Parque Jose Martí
Parque Jose Martí
4.5
About
Located in the historical center of Cienfuegos, declared by the UNESCO Cultural Patrimony of the Humanity in 2005, it is one of the greatest symbols of culture and identity of that province known as the Pearl of the South. It was proclaimed a National Monument on October 10, 1978. It is considered a place of obligatory visit in the city.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
1,239 reviews
Excellent
589
Very good
522
Average
118
Poor
8
Terrible
2
Joanne
Lake Mary, FL1,749 contributions
Dec 2022
Lovely park in middle of town, very clean area with shops and restaurants on streets leading to park. One of the main streets had old-fashioned telephone booths - I had not seen those in quite a while and was surprised they still exist anywhere. We were there Christmas morning and saw a local band group playing on one of the main streets. I felt safe walking around in the evening.
Written December 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MRA1965
Oxford, UK37 contributions
Jan 2020
Lovely open square in City centre. Possibly the best square I came across in Cuba. Also serves as a wifi hotspot. Good art galleries on one side of square.
Written January 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Asiyah Noemi K
Pula, Croatia5,039 contributions
Jul 2017 • Family
The central plaza is the beating heart of any Latin American town or village, and Cienfuegos is no exception. An exceptionally interesting square with many beautiful and famous colonial buildings. Such as the Governor's Palace, today the Provincial People's Congress, Arch of Triumph (Arco de Triunfo) is the only arch in Cuba. There is also the beautiful Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (Catedral de la Purisma Concepción) with glasses from 1833 to 1869. It is also interesting that the Ferrer Palace as well as the Provincial Museum (Museo Provincial) has valuable exhibitions of furniture and porcelain. The atmosphere is pleasant, especially in bars near the square where we can always listen to wonderful Cuban music and drink Mojito.
Written May 31, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert H
Clearwater, FL541 contributions
Oct 2018 • Couples
Off the cruise ship, we exited the terminal grounds through the gate. A gentleman asked us what we wanted to do and we told him our dream was to ride an open air motorized rickshaw to see all of the sights in Cienfuegos. He directed us to his brother, Jordani, cell # 52371478. Jordani said he would accommodate us for a two hour tour for $50 and off we went. The first stop was the Plaza Jose Marti. Jordani pointed out all the sights there, explained their significance and they were impressive. Being a Sunday, the Ferrer Palace was closed so we didn't get a chance to climb the spiral stairs to get an overlook of the city. We had a couple of beers and Jordani opted for a lemonade for $5 total at the local watering hole while a band played. We toured the market there and then took off down the Prado towards Punta Gorda and the Malecon with Jordani narrating all the way. This is the ritzy part of town with the Royal Yacht Club, fancy hotels and homes. Then Jordani took us to the Tomas Acea Cemetery where Revolutionary soldiers are buried and Jordani pointed out the most important ones and intricate headstones explaining their significance. One depicted Cubans praying to their patron saint for safe passage on their voyage to Key West. By this time, our two hours was up but Jordani said never mind, he had more to show us. He took us through neighborhoods he called "The Real Cienfuegos or Reality." Yes, they were rough and impoverished. Our last stop was at the baseball stadium (Estadio Cinco de Septiembre) where the Cienfuegos Elephants, a minor league affiliate of the Miami Marlins, play other Caribbean teams. By this time, we were 3 1/2 hours into our tour but Jordani was so passionate about showing us his city that he wanted to carry on. We practically insisted that he return us to the cruise terminal which he reluctantly obliged. We wished him goodbye and gave him another $30 because this experience was worth every penny. Cienfuegos (100 fires) is a wonderful place to visit especially when you run upon an excellent tour guide who is so enthusiastic about showing tourists every intricate detail of his proud home. What a great time we had.
