The Guanaroca Lagoon is a lake formed by the river Arimao before it flows into the Bay of Cienfuegos. It is a protected wildlife refuge and includes the Laberinto de los Naturales, Cayo Ocampo and other smaller keys inside the bay. Its coastal environment is very attractive because of its mangrove swamps and the presence of indigenous and migratory avifauna. It is estimated that in the lagoon there are over 170 varieties of birds, of which eight are endemic, including the tocororo, the national bird of Cuba.
Most noteworthy is a colony of more than 2000 pink flamingos (in winter! In summer you will see flamingos as well, but there will be far less of them) and the more than seven types of species of heron.
Address: Rancho Luna road km 13.5
Entrance: 11.00CUC (including guide)

 

On the west side of  José Martí Park, this is the former Palacio de Ferrer (1918), now  Benjamin Duarte Culture House, a neoclassical building with Italian marble floors, staircases and walls and – most noticeably – a domed rooftop cupola equipped with a wrought-iron staircase, designed to keep an eye on the port. You can climb the tower to get to see spectacular city and sea-wide views once the building reopens following refurbishment in 2011.
Address: Calle 25 No 5401
Open: 8:30am to 24:00pm
Entrance: free

A wonderful example of Creole architecture, the theater Tomás Terry on the northern side of the Parque José Martí is one of the city´s highlights and declared World Heritage in 2005. Built between 1887 and 1889, thanks to the financial donations from the descendants of the Venezuelan industrialist Tomás Terry, the 950-seat theatre is embellished with a marble statute of Terry, hand-carved Cuban hardwoods and exquisite ceiling frescoes.
Address: Av 56 No 270 between Calle 27 and 29
Open: 10:00am to 6:00pm
Entrance: 2,00CUC
 
 

The only military colonial fortress of Central Cuba is located in Cienfuegos, a 40-minute ferry ride away from town.
The fortress, Castillo de Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Jagua, was built in 1745 and during the English occupation it served as the Spanish military headquarters. It has a working drawbridge (the one and only entrance), a prison and a chapel in the courtyard and the castle itself now houses a small museum providing information on its history and its legends, amongst which its own ghost, the notorious ‘Lady in Blue.’
Address: Castillo de Jagua community
Open: Tuesday to Saturday, 9:00am to 5:00pm; Sunday, 9:00am to 1:00pm
Entrance: 5.00CUC
 
 

Cienfuegos botanic gardens are located 15km from the city, near a small town called Pepito Tey.
In 1901 Harvard University got involved and many more trees, bushes and plants from all over the world were brought over. After the revolution the State took over and appointed staff to preserve and develop the many species that are found today in the 94-hectare botanical garden with sections for medical plants, orchids, fruit trees and the world’s most extensive collection of palm trees.
A nice place to spend some hours wandering around.
Address: Carretera Central Kilómetro 136, Pepito Tey
Open: 8:00am to 4:30pm
Entrance: 3.00CUC
 
 

The city's other national monument-listed resting place is classed as a 'garden cemetery' and is named Tomás Acea to honor one of the richest families of the province (who also financed the neoclassical entrance with its columns modeled on the Parthenon).
Address: Carretera de Rancho Luna Km 2
Open: Monday to Sunday, 8:00am to 6:00pm
Entrance: 1.00CUC