Formerly the smart district of Cienfuegos, Punta Gorda is sited on a 3km-long peninsula. Run-down in places, the Malecón promenade is bordered by imposing villas, vestiges of the American period under Batista. Buildings of note include the Hotel Jagua, a concrete former casino (1950) next door to the Palacio de Valle, an eclectic mix of styles where the Moorish taste predominates, and elegant wooden villas built by Louisiana colonists. Pause in the charming little square giving onto the bay.