It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, because of its outstanding Neoclassical architecture and its status as the best example of early 19th century Spanish urban planning.

Early settlers, often referred to as "buccaneers", raised cattle and made jerky to supply to the privateers and others who sought refuge in the bay.

[citation needed] In 1742 King Philip V of Spain built Fort Jagua to suppress the pirates' use of Cienfuegos Bay.

The city was formally founded on 22 April 1819 by French and Spanish settlers under the command of Don Luis De Clouet y Favrot.

Today, the city centre still retains eclectic architecture from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, much with neoclassical decoration.