Cienfuegos: the Plaza de Armas
We spent a couple of nights in Cienfuegos, staying in the slightly faded grandeur of La Union Hotel, using it as a base to visit Trinidad (see separate tip). Cienfuegos is less well-known perhaps than some other destinations in Cuba, despite being a UNESCO World Heritage Site – its neoclassical centre was cited as “the the first and an outstanding example of an architectural ensemble representing the new ideas of modernity, hygiene and order, in urban planning as these developed in the Latin America from the 19th century”. At its heart is the Plaza de Armas, surrounded by colonial style buildings such as the one in photo 2, in the south-west corner. The cathedral also stands on the square, on its eastern side. It is dedicated to la Purisma Concepcion and dates from the mid 19th century. In the centre of the square is the José Marti Park, with a statue of the eponymous hero, and at its...
