Top 7 Places For Ernest Hemingway Fans In Cuba

Nobel Prize-winning writer Ernest Hemingway lived for 20 years in Cuba, and you can visit many of the places where he spent his time. Here are the top places for Hemingway fans on the island.

La Bodeguita del Medio

A now world-famous bar in Old Havana, this spot is known for its mojitos. It was the scene of many drinking sessions for the writer, who was known for beating the Cuban heat with a drink or two.

El Floridita

This famous bar in Old Havana has a statue of the writer that you can take photos with. It’s in his favourite place, at the end of the bar where he would apparently come to drink daiquiris after he had finished writing for the day.

Statue of Hemingway at Floridita bar in Havana

Hotel Ambos Mundos

Hemingway started writing For Whom the Bell Tolls here, in room 511, which still houses the typewriter he used, as well as other artefacts. The 1920s hotel is full of photos and other memorabilia from the time the writer spent here.

La Terraza

This restaurant in the town of Cojimar features in The Old Man and the Sea. Hemingway used to dine here regularly with the skipper of his boat, El Pilar, a man named Gregorio Fuentes.

A note Hemingway wrote about his two favourite bars in Cuba

Playa Pilar, Cayo Guillermo

This beach in northern Cuba is so beautiful that Hemingway is thought to have named his boat after it. He used to return to fish here often, and it is the scene for the climax of his book Islands in the Stream.

Finca Vigia

Visit the old farm where Hemingway finished writing For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea, just nine miles (14.5 kilometres) from the centre of Havana. It still contains many of the original furnishings and artefacts that were left here by the writer.

Ernest Hemingway at his home in Cuba, circa 1953, standing in front of a 1929 portrait of himself by Waldo Pierce

Tropicana

Head to the Marianao neighbourhood of Havana to visit this famous cabaret venue. It remains an attraction today, after hosting raucous parties for the writer and other members of the international jet-set in the 1950s.

landscape with balloons floating in the air

KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?

Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.