Discover Hemingway’s Cuba: Life, work and legacy

Ernest Hemingway, one of the most celebrated American authors, found a second home in Cuba, affectionately calling himself a Cubano Sato or typical Cuban. Hemingway became a regular fixture on the Cuban social scene and in 1940, together with his newly-wed third wife Martha, he bought a home just outside Havana. Finca Vigia or Lookout Farm became the Hemingway residence for the next 20 years. As relations between the USA and Cuba deteriorated, Hemingway chose fishing trips in his boat, Pilar and the delights of Havana over returning to his homeland. Island living and Cuba’s vibrant culture had a massive influence on his writing leading to iconic works Islands in the Stream and A Moveable Feast. However, a large quantity of the work created at the Finca remained largely unpublished during his lifetime, only later discovered after Hemingway’s death. War reporting also featured heavily in the Hemingway’s life with both Martha and Ernest often sent to report on the Second Sino-Japanese and World War II. 

From sipping Daiquiris in La Floridita to enjoying a refreshing Mojito in La Bodeguita del Medio, the essence of Hemingway’s Cuba is palpable across every corner of Havana. But, for the most authentic experience, head to the Old Town.

Start your Havana adventure on Obispo Street, the longest road in Old Havana. Once the stomping ground of Hemingway, here you will find traditional tourist traps selling cheap souvenirs, but amongst the clamour, you can find timeless landmarks such as the Plaza de Armas, La Floridita and the National Museum of Natural History of Cuba. Chockablock with people, join in the throng that meanders down this lively thoroughfare and follow the rhythm of live music from bar to bar. Pop in and out of art galleries, and shops and admire the animated street performers busking for their wages. 

Savour the sweetness of a traditional Daiquiri, a typical Ernest Hemingway Cuba cocktail as you visit the author’s old haunt, La Floridita Bar. Created in 1931, the Daiquiri was the art of Catalan bartender Constantino Ribalaigua Vert and locals loved it so much that it became a smash hit the world over. In 1932, while staying in the Hotel Ambos Mundos, Hemingway took his first sip of what was to become his beloved tipple. 

Over the next 20 years, he invited Hollywood names such as Katherine Hepburn and Ava Gardner to try the delectable cocktail. It is rumoured that after 2, 3, or 4 Daiquiris he came up with the idea for his book For Whom The Bell Tolls. Today, the bar is a must-visit for those keen to visit an Ernest Hemingway bar in Cuba and it still conserves its traditional 1950s charm, as if Hemingway left to take a walk around the block.

Head towards the historic Plaza de Armas and immerse yourself in Santiago’s Cuba from the Old Man and the Sea. The oldest square in Havana, this iconic setting has been witness to key events in Cuba’s turbulent past. Enjoy the typical sound of Salsa and Son that bursts through the many doorways surrounding the square and take time to browse the book and antique market that is held here between Tuesday and Sunday. Visit the site on which Havana was founded, El Templete and make a wish under the famous Ceiba tree which is a traditional pilgrimage site each 16th November. To the right of El Templete, you can find the first Spanish fort built in Cuba, the Castillo de la Real Fuerza and before you leave try to spot the famous statue of La Giraldilla, one of the most famous symbols of the city and the now iconic logo of Havana Club rum. You will need more than a day to explore everything this plaza has to offer but regardless of how long you have to explore Hemingway’s Cuba, it is a must-visit. 

When it comes to Ernest Hemingway and Cuba, La Bodeguita del Medio is one of the places that needs to be on your travel list. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, each glass, bar stool and photo on the wall hints at the bar’s storied past. Once a small neighbourhood bar that served generous servings of alcohol and delicious and home-cooked Creole food, the bar quickly became famous for its Mojitos. 

Yet it is not just Hemingway who enjoyed a refreshing Mojito at this now touristy bar. Celebrities of the time such as Pablo Neruda and Errol Flynn also enjoyed a traditional Cuban tipple inside the bar. It is worth noting that the famous graffiti and signatures that once decorated the walls are long gone after a revolution in 1959 that required the bar to close and its walls painted. Today, replicas of the signatures can be found alongside photos of the bar’s golden age.

If you are staying in Cuba’s coastal regions such as Varadero, many organised tours take you on a whistle-stop tour of Havana. Yet there are a few key places on the Hemingway Cuba tour that can be found outside the hustle and bustle of Havana’s city centre. 

The Hemingway home in Cuba can be found a short drive outside of Havana’s centre in the San Francisco de Paula district. Here the winner of a Nobel Prize in Literature found an idyllic existence, one he was forced to give up in 1960 after Fidel Castro’s revolution. The building itself, a Spanish Colonial-style limestone villa nestled in a 5-hectare banana plantation was once on the list of the most endangered historic buildings in the world and is now a museum. Inside the whitewashed walls which sustain dizzyingly high ceilings, visitors can admire more than 10,000 documents, 4,500 photos and even the famous motorboat, the Pilar. It is as if Hemingway had just gone out for a walk. A visit to the Ernest Hemingway Museum, in Cuba is a must for all literary fans.

To the East of Havana lies a small fishing village known as Cojímar. Here Hemingway spent his days fishing and enjoying life out at sea. You can either arrive by car or take a small fishing boat out and traverse the Gulf, just as Hemingway used to do. The small Renaissance town is famous for its tower which provides a focal point for visitors eager to explore the charming nature of the place. Just footsteps from the tower, you can find an old promenade shaded by majestic pines which lead you to the grand bronze bust of Ernest Hemingway. The Old Man and the Sea was directly inspired by the daily goings on in this quaint town so be sure to stay a while and immerse yourself in its nostalgic glory.