Cuba - Lonely Planet [213]
Noemi, Cienfuegos
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Entertainment
LIVE MUSIC
Jardines de Uneac (Map; 51-61-17; Calle 25 No 5413 btwn Avs 54 & 56; admission CUC$2) Uneac’s a good bet in any Cuban city for its laid-back unpretentious vibe and Cienfuegos is no exception. In fact, this is quite possibly the city’s best music venue with a salubrious outdoor patio hosting Afro-Cuban peñas (musical performances), trova and top local bands such as the perennially popular Los Novos.
Centro Recreativo JA Mella (Map; 55-23-20; Calle 37 btwn Avs 4 & 6) The former Casa de la Música has toned down its act considerably since its conversion into a rec center (much to the relief of many of the tinnitus-suffering local residents); but you can still catch the occasional Disco Temba (’70s and ’80s music) here.
Los Pinitos (Map; Calle 37 & Av 22) A playground for kids during the day, Los Pinitos matures tenfold by nightfall with decent weekend music shows that have a Benny Moré bias.
Patio de ARTex (Map; 55-12-55; cnr Calle 35 & Av 16) A highly recommendable patio in Punta Gorda where you can catch son (Cuba’s popular music), salsa, trova and a touch of Benny Moré nostalgia live in the evenings as you mingle with true Cienfuegueños.
Café Cantante Benny Moré (Map; cnr Av 54 & Calle 37) This is where you might get some suave Benny tunes, especially after hours. A restaurant by day this place undergoes a metamorphosis in the evenings when it mixes up mean cocktails and tunes into live traditional music.
DANCE CLUBS
El Benny (Map; 55-11-05; Av 54 No 2907 btwn Calles 29 & 31; admission per couple CUC$8; 10pm-3am Tue-Sun) It’s difficult to say what the ‘Barbarian of Rhythm’ would have made of this disco/club named in his honor. Bring your dancing shoes, stock up on the rum and Cokes and come prepared for more techno than Benny Moré.
Two open-air venues with a more traditional Cuban vibe are the feisty Tropisur (Map; cnr Calle 37 & Av 48; Sat only), on the Prado, and Cabaret Costasur (Map; Av 40 btwn Calles 33 & 35; Fri & Sat), whose beat has been known to rattle buildings on Saturday nights. Club Cienfuegos (Map; 51-28-91; Calle 37 btwn Avs 10 & 12) has some good salsa on the terrace as does the rooftop bar at Cubanacán Boutique La Unión (Cubanacán; Map; 45-10-20; cnr Av 54 & Calle 31). The Cabaret Guanaroca (Map; Calle 37 No 1; admission CUC$5; 9:30pm Tue-Fir, 10pm Sat) in the Hotel Jagua offers a more professional tourist-orientated show.
THEATER
Teatro Tomás Terry (Map; 51-33-61; Av 56 No 270 btwn Calles 27 & 29) Worth a visit in its own right, you’ll really get to appreciate this architectural showpiece if you come for a concert or play; the box office is open 11am to 3pm daily and 90 minutes before show time.
The Casa de la Cultura Benjamin Duarte (Map; Calle 25 No 5403), on Parque Martí, offers various events to match its grandiose setting, while the Biblioteca Roberto García Valdés (Map; Calle 37 No 5615) holds classical-music concerts, discussions on Martí and flamenco-inspired searches for duende.
CINEMAS
It’s a three-way choice in Cienfuegos. Check the movie schedules on display at any of the following: Cine-Teatro Luisa (Map; Calle 37 No 5001); Cine Prado (Map; Calle 37 No 5402); and Cine-Teatro Guanaroca (Map; cnr Calle 49 & Av 58), opposite the bus station.
SPORT
From October to April, the provincial baseball team – nicknamed Los Camaroneros (the Shrimpers) – plays matches at Estadio 5 de Septiembre (Map; 51-36-44; Av 20 btwn Calles 45 & 55). Its best ever national series finish was fourth in 1979. Weekend box testing matches and other sporting events occur at Polivalente.
Shopping
Cienfuegos’ main drag – known officially as Calle 54, but colloquially as El Bulevar – is a quintessential Cuban shopping street with not a chain store in sight. The best traffic-free stretch runs from Calle 37 (Prado) to Parque Martí and is chock-a-block with shops of all shapes and sizes.
Check out the Maroya Gallery (Map; Av 54 btwn Calles 25 & 27) for folk art, Variedades Cienfuegos (Map; cnr Av 54 & Calle 33) for peso paraphernalia