Cienfuegos - self guided walking tour input

[cpayne]

I am putting together our own self guided walking tour in Cienfuegos.  Here is what I've come up with thus far:

 

https://goo.gl/maps/c8SkBQmbErK2

 

Any other suggestions I should add to our tour? 

 

Looking for authentic and inexpensive place to eat in the Punta Gorda area.  Any suggestions?

 

After lunch/drinks we plan to take a bicycle taxi back to Jose Martin park.  Will the bici-taxis be easy to grab mid day at this location?  Approx cost back to Jose Martin park? 

 

TIA for your input!

 

 

[ebslcc]

10 hours ago, cpayne said:

I am putting together our own self guided walking tour in Cienfuegos.  Here is what I've come up with thus far:

 

https://goo.gl/maps/c8SkBQmbErK2

 

Any other suggestions I should add to our tour? 

 

Looking for authentic and inexpensive place to eat in the Punta Gorda area.  Any suggestions?

 

After lunch/drinks we plan to take a bicycle taxi back to Jose Martin park.  Will the bici-taxis be easy to grab mid day at this location?  Approx cost back to Jose Martin park? 

 

TIA for your input!

 

 

See the thread I started https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2593423-private-excursion-findings-cienfuegos-trinidad-cuba/ and stroll down to DIY or private pedi-taxi tour to Punta Gorda from the port I will be adding more info from our experiences from our Cienfuegos cruise stop (we came back Dec 17th).  In that thread I shared map of other places to go to around town.  How many hours do you have in Cienfuegos?  When are you going?  Currently Palacio de Valle  is being renovated.  Go in and go up the roof anyways.  The bar is still open.  The view from the top is excellent.  It may be head quarter office for the Spanish hotel chain that is taking over management of many of the local hotels (and jacking up the prices 3x over the past 2 years).  

 

Re: good inexpensive place for local lunch. You marked El Ocaso on your map also.  It is what I found on TripAdvisor.  Restaurante Bahia is one that our local tour guide recommended.  I did not look for restaurants near the tip of Punta Gorda.  Per our local guide don't see at Club Cienfuegos.  The food is expensive and not that good.

 

It is not a far walk back to town. We didn't see any bicycle taxi near the tip of Punta Gorda.  You can walk back to Jagua Hotel / Palacio de Valle to find local taxi.  Per our private guide you should not pay more than 3 to 5 CUC for a ride back to town.  

 

Laurence

 

[cpayne]

I used your thread Laurence to put together our waking tour.  You May notice the resemblance.  😉. 

 

Im also interested in more info about the train/tram tour if anyone knows anything about it. Price?  Route?  Can you hop on/off, etc? 

 

Thanks

[Cary Cruiser]

Well you are kinda missing the main square, Parque José Martí, which has most of the historic buildings (also, probably the most touristy part of town), and well worth seeing.

[cpayne]

After lunch we are headed to José Marti Park to wander and sight see.   

[LB_NJ]

Where exactly do the tenders dock in Cienfuegos?

 

Just in case I have to find my own way back.

[Cary Cruiser]

Can't say where the tenders dock.  Our ship was docked in Cienfuegos right at the foot of Calle 19.

[ebslcc]

5 hours ago, LB_NJ said:

Where exactly do the tenders dock in Cienfuegos?

 

Just in case I have to find my own way back.

Tendering or not you will come out of the cruise passenger terminal at the intersection of Calle 19 and La Mar.  See the map I posted in post #20   https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2593423-private-excursion-findings-cienfuegos-trinidad-cuba/. The post where I listed the musical venues you can consider going to.  The main square is 4 blocks straight up and then 3 blocks to the right.  It is pretty safe walking around any time day or night.  There are street hustlers but not as bad as Havana or Santiago (the worst!). 

 

See the photos below.  Tendering boats docks closer to the very small immigration building (behind the trees in the photo).  The queue is for the tender boat.  The blue line on the pavement leads to the immigration building.  If your ship is docked it would be docked parallel to the blue line.  

 

If you are coming in on a larger ship, likely your ship will be tendered.  Oceania ships and from what I read Azamara ships are docked, RCCL Empress of the Sea is tendered. The tender boat in the photo is from the Empress. It was in port the same day we were. 

 

Laurence