Wide leafy streets in Cienfuegos Cuba
Translating literally as “hundred fires” this is one of the few colonial towns set up by the French instead of the Spanish. The original settlers were a mixture of French from Bordeaux and Louisiana. After the historic centre was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site the influx of money to help restore the town square combined with the laid back atmosphere and wide streets give it a distinctly Parisian feel.
Wide street in Cienfuegos
Cienfuegos is a reasonably large town for Cuba, with a population of over 160,000, but I feel like I’ve lost touch with town sizes after living in China. Cienfuegos feels like a small village compared to Beijing or the nearly 40,000,000 people in Chongqing.
The village feel extends to the friendly welcome in our casa particular for the night. It was a small cramped room, but the back of the house extended out onto the sea walls providing a great view of the harbour.
Looking back across Cienfuegos towards our casa particular
Asking our host where all the boats were his answer was that that anyone with a decent boat has already run away to the US! Only older people are allowed to own fishing boats as they are not considered a flight risk, but they still require an extensive set of licenses.
Cienfuegos Harbour
Cienfuegos Harbour
A couple of groups of people in the marina could be seen practising fishing in boats roughly put together from polystyrene blocks.
Cubans rowing in a polystyrene block boat
Given Cienfuegos’ position on the south coast it feels like a bad choice of setting off point for what would otherwise be a 90 mile journey from Cuba’s north shore to Florida. Under US rules, any Cuban caught still in the water is sent back, but those who make it to dry land on the US shores are fast-tracked to US citizenship.
Up to 20,000 Cubans per year successfully make the journey, to the extent that the US is now relaxing its so-called “wet-foot, dry-foot” policy to allow them to enter the US by routes other than the dangerous sea voyage.
Fishing in Cienfuegos
Set slightly back from the waterfront is the bright blue Customs House, outside of which a group of kids were playing a hybrid of baseball and cricket.
A game of cricket/baseball outside the Customs House in Cienfuegos
The bowler launched the cricket ball towards the batter who was defending the cricket stumps with a baseball bat. The catcher behind was equipped with a baseball mitt. They were too engrossed for me to interrupt them and ask what the games was called, before they all ran off when a particularly good hit nearly took the head off a passing cyclist.
Punta Gorda
Cienfuegos Town Square
Teatro Tomas Terry in the town square, along with Terry Thomas of the theatre
The cathedral on the main square in Cienfuegos
Walking up from the harbour is the Pueblo Nuevo town square. The square is surrounded by government buildings, museums, a theatre and the town’s cathedral. It’s also a magnet for beggars.
Palace on Punta Gorda in Cinefuegos Cuba
Hotel on Punta Gorda in Cinefuegos Cuba
There’s not really enough to do in Cienfuegos for more than a day or two. The following day we left for Trinidad, passing through the Punta Gorda peninsular, where beggars are nowhere to be seen, and neither are many Cubans. The thin strip of land is home to a number of palatial buildings, mostly used at hotels for the more expensive tour groups and cruise passengers.
I’ve always had an interest in checking out Cuba. It sounds like a VERY different vibe from the overcrowded cities we were used to back in Asia. Thanks for sharing!
Wow! You really did have a great view of the harbor.
I totally relate to your comment about China changing your perspective on what constitutes a large city. After China, I feel like it’s almost impossible for anywhere else to overwhelm me.
Two interesting recent news stories- a young man paddle boarding (is in on his feet the whole way) from Cuba to Florida, and a 60-something year old woman making the swim.
I’m seriously impressed!
I see they’re restoring the buildings of Cuba… I’m somewhat split about this issue. I know it’s needed to restore them, but the decay has its own beauty.