Cienfuegos

Transportation in Cuba is a lot of fun once you think about it at the end of your trip – and synonymous of a lot of wait as well. Getting a ticket for a Viazul bus is an experiment. This is a lesson of wait and queuing, and so is the check-in! It happens sometimes that the IT system they used for reservation is off, so they write everything by hand!

UNSUAL: As it’s not always to get a ticket for the bus, collective taxis are sometimes a better option to get from one city to another, for the same price –roughly, but not the same comfort though.

This is how we reached Cienfuegos from Havana. Here we are on the picture below, stopped in the middle of the highway to put some water in the engine, as cooling liquid!

Taking the collective taxi is a great experience that you should do at least once in Cuba. Even if it’s not the same comfort than buses, we were all backpackers in that trunk, figuring out how Cuba works. Every one of us was sharing its impressions, what we liked, and the good plans to do in the different cities of Cuba.

Cienfuegos was built by French colons at the beginning of the XVIII century, and the city center is classified at the UNESCO heritage. You will see that the architecture downtown is definitely different from the rest of Cuba.

The entire city is full of colors, all brighter than the others, no matter the suburb you are in.

Atmosphere downtown is chilly, and you can easily attend some exhibitions in houses nearby the plaza Mayor.

Cienfuegos means great food. Protected by a bay, you will experience an exceptional grilled fish. Accompanying dishes are simple, as Cuban rice (rice with beans) or bananas. But the fish is really tasty, and it gets even better when you eat in on sunset.

Cienfuegos is also a spot where you can party. Just go on the Malecon of Cienfuegos, and follow the music. It will drive you until three famous former palaces which have been converted into clubs.

One funny thing in Cuba is the big advertisements, all along the roads, about communism. We saw them during all our trip in Cuba. Roads, in town or in the countryside, are covered with Fidel quotes (one of the famous “Patria o muerte”), or important socialist figures, as Chavez. Getting out of the marina of Cienfuegos doesn’t avoid the rule: “Bienvenido Cuban Socialista”