The city of Cienfuegos, in central Cuba, is a major tourist destination due to its unique nature and patrimonial values that date back to 1819.

Among the city's main attractions is the Jose Marti Park, which marks the place where the village of Fernandina de Sagua was founded and where stone and bronze busts pay tribute to the most relevant residents of Cienfuegos.

In addition, the only Triumphal Arch in Cuba was built there in 1902. Other attractions are the Tomás Terry Theater, one of the three most important theaters on the island in the 19th century where prominent artists performed, including Enrico Caruso.

However, the most emblematic building in Cienfuegos is Palacio de Valle (Valle's Palace), which was financed by a Spanish rich man and designed and built by an Italian engineer. The palace combines Gothic, Romantic, Byzantine and baroque architectural styles, with preponderance of Mudejar elements.

Cienfuegos also has beach hotels like Rancho Luna and Faro Luna, in addition to city hotels such as Jagua, Casa Verde, Perla del Mar, Palacio Azul and Unión. The four latter operate under the Hoteles Encanto brand.

In addition, the hotels Pasacaballos, Villa Yaguanabo and Punta la Cueva are under the administration of the group Islazul, while Villa Guajimico is attached to Grupo Campismo Popular.

Cienfuegos offers 1,309 rooms in the private sector, in addition to 60 restaurants that provide excellent services.

Among the most singular places is the Reina Cemetery, which was built in 1930 and was designated a National Monument. It is a museum of funeral art and shows the burial system of vertical niches that prevailed during the Spanish rule.

Another relevant monument is the Tomás Acea Cemetery, which was built in 1926 and which experts describe as the oldest necropolis in Cuba. Its entrance gate is a replica of the Parthenon.

The province also has its natural treasury at the Botanical Gardens, which was constructed in 1901 and keeps a collection of palms that is among the world's most important collections of its kind.

The Botanical Gardens cover an area of 97 hectares and keeps some 2,000 species of plants (70 percent of which are exotic), 23 varieties of bamboo, 65 of jagüey and 280 of cork and big-belly palms.

At the same time, cruise tourism has gained ground in the province, as large ships and small- and medium-size boats dock in the Port of Cienfuegos.

At present, the tourist destination has 11 hotels totaling 861 rooms, and a long-term program is under way to build more rooms, in addition to the development of golf courses and real estate projects.