José Martí Park

About this place

José Martí Park is the main square of the city of Cienfuegos on Cuba's south coast, at the heart of the historic centre UNESCO listed in 2005. UNESCO counts that centre as the best surviving example of Spanish Enlightenment influence on urban planning from the early 19th century. The city is known as the Pearl of the South. French settlers from Bordeaux and Louisiana arrived here under Don Louis de Clouet on 22 April 1819. The city takes its name from José Cienfuegos Jovellanos, Captain General of Cuba from 1816 to 1819. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Spanish migrants made fortunes and raised many of its finest buildings, and the centre holds over 1,500 buildings from those periods. The square is broad, crossed by tidy paths among palm trees and black lamps. At one end is a small stone arch, at the centre a white statue of José Martí, and to one side a bandstand with a red dome. Large buildings surround it, including a blue one with a small domed tower and the town hall with its red dome. From above you see a long street heading towards the sea. Palacio de Valle is about 3 km away in a straight line, so take a cart or taxi. The centre is flat and easy on foot. Late in the day is finest, when the sun softens and the colours show. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel to Cuba because of fuel, power and water shortages, so read the current advice before you plan.