Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.
Charmgang
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Cuba Cienfuegos Cementerio la Reina
AO Edited

Cementerio la Reina

A cemetery full of exquisite statuary, including a monument to a woman some say died of a broken heart.

Cienfuegos, Cuba

Added By
Talek Nantes
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Sleeping Beauty.   Talek Nantes / Atlas Obscura User
Three statues.   Talek Nantes / Atlas Obscura User
Female angel.   Talek Nantes / Atlas Obscura User
Male angel.   Talek Nantes / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

In the colonial city of Cienfuegos, in central Cuba, visitors will find a cemetery full of exquisite statuary. Opened in 1837, Cementerio la Reina is now crumbling in some areas, but is still a magnificent place.

For much of the 19th and 20th-centuries, Cienfuegos was one of the most important sugar-producing areas in Cuba. Many of the people buried in this cemetery were members of wealthy plantation families. Their tombs reveal a great deal of history about the city. 

The most outstanding feature of the cemetery by far is the remarkable statuary. One particularly striking example is the monument called “Sleeping Beauty,” a tribute to a 24-year-old woman who some like to say died of a broken heart (though others say she succumbed to a cholera epidemic).

Taking a close look at the graves gives an additional glimpse of the city’s colonial past. Some tombs are marked with the regiment symbols of the Spanish armies that fought unsuccessfully to hold onto Cuba, Spain’s richest colony, in the Cuban War of Independence.

The caretakers also double as guides and provide tours around the cemetery to discuss its rich history. 

Related Tags

Cemeteries Graveyards Burial Places Statues Colonialism

Know Before You Go

It’s about a 20-minute walk from the center of Cienfuegos to the cemetery on Avenue 50. another option is to take a horse-drawn carriage or a bicycle taxi, both of which you can flag down on any Cienfuegos street.

Community Contributors

Added By

Talek Nantes

Published

June 22, 2018

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://travelswithtalek.com/
  • https://www.lonelyplanet.com/cuba/cienfuegos/attractions/cementerio-la-reina/a/poi-sig/486578/358010
  • https://www.afar.com/places/cementerio-la-reina-cienfuegos
  • https://www.wmf.org/project/reina-cemetery
Cementerio la Reina
Calle 7
Cienfuegos
Cuba
22.145125, -80.464114
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Mal Tiempo Steam Locomotives

Cienfuegos, Cuba

miles away

Cuba's Abandoned Nuclear Plant Construction

Juraguá, Cuba

miles away

Che Guevara Mausoleum

Santa Clara, Cuba

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos

Cuba

Places 2

Nearby Places

Mal Tiempo Steam Locomotives

Cienfuegos, Cuba

miles away

Cuba's Abandoned Nuclear Plant Construction

Juraguá, Cuba

miles away

Che Guevara Mausoleum

Santa Clara, Cuba

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Cienfuegos

Cienfuegos

Cuba

Places 2

Related Places

  • Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

    Grave of Caroline Walter

    Flowers have mysteriously appeared on her effigy every day for the last 150 years.

  • Moriarty Monument.

    New Orleans, Louisiana

    Moriarty Monument

    The tallest monument in a historic New Orleans cemetery was prompted by romance and dash of pettiness.

  • The Old Protestant Cemetery.

    Macau

    Old Protestant Cemetery

    The final resting place of 19th-century sailors previously banned from being buried within Portuguese Macau.

  • Bukit Cina, Malacca’s Chinese cemetery.

    Malacca, Malaysia

    Bukit Cina (Chinese Hill)

    The largest Chinese cemetery in the world outside of China dates back to the 15th century.

  • The Stecci Cemetery

    Novakovići, Montenegro

    Medieval Slavic Cemetery

    A scattered cemetery of medieval tombstones, each carved with indivdual patterns and scenes, overlooking a bright blue lake.

  • A wooden grave marker at Silver Islet Cemetery.

    Silver Islet, Ontario

    Silver Islet Cemetery

    Carved wooden graves mark the plots at this cemetery in an old mining town.

  • This cemetery stands in stark contrast to its American counterpart.

    La Cambe, France

    Le Cambe German War Cemetery

    This place bears witness to the loss of many lives during WWII, and stands in stark contrast to the American Cemetery.

  • Warblington Gravewatcher’s Hut

    Warblington, England

    Gravewatcher's Huts

    These unassuming buildings in the tranquil churchyard of rural Warblington are in fact grave watchers’ huts.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.