The French city of Cienfuegos

restored French colonial buildings, Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos is the only Cuban city founded by the French, in 1813.  This city on the Caribbean has lovely neoclassical buildings in its historic center, broad boulevards and pedestrian streets, and large plazas filled with trees, flowers and people enjoying the shade on a sticky day.  In its main plaza, the theater has been restored to its former glamour.  Photos of some of the world-famous entertainers who were featured here, including Enrique Caruso, line the loggia.

inside the opera house

This city is too far from Havana to attract day tourists, as Trinidad does, but it is well worth a visit because of its history, architecture and charm.  Its hotels are mostly small, but several are more than acceptable, particularly since they’re located on one of the city’s bays.  Villa Largo is an excellent restaurant that also has a couple of basic rooms for rent, right on the tip of the peninsula separating these two bodies of water.

Also on that peninsula is a rather strange building, a Moorish-style palace built for the daughter of one of Cienfuegos’ wealthy sugar magnates when she married.  She only lived in the palace for two years, but today there is a restaurant and a roof-top bar with beautiful views of the city and the bays on both sides.  What is remarkable is the architecture and the beautiful plaster carving, Moorish-style, like the Alhambra, in miniature, graceful archways and stained glass windows.

Moorish palace, Cienfuegos

As in Havana, ‘50’s and ‘60’s American cars are popular, some in beautiful condition, even with their original engines.  One proud owner showed us his 6 cylinder motor, pointing out that the cylinders were all in a single line.  For a couple of pesos (CUC—foreigners’ currency), you can take a photo of yourself on the perfectly-maintained white leather seats of the pink 1955 Plymouth.  Since all of us in our group remember these cars as similar to ones our families owned when we were kids, there was lots of interest in those photos.   

Santeria woman

1955 plymouth

Moorish carved archways in palacio