Protected from the Caribbean Sea by a bay with the same name, Cienfuegos is approximately 160 miles southwest of Havana along Cuba’s southern shore. With a population of just over 186,000, the city has all of the amenities of a big city while still maintaining its small town feel. Known as “La Perla Del Sur” or the Pearl of the South, The City of Cienfuegos was originally settled by French and Louisiana colonists in 1819. The city’s French neoclassical style earned the historic center its UNESCO World Heritage Site designation in 2005 for implementation in urban planning. The city’s beauty is rivaled only by the natural marvel that surrounds it and the warmth of the people who live in it.