Written October 13, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Debra
Halifax, Canada366 contributions
Feb 2018 • Solo
It's all here. Jose Marti Plaza is a gathering place for both locals and visitors alike. The traffic flows one way only to make crossing safer. Tour buses are not permitted here, so the park has an overall clean, neat and well manicured appearance. The buildings in Cienfuegos are notably different, being that they were constructed under French influence. I've been visiting Cienfuegos for years and this area may well have been the first and only zone to offer wifi to the public. Currently, however, you can access the internet via wifi along the Prado, the boulevard, the malecon. Its available abundantly in places like Pina Colada, some cafes and restaurants now offer it. It just keeps getting better and better! But, Jose Marte Square is still the most popular place for local families to gather and IMO, facetime or video chat with family or loved ones in other cities or countries. Especially in the evenings. The park is a popular landmark for visitors and provides a base to rally after exploring the city. You can get everywhere from here, but truly you don't have to go far to find everything you need within a short walk from the centre. Some of the greatest artists of the city have galleries here to show their work. Churches, schools, government buildings...all encircle the parque. The history of this city is well represented by the statues, arcs of triumph, and so many other beautiful art related structures located centrally throughout the park. This is the first place you should acquaint with to become grounded in Cienfuegos....and go from here.
Written July 17, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MaryannF650
Clarksville, TN1,491 contributions
Nov 2018 • Friends
My husband and I, along with 25 other seniors were on a cruise and this was one of our first stops. I already did research and decided that we will cover as much of Cienfuegos, Cuba as humanly possible during our few hours here. THANK YOU TRIP ADVISOR AND REVIEWERS who made our shore excursion Amazing. Firstoff, we found a tram right after getting off our ship, clearing customs, and exchanging our Euros for Cucs. The tram was right outside the terminal and comes every 45 mins. A real bargain and a real down to earth excursion. It goes all over Cienfuegos and stops at the Parque Jose Marti for a long time. You can have lunch here, which we did. Mmmmmm a real Paladar (privately owned restaurant by Cubans) better than what the cruise ship offered. We saw everything in Cienfuegos. The tram was $5 cucs each. Nobody believed what we paid and what we saw. We have loving pictures to prove it but who cares. We did GOOD! Yes, of course we tipped our tour guide which he sincerely thanked us.
Parque Jose is situated in the heart of the city, the square is lined with historic buildings of ornate neoclassical facades of the theatre, cathedral and the government building. There is a beautiful statue of Jose Marti, a famous Cuban writer and national hero. So much history. DO NOT MISS THIS! Especially beautiful is the Arc de Triomphe (similar to Paris) San Lorenzo School, Provincial Historical Museum, Cienfuegos Government Palace, Ferrer Palace, Malecon de Cienfuegos, Benny More Statue, Palacio de Valle and La Punta, a beautiful neighborhood located at the end of Malecon the amazing waterfront. So much to see and so little time. However, we were fortunate that we made a wise choice in hopping on this tram and it was so convenient. An other choice would be one of the horse and buggy rides which also provides you with an overview of Cienfuegos. Very reasonable 1, 3, 5, 10 cucs???? Don't really know. But if you plan to visit Cienfuegos, you HAVE to do a review on Tripadvisor as I did to find out the best of the best in Cienfuegos. We were on the Royal Caribbean Ship, traveling with a group of seniors. We didn't have much time so we wanted to make the most of our excursion. Many of our friends were very disappointed with the ship's excursion. However, we were more than satisfied with our independent selection. Remember: Every port in Cuba has their own rules. We brought gifts for the people of Cuba, as mentioned on the internet: So aps, shampoos, toothpaste and brushes, shavers and cream, etc. We were not let into the Country as we were told it was illegal to bring in gifts. Go figure! But....we had no problem with Havana. The people were so blessed that we bought all this stuff in. Caution: Do your research before going.
