Cienfuegos Bay (Spanish: Bahia de Cienfuegos) is a bay in the Caribbean Sea located in Cienfuegos Province on the southern coast of Cuba. It has served as a harbor for boats for many years. It has two of the most important ports in the country, one of which is the city of Cienfuegos, the capital of the province.
| Cienfuegos Bay | |
|---|---|
| Jagua Bay (Bahia de Jagua) | |
| Bahia de Cienfuegos (Spanish) | |
 Cienfuegos Bay as seen from Jagua Fortress | |
  Cienfuegos Bay Location in Cuba | |
| Coordinates | 22°08′02″N 80°28′51″W / 22.13389°N 80.48083°W |
| Ocean/sea sources | Caribbean Sea |
| Basin countries | Cuba |
| Max. length | 22 kilometres (14 mi) |
| Max. width | 13 kilometres (8.1 mi) |
| Surface area | 88.46 square kilometres (34.15 sq mi) |
| Settlements | Cienfuegos, Cuba Jagua |
History
editOn his second voyage to the Americas, Christopher Columbus visited the bay in 1494. The first permanent settlements occurred in 1738. The Jagua Fortress was erected by King Philip V of Spain in 1742 to protect the bay from pirates who prowled the Caribbean coast in those days. They used it as a refuge at landfall, on their way to the city of Cienfuegos.