Cementerio la Reina

Cienfuegos


A listed national monument, the city's oldest cemetery was founded in 1837 and is lined with the graves of Spanish soldiers who died in the Wars of Independence. This is the only cemetery in Cuba where bodies are interred above ground (in the walls), due to the high groundwater levels. It's an evocative place if you're into graveyards (tours are available). Look for the marble statue called Bella Durmiente: a tribute to a 24-year-old woman who died in 1907 of a broken heart.

Approach is via the slum-like Av 50: a long, hot walk or horse-cart ride passing a sorry-looking collection of trains in the so-called Parque de Locomotivas en route.