Parque Jose is situated in the heart of the city, the square is lined with historic buildings of ornate neoclassical facades of the theatre, cathedral and the government building. There is a beautiful statue of Jose Marti, a famous Cuban writer and national hero. So much history. DO NOT MISS THIS! Especially beautiful is the Arc de Triomphe (similar to Paris) San Lorenzo School, Provincial Historical Museum, Cienfuegos Government Palace, Ferrer Palace, Malecon de Cienfuegos, Benny More Statue, Palacio de Valle and La Punta, a beautiful neighborhood located at the end of Malecon the amazing waterfront. So much to see and so little time. However, we were fortunate that we made a wise choice in hopping on this tram and it was so convenient. An other choice would be one of the horse and buggy rides which also provides you with an overview of Cienfuegos. Very reasonable 1, 3, 5, 10 cucs???? Don't really know. But if you plan to visit Cienfuegos, you HAVE to do a review on Tripadvisor as I did to find out the best of the best in Cienfuegos. We were on the Royal Caribbean Ship, traveling with a group of seniors. We didn't have much time so we wanted to make the most of our excursion. Many of our friends were very disappointed with the ship's excursion. However, we were more than satisfied with our independent selection. Remember: Every port in Cuba has their own rules. We brought gifts for the people of Cuba, as mentioned on the internet: So aps, shampoos, toothpaste and brushes, shavers and cream, etc. We were not let into the Country as we were told it was illegal to bring in gifts. Go figure! But....we had no problem with Havana. The people were so blessed that we bought all this stuff in. Caution: Do your research before going.
Written November 22, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Funambulator
The Rocks, Australia1,785 contributions
Jan 2018 • Friends
Parque Jose Martí, forming Cienfuegos’ Plaza de Armas, is one of the most attractive plazas I saw in Cuba. There are stone lions on marble foundations marking the park entrance & several bushy plant & tree-filled gardens. A walkway leads from Parque JM to a long, city boulevard which reflects the influence of the first, French settlers of Cienfuegos, as does the many 19th & early 20th century classy, grand buildings overlooking the park, eg, the elegant, grey provincial parliamentary building with a crimson dome (Antiguo Ayuntamiento), the Tomas Terry Theatre, a cathedral with crimson domes & the blue Ferrer Palace. Other points of interest within Parque JM are a statue of the eponymous hero of Cuban independence, Martí, an impressive triumphal arch (near the Ferrer building), & a crimson-domed gazebo or bandstand (note recurring motif here: crimson is a popular colour for the domes of buildings in Cienfuegos!). The park is a great place to stroll round or just sit & relax (plenty of shade).
Written August 20, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MichaelMc777
Sunnyvale, CA4,645 contributions
Oct 2018 • Solo
The square surrounded by interesting architecture.
There is some nice art galleries mixed in. Just to the side, is a fun tourist shopping street. There was an amazing little outdoor music venue tucked in, as well.
Pay the 1 cuc and climb to the top of the spiral staircase for wonderful views of the entire city. The name escapes me, of the building. It will be obvious.
There is some nice art galleries mixed in. Just to the side, is a fun tourist shopping street. There was an amazing little outdoor music venue tucked in, as well.
Pay the 1 cuc and climb to the top of the spiral staircase for wonderful views of the entire city. The name escapes me, of the building. It will be obvious.
Written October 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lulupr81
Puerto Rico56 contributions
Sep 2018 • Friends
Walk around see the stores the Cuban people. Have a drink & food the restaurant near by. Seat and enjoy the cuba life
Written September 21, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TubaKoseogluOkcu
Istanbul, Türkiye5,782 contributions
Cienfuegos, despite its glorious past, is today almost an inert town. This plaza is so tranquil, so calm, so slow that it makes you feel to be out of this world. There are cafés around the plaza, not very good ones unfortunately, but still, sitting in one of them at the sunset, drinking a mojito and listening to the silence, imagining the old days is a great experience.
Written December 30, 2010
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Elaine
Quebec City, Canada
Nous partons à Cienfuegos pour 3 mois. On nous a dit qu'il n'y avait pas de guichet pour retirer de l'argent. Nous ne voulons pas avoir une grosse somme d'argent sur nous. Quel est la meilleure façon pour retirer de l'argent quand on est Canadien. Merci
Mikel Iñaki
Catalan Bay8 contributions
Alò Tetoche
Je voudrais dire qu'il y a des guichets des banks de la Republica de Cuba a toutes les grands villes. Mais je ne sais pas les conditions du change de monnaie. Pouvez demandé a votre bank les conditions.
Mikel Iñaki
barbaracolombocassi
Milan, Italy154 contributions
Ciao, vorrei sapere se Cuba è sicura, si può girare con auto a noleggio l'isola senza particolari timori?
