Visited in January 2023.

Cienfuegos, although founded late (1819), quickly became the center of the Cuban sugar industry, an important port through which the sweet gifts of the local nature were exported across the seas and oceans, enriching the local oligarchy. The city does not overlook the Caribbean Sea itself, but stands by the bay (just like Santiago or originally Havana), the narrow entrance to which was conveniently protected from pirates with the help of fortification systems. There is a small fortress here too. UNESCO, however, liked not the fortifications this time, but the urbanism. Cienfuegos is considered the first and one of the best examples of the embodiment of the urban planning ideas of the Spanish Enlightenment in Latin America. The preserved ensemble of classical buildings is really very nice, cozy, spacious and well-kept by Cuban standards. I especially recommend the Palacio Ferrer, where Enrico Caruso once performed, and on the rooftop you can sip daiquris and study the ensemble of the main square. Outside the "old city" is typical dilapidated Cuba.