Cienfuegos [7], known as the Pearl of the South, was originally founded by French colonials from Bordeaux and Louisiana in 1819, and sits on a large bay.  At the mouth of the bay is the Castillo de Nuestra Señora de Los Angles de Jagua, a Spanish fort in remarkably well preserved condition that predates the town by 100 years.  We reached it by a small ferry boat after a 30 minute taxi ride.

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Walking from the historic centre of Cienfuegos along the Malecón towards Punta Gorda, we came to the Cienfuegos Club, an elegant 100 year old turreted building which was formerly a rich man´s Yacht Club.  Restored to better than new condition, it has a beautiful terrace and a good restaurant overlooking the bay.  We stopped in for a mojito and dinner of garlic prawns.  Surprisingly, only a handful of people were there to enjoy the sunset.  Further along is the Palacio de Valle, looking like an Arabian Nights castle, plus other pre-revolutionary mansions and palaces.

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