Discovering Havana in the footsteps of Ernest Hemingway

Places and people that influenced the Nobel Prize-winning writer, along with some of our best accomodation options.

A journey following the footsteps of Hemingway in Cuba on the discovery of the Caribbean island and its capital, Havana. The relationship between the American writer and the Caribbean island is a myth that spread since the early 1930s continues to this day. It could be the author of The old man and the Sea - a novel that placed the myth of the island in the collective imagination - is the one to guide you to the secrets and unusual routes on your next trip to Cuba. We've also hand-picked the five best accomodation options for your stay, all guaranteed by HostelsClub.

"HE DID NOT SAY THAT BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT IF YOU SAID A GOOD THING IT NIGHT NOT HAPPEN" - Ernest Hemingway

Cuba is so beautiful that perhaps it's better not to say it out loud, so that things remain intact and don't change with time. Better to write about it, and be inspired by one of the masters of modern literature that made Cuba - and in particular its capital Havana - his home for long periods of life, a place that deeply influenced his writing: Ernest Hemingway.

Ernest Hemingway with Inge Feltrinelli, wife of the celebrated editor Giangiacomo.

By following Hemingway's itinerary you are able to visit the key places frequented by the writer, who left indelible traces in the collective imagination and in the ordinary life of Havana, contributing to the charm of the island of Cuba. Ernest Hemingway was a true traveller. He travelled across the world, moving between continents and cities. He led an intense life of love, wars and of course, writing. Of all the places he visited, Havana was the city that fascinated him the most.

In 1924 Hemingway brought home in Key West on the tip of Florida, near Miami. He frequently travelled with his yacht "El Pilar" to Havana (just a few hours away) staying in the city for a few days. At the time he stayed at the Ambos Mundos Hotel, and it was within its rooms that he wrote one of his greatest masterpieces, the novel For Whom The Bell Toll. Hemingway chose a room with a sea view and let himself be inspired by what he saw out of the window. He could admire the life of the city from his room - the people dancing in the street, the children running barefoot, the fishermen of the port and the flow of the Caribbean life. Departures. Returns. After years of wandering the writer fell in love with the place, choosing to spend the final part of his life there.

Cuba is not just an island, it's a philosophy. A way of life, whose beauty is authentic and stripped of all superfluity. Cuba, and specifically its capital Havana, is far removed from the pace of modern cities and the pastel colours of the houses create a sort of urban rainbow. Cuba finds in its capital a cultural treasure trove that has gone through the twentieth century intact to the present day, splendid anachronism, immobile over time.

There is little room for grey in the city, which is devoid of the colour except in the streets; but even here bright colour dominates