Cienfuegos, Cuba: A Mini-Guide for Travellers

located on the Caribbean coastline of southern-central Cuba, Cienfuegos is a compelling place to visit. With its colourful facades, large streets as well as captivating French colonial architecture, it rightfully should have the Perla de la Sur (Pearl of the South) title.

Founded by the French in 1819, Cienfuegos is one of Cuba’s newest settlements as well as feels rather different to the rest of the country. So don’t leave this picturesque town off your need to see listing when planning to travel to Cuba.

Getting to Cienfuegos

The simplest choice is to jump on ViAzul bus which criss-cross Cuba to supply a decent, trustworthy deliver network. They are normally contemporary as well as clean however can have vicious AC so keep in mind to bring a sweatshirt or top.

From Havana 2 busses leave everyday for Trinidad as well as stop at Cienfuegos half way, the journey takes around 4.5 hours. They can get full up quite swiftly during the high season so get your tickets in advance. have your passport prepared to show at the ViAzul bus station in Havana (Nuevo Vedado area, Ave26, opposite the Zoo entrance) to get the tickets a day before travelling.

From Trinidad the trip takes around 1.5 hours. We ended up going by means of Santa Clara which took around 4 hours since it was Sunday apparently. A bit idea here, try avoiding travelling on Sundays in Cuba! The ViAzul Bus station in Trinidad is found on Gustavo Izquierdo, between Simon Bolivar as well as Piro Guinart, in the historic part of Trinidad.

You can try taking the train from Havana, however the trains in Cuba are painfully sluggish as well as prone to breakdowns or cancellations. From the info offered it seems to take 10.5 hours to travel from Havana to Cienfuegos by train. For as much as date info inspect the excellent seat61.com rail website.

If driving, be careful that some turns aren’t well signposted as well as the road can unexpectedly end, without any type of warning.

You can likewise fly to Jaime González flight terminal in Cienfuegos from Miami, USA however be conscious of strict visa restrictions.

You’ll requirement to have travel insurance coverage in buy to travel to Cuba. It’s really mandatory that all travellers have insurance, as well as you may or may not be asked to show proof of insurance coverage on arrival. To get a complimentary quote from world Nomads, just go into your details below:

What to see as well as perform in Cienfuegos as well as Punta Gorda

Explore the centre of Cienfuegos

The Cienfuegos metropolitan historic centre is framed with bountiful amounts of stunning French design as well as there’s nothing rather like it anywhere else in the country. We suggest costs a chilled afternoon at least to check out this exquisite UNESCO world Heritage site (since 2005).

Start with inspecting out the Cienfuegos Boulevard, the longest in Cuba as well as pay interest to the beautifully painted facades. spin around in the stunning Jose Marti Square as well as inhale the gracefulness of the historically considerable monuments.

Spot the one of a kind Arco de los Trabajadores (Arch of Triumph) devoted to Cuban independence. As you stroll the sunny streets of the city, don’t (not that you will be able to) miss the striking infant blue mansion on the western part of the Parque Marti. It’s the former Palacio Ferrer, created by the regional designer Donato Pablo Carbonell as well as completed in 1918.

To the south of the park, find the grandioso Palacio de Gobierno, the government Palace, for this reason no admission for the general public here.

Visit Teatro Tomas Terry

This captivating Italian style theatre on the northern side of Parque Jose Marti is one of three vernacular theatres in Cuba. It was made a national Monument in 1978 as well as won an award of Conservation in 2008.

The costs in Cuba are rather affordable as well as for just 2 CUC you can roam inside as well as check out the grandness of this monumental building as well as particularly the 950-seat auditorium.

Check out the atmospheric Teatro cafe Terry sitting between the Teatro Tomás Terry as well as the Colegio San Lorenzo.

Check out the splendid Nuestra Señora de la Purísima Concepción Cathedral

Do roam into this marvellous Cienfuegos Cathedral opposite the Martí Park. The building dates back to 1869 as well as its French stained-glass windows are particularly stunning.

Discover Punta Gorda

You may question what Punta Gorda is. In a nutshell, it’s the upper-end neighbourhood of Cienfuegos. It’s around 3 km away, however simple to reach on footby complying with the Malecon sea wall. If you are not up for walking, just jump into a cab or hale the famous Bici taxi (a bike taxi).

