Visit the Cienfuegos Pier
You can spend some time on the pier which has some nice views of the bay and some fishing boats. On weekends at night they sometimes have music and dancing.
Get a nice pork kebab by the pier
Right by the pier you can relax in a cafe Muelle, which does awesome pork and pineapple kebabs and pina coladas.
Spend an evening on the Malecon
Most of the locals spend evenings here chatting with friends and there are a few bars/cafes across the road too. You can simply stroll along the length of the Malecon or take a seat and watch the bay at night.
Visit an 18th Century Cementary
There are 2 gorgeous and very old cementaries in Cienfuegos, I only have pictures from one of them. The better one is much smaller and older with graves and statues dating back to 1800s you might get away with taking photos depending on what the caretaker agrees to. We had to pay a small fee to ba taken around ($10 local pesos). The caretaker was very knowlegeable about the history of different graves but only speaks Spanish.
The bigger cementary was a bit of a walk, I would recommend taking the bus if it is very hot. Bus number 3 stops there. The entrance is free and you can walk around the different paths to see the older statues and gravestones. This cementary is more modern and it is in much better condition.
Walk along the El Prado
This is the main street which leads towards the Malecon, in the evening there are lots of people simple walking around or sitting with friends on one of the many benches. The street is lined with cafes, restaurants and bars. If you want to spend less, buy drinks and food form the hole in the wall places for national currency.
Go shopping on the Boulevrad
There are a couple of small markets along here and some general grocery shops. There isn’t much to buy really but interesting to see anyway.
Day Trips
You can take day trips to multiple places around Cienfuegos:
- El Nicho - small waterfall.
- Rancho Luna - the nicest beach near here with fishes and coral reefs.
- Cienfuegos Fort/Castle - just past Rancho Luna there is an old fort/castle.
- Botanical Gardens.