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The historic central area of the town was laid out on a grid system by French settlers (largely from Bordeaux) in the early nineteenth century. Much of the architecture dates from the second half of that century although some of the facades were changed in the first few decades of the twentieth. The whole town centre now has a World Heritage Site listing which should put a stop to any further depredations. Cienfuegos’ main artery, known as El Prado, is a wide, centrally divided boulevard in the French style, while another of the main streets has been pedestrianised and is lined with shops.

The main square is a delight. Parque José Marti is a large green square surrounded by half a dozen substantial buildings erected between about 1850 and 1920. On the eastern side is a beautifully proportioned neo-classical cathedral (Catedral de la Purísima Concepción), while dominating the northern aspect is the exquisite Teatro Tomás Terry opened in 1895. Inside, the theatre appears not to have changed one iota since it was opened in 1890, and it gives one an impression of what a boomtown Cienfuegos was in its heyday to read that performances were given here by Caruso, Pavlova, and Sarah Bernhardt.