Also known as the Pearl of the South, Cienfuegos is a city and port on the southern coast of Cuba.
Since 2005, the urban historic centre of Cienfuegos has been added to the World Heritage List because it is a good example of urban planning in Latin America.

The city was settled by the French immigrants in April 1819, thus the surprising French feel to many of the old buildings.

Sitting within the Cienfuegos bay and guarded at its entrance by the Fortress Castillo de Jagua, the city is famous for its collection of neoclassical buildings, unrivaled in the Caribbean.
The neoclassical City Hall, with its impressive red domes, overlooks the Marti Park, named after Cuba's famous poet.

Other famous buildings in Cienfuegos include the Arco de Triunfo, the only one in Cuba, the Cathedral de la Purisima Concepcion, with beautiful French stained glass or the Palacio de Valle a neo-gothic palace built at the beginning of the 20th century.