Ho letto notizie poco confortanti sul sito della Farnesina.
grazie
Belleri F
Bovezzo, Italy304 contributions
Cuba è probabilmente uno dei posti più sicuri dove ci si possa recare, dopo ci sono quelli che ti vogliono vendere Rum o sigari ma basta dire che non ti interessa e non insistono. Noi abbiamo preferito prendere un'auto con autista visto che abbiamo fatto più di 2000 Km durante la nostra visita, le strade non sono come le nostre sono molto trascurate appena ti allontani dall'Habana.
confau
Chesapeake, VA33 contributions
Does Cienfuegos have the 1950's classic American cars available to hire as taxi's as they have in Havana? ;
MichaelMc777
Sunnyvale, CA4,645 contributions
Hi,
Yes, they have the cars for hire. There are a few located to the Parque José Marti for hire.
If, you are on a cruise, some will be waiting just outside the terminal gate. Prices will be a bit higher at this location. Overall, it is great value. I recommend a friendly negotiation.
The cars are much more limited and the restorations are more basic here.
Best,
Michael
Denisse Mitchigan
Atlanta, GA2 contributions
Hello. we are cruising Cienfuegos next December 26 and I would love to arrange a private tour around the city. There are four of us, any idea would be really helpful.
Gracias!
Denisse
Robert H
Clearwater, FL541 contributions
Hi Denisse,
We toured Cienfuegos with Jordani riding in his motorized open-air rickshaw taxi. It was fun and Jordani was an excellent tourist guide. His brother, Maykel, has an air conditioned car taxi if you prefer that mode. Their service number is 43555534,. Jordani's cell is 52371478 and Makel's 53669343. See if you can find my review of touring Cienfuegos to see what's in store for you. it was maravilloso!
Sandra O
Hephzibah, GA
How far from the cruise terminal to Parque Jose Marti?
arturofranz
La Habra, CA406 contributions
Several blocks...best to taxi...5-10 min drive
jacquards
London1 contribution
Is everything open on a Sunday.
Juan Ariel Toledo Guerra
Cienfuegos, Cuba26 contributions
Some things
Jack B
Rochester, NY67 contributions
We are coming in by cruise ship to spend the morning in Cienfuegos. We can be on our own for the half day so I'm looking for what will provide us the best walking tour of the town. In doing some research, it seems the best drop off is the Plaza de Armas which allows for easy walking to the Catedral, Plaza Jose Marti, Teatro Terry, Museo Provincial and observing regular Cuban life. I would like some ideas about how to best spend the morning - are these the places to see......?
unclelouie
New Ulm, MN1,348 contributions
Certainly spending time in the Plaza Jose Marti is worthwhile. It's large and beautiful and surrounded by some of the nicest architecture in all of Cuba. You already know about most of the best sites but I also recommend the former Palacio de Ferrer which is now a casa de cultura undergoing massive renovation. Do make sure you go the roof and then go up the wrought-iron staircase for a great view over not just the plaza but much of the city. There was a minimal charge but to get inside other museums and the teatro you also must pay a bit.
The other prime thing to do is to walk down the Bulevar (Avenida 54) to Calle 37 (the Prado) and then walk the 2 kms or so toward the bay. The Prado eventually becomes the Malecon for a look at some interesting architecture. The problem is that you might not have time to see both the Plaza and do the walk on the Malecon plus probably finding time for lunch. Some folks might prefer one of these two possibilities and some the other. Personally I would prefer the Plaza but others might disagree.
Buena suerte!
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Frequently Asked Questions about Parque Jose Martí
- Hotels near Parque Jose Martí:
- (0.02 mi) Hostal Martha
- (0.10 mi) Palacio Barón & Balbín
- (0.10 mi) Hotel La Union, Affiliated by Meliá
- (0.05 mi) Casa Colonial Martha
- (0.08 mi) Hostal Luminicos
- Restaurants near Parque Jose Martí:
- (0.09 mi) Restaurant Bouyon 1825
- (0.07 mi) EL Ou VRE Studio Cafe
- (0.06 mi) Restaurante Polinesio
- (0.12 mi) De Paris
- (0.04 mi) El Polinesio
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