[node:61253 link Cienfuegos architectural pride and joy is Palacio del Valle (Calle 37, esq. Av. 2, tel. 043/51-1003 ext. 812, daily 10 a.m.–11 p.m., CUC2 including cocktail) at the tip of Punta Gorda. This architectural stunner—now a restaurant of the Hotel Jagua—originated as a modest home for a trader, Celestino Caceres. It passed out of his hands and was given as a wedding present to a member of the local Valle family, who added to it in virile Mogul style, with carved floral motifs, cupped arches, bulbous cupolas, and delicate arabesques in alabaster.
Note the mural of the Magi on the Carrara marble staircase. A spiral staircase deposits you at a rooftop mirador (free after 5 p.m.).