"STILL STANDING GUARD" CASTILLO JAGUA, CIENFUEGOS CUBA
Mar 14 '02
The Bottom Line A pleasant afternoon's diversion if you're in the area and can drag yourself away from the beach or the pool bar.
The grizzled old man finally agreed to take $1.00 US and a couple of cigarettes as payment for the trip. Handing him his fare, I jumped aboard the small rickety boat and we quickly set off across the narrow straits. Approaching the far shore, we soon came under the shadow of the massive castle walls which seemed to reach right down to the waterline.
Cienfuegos, Bay, sometimes also called Jagua Bay is one of the largest bays and harbours in Cuba. Located on the south coast of the island nation, the bay has been used as a shelter for ships and sailors for more than 400 years. Initially, pirates and privateers sheltered here in between sorties on rich Spanish Galleons.
During the cold war it was a major Soviet and Cuban naval base. Russian submarines often sailed from here to play cat and mouse games with their American counterparts. Now it is used by commercial container ships and oil tankers bound for Cuba's only oil refinery.
Seen from the air, the bay is massive, dwarfing the city of Cienfuegos, perched on a peninsula at its north end. It also appears to be a lake or inland sea at first glance. Only a closer look reveals a narrow passage at the south end exiting into the Caribbean Sea. The passage, barely wide enough to accommodate the large cargo vessels that transit it on a regular basis seems even smallerthan it is. This is because it is dwarfed on one side by a massive fort, Castillo de Jagua, Jaguar Castle.
The importance of this large natural harbour with its one narrow entrance was not lost on the Spanish when they first arrived in Cuba. Fortifications were quickly built here in the 17th century to defend against marauding British and other vessels. These were improved upon over the years and the present fort was completed in the 18th century.
Nowadays the ramparts are no longer manned, and the only inhabitants are curious tourists either from the city or the nearby resorts of Playa Rancho Luna. The castle is open daily to the public, admission $1.00. Spectacular views of the bay, the narrow harbour entrance and the two small fishing villages on either side of the straits can be had from the walls. Also worth looking at are the Governors quarters, where you can pose for pictures seated in his impressive oak chair. The entrance to the castle is over a massive wooden drawbridge, also worth a close look. There is a small restaurant/bar on the premises and plans for a museum are in the works.
Outside the fort, the village of Jagua is also worth a look, with its winding narrow streets, and tiny church. Off to the west you can see Ciudad Nuclear, "Nuclear City" a massive uncompleted nuclear reactor site, complete with its collection of drab apartment blocks for the work force and construction cranes frozen in place since work stopped on the project in 1992. Across the strait is the equally picturesque village of Passacaballos.
Getting to Jagua is quite easy. There is a local bus that runs from Cienfuegos to Passacaballos several times a day, or you can catch a taxi from the city or the beach resorts at Playa Rancho Luna. From the Passacaballos side there is the small ferry which crosses the entrance to the bay and a larger one that travels across the bay to the city.
For those planning on spending the day here, there's plenty of places to eat. You can grab a quick meal at the small bar/restaurant in the castle. There is also the Hotel Passacaballos' which is on a hill above the village, on the eastern side opposite the castle. Finally both villages have several good restarants and palladares in them.
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Member: James Smith
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