Excursions Around Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos is on the Bahia de Cienfuegos near the Sierra del Escambray.  We spent three days in and around Cienfuegos.  The architecture there has a French influence.  Many of the buildings round the central square, the Parque José Martí, have been restored.

The Theatre which also has a beautifully restored interior 

The Hostal Palacio Azul

Sunset from the terrace of the Club Cienfuegos

Our dinner table on the terrace of the Club Cienfuegos

The Palacio de Valle, originally built in 1917 by a wealthy Spaniard. It is now an upscale restaurant with a terrace bar on the roof overlooking the remarkably lovely bay.

This musician was playing with a band in the rooftop bar of the Palacio de Valle.  He had a very interesting haircut.  

Many young men in Cuba do interesting things with their hair - mostly the bottom is shaved, sometimes into a pattern, and the top is longer or incorporates waves or pony tails.

The Malecon leading from the centre of the city to Punta Gorda, where we stayed

Our taxi for the trip to El Nicho in the Escambray mountains.  It was a 1954 Ford in very good condition.

Inside the taxi - note the new stereo as the old radio is no longer working, and Cubanos must have music!

The first view of the waterfalls at El Nicho

One of the rustic bridges over the river

The next day we went to the botanical gardens where there are reputed to be 280 different palms.  There were also lots of birds.

One of the fan palms with the most enormous leaves we saw

A Baltimore Oriole

Another variety of palm

After the Botanical Gardens we went to the beach for the last time.  This beach is at Rancho Luna where there is a Cuban-Canadian Spanish-language program.  Maybe next trip?

At the very end of the point on Punta Gorda there is a bar called La Punta where they make very good Mojitos!

On our last day in Cienfuegos we hired the taxi to take us to Laguna Guanaroca, a saline lake surrounded by mangroves.  It is a protected area for birds and we did a short bird walk and a boat ride there.

At the end of the guided walk we found a little dock

This strong man rowed us all around the lake to look at birds

Avocets in winter plumage

Many flying  flamingoes

From there we headed by taxi to Santa Clara to spend our last night in Cuba before flying home.