Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos is a captivating city. La Perla del Sur (the Pearl of the South) has the longest urban promenade in Cuba, El Paseo del Prado. The buildings lining the Paseo del Prado trace the architectural history of the city, from its French roots in the 19th Century, through its Art Deco period, to the present. Originally settled by Taino (Ciboney) native Cubans who knew the coastal area as Cacizazgo de Jagua, European migration began with the French in 1819 but received its distinctive name (One Hundred Fires) in 1829, when the Asturian-born José Cienfuegos Jovellanos became Captain General of Cuba. With its deep-water port, Cienfuegos is one of the favorite towns for European and Caribbean Cruises.