for another 2-3 days, we would be able to explore and enjoy what this beautiful city has to offer!
R.T.
Cientuegos
Cuba
Week of Feb.4, 2019
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