Situated at the edge of the Bay of Cienfuegos, Punta Gorda is genuinely gorgeous. We stayed at the end of the peninsula, as well as absolutely liked it. The location is so relaxed as well as has an fascinating choice or architectural pieces in addition to a lovely marina.

Dance at Cienfuegos Club in Punta Gorda

For a full on Cuban disco with fancy neon lights, online music as well as extraordinary Salsa moves, pop into the stunning Cienfuegos Club. even if you can’t dance, take pleasure in the soulful sunset with a chilly brew in hand.

Cienfuegos Club may be a sports-bar-like place, however it has some amazing views across the marina. inspect out their lunch, dinner, snack or drink menu.

Enjoy the breeze at Marlin Marina

A lovely location to chill out for a cup of coffee or even lunch surrounded by crisp white linen, flowers as well as the sea breeze, if you are prepared to sprinkle out.

If you like sea, you can book a boat excursion around the bay or set up a deep-sea fishing trip. try booking with Cubatur/Cubanacán. You can likewise discover authorized excursion operators in the close-by Jaguar Hotel.

Read More: Cuba With a sprinkle of Spain – Experiencing The special Side of Cienfuegos

Waar te verblijven

There are lots of choices in Cienfuegos as well as Punta Gorda, from basic casas to visas as well as historic buildings. everything depends upon your taste as well as budget. If you want to experience a special stay with a regional household consider booking a casa specific in Cuba.

Hostal Palacio Azul

Painted in sensational blue, Palacio Azul was developed in 1921 to poise Punta Gorda. The eclectic palace is now renovated into a quaint hostel. It offers panoramic views across the marina as well as only has 7 spaces so make sure to book in advance. The building itself is worth investigating, even if you are not staying there.

Villa Lagarto

For a touch of Cuban luxury, stay at rental property Lagarto. located at the end of the peninsula, it supplies a relaxed stay with lovely view into Cienfuegos Bay.

The spaces right here are small, however clean as well as cosy. The upper floor has a lovely terrace with hammocks as well as rocking Cuban chairs. just envision a combination of a rocking chair, tasty Pina Colada as well as sensational views. The personnel right here are marvellous as well as make terrific cocktails.

The food right here is excellent too. The restaurant, as we discovered out during our stay, is one of the top restaurants in town. We took pleasure in charming breakfast, lunch as well as often dinners here.

For all lodging choices availble in Cienfuegos click right here to compare costs on Booking.com

Where to eat as well as drink in Cienfuegos

Villa Lagarto

As previously mentioned, head to rental property Lagarto for some food extravaganza. If you want to sprinkle out on lunch, they have a magnificent 7 program menu which includes some incredibly cooked as well as provided dishes, with a sinfully wonderful banana liquor in between courses.

Arabic Palacio de Valle

As you understand by now, Cienfuegos is anything however like the rest of Cuba as well as dining choices in in the traditional neighbourhood of Punta Gorda are not an exception. As you technique the end of Calle 37, you are in for one more architectural surprise.

This amazing ‘One thousand as well as one nights’ looking palace was developed by a Spaniard Acisclo del Valle Blanco in 1917 as well as now homes a high-end restaurant. Pop in for light lunch as well as see the terrace for charming views.

Street snacks along the Malecon

For more affordable eats, walk along the Malecon as well as you will discover bit random stalls grilling tiny burgers or the Cubans selling bags of popcorn in the evening. Both were extremely affordable as well as yummy.

Big Bang Cafeteria

A great little location on Calle 37, excellent for lunch or light dinner.

Benny a lot more bar

For a drink as well as perhaps some Salsa moves, pop into the widely known Benny a lot more nightclub.

You must likewise never neglect the regional bars as well as there are rather a few of themBoven verstopt in willekeurige gebouwen in de buurt van Jose Marti Square in Cienfuegos, til je je ogen op en wees niet bang om binnen te lopen. Er zijn ook een aantal geweldige bars op het dak in Punta Gorda en een nachtclub in het Jaguar Hotel .

Wil je veel meer Cuba? Inspecteer deze berichten:

De grootste gids voor onafhankelijke reizen in Cuba

De kosten van reizen in Cuba: een volledig budgetplanuitval

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