Cienfuegos, La perla del Sur (Pearl of the south) is just 80km from Trinidad, and yet it did become another adventure in the end, when the bus did not show up and we had to hire a taxi with a broken exhaust tube to get back to Trinidad that nearly fumed us to death…
The city of Cienfuegos is a real colonial jewel, and a Unesco World heritage since 2005. Parque Marti is the centre of the city, a 2 km walk from the bus station, but you will definitely want to stroll in the Punta Gorda, along the natural bay upon which the city is built. There are thousands of houses to photograph… The city seems cleaner than other Cuban cities, more civilised as well. The colonial streets are easy to walk, even if orientation is not your strong point… The city is cut like a pie, all you need to know is you are at the right direction, and follow the smell of the sea (which admittedly is not always very refreshing…).
Your paseo will have to end at El Palacio del Valle, a palace that I never really liked and that remains the absolute rip-off of the city, if not the whole island. So just get in, make some pics but do not consume anything, unless you carry a very heavy purse…
The restaurant Doña Nora, at Paseo del Prado (the main avenue leading to Punta Gorda), is yet another of these magical places that will keep you asking yourself, how can it be so cheap. Definitely opt for camarones!