Cienfuegos, Cuba's "Pearl of the South," is a city of cool colonnaded buildings recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site. Here the serene Bahía de Cienfuegos opens onto the Caribbean Sea, and Punta Gorda, a sliver of land that slices into its southern waters, offers some of Cuba's prettiest 

Cienfuegos can be reached by car or bus from Havana and today exhibits a palpable French flavor, with touched-up buildings and congenial hustle-free street-life. The city's 19th-century architecture and tranquil seaside setting create a pleasant atmosphere.

Visitors to Cienfuegos should take a day trip to the nearby colonial city of Trindad, a UNESCO World Heritage site.