For Cubans, the city of Cienfuegos, on the southern coast of central Cuba, is “the pearl of the south.”
Its history is filled with legends that date from aboriginal and more recent times. Nearly all of them are linked to the sea, because its beautiful bay has always been the pride of those who live here and has enchanted visitors, as well. Thirty-four square miles (88 square kilometers) in size, it has several cays and peninsulas and is excellent for fishing and other water sports.

Cienfuegos was founded in 1819, when French immigrants came to live on the Majagua Peninsula, calling their settlement Fernandina de Jagua in honor of both King Ferdinand VII and the Indians who lived here. A rosette in what is now José Martí Park marks the spot where the founding ceremony was held, which was also the center of the new settlement. Formerly called Arms Square, José Martí Park contains many monuments, including the only arch of triumph in Cuba. The buildings facing on the park date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 2006, UNESCO declared it to be a part of world heritage.
The tree-lined Prado Promenade, the main street in the city, is the longest such avenue in Cuba; it leads down to the Malecón Seawall Drive. La Punta, the area at the end of the main peninsula, has been declared a national monument because of the wooden mansions and other important buildings there. The most important of them is De Valle Palace, an elegant, fascinating mansion built in the Mudejar (Spanish Moorish) style.

The hotel and extrahotel infrastructures in this delightful city by the sea combine perfectly to offer you distinguished service. Four- and five-star hotels, excellent seafood restaurants, cabarets and other entertainment facilities offering the best in Cuban music will make your stay a great one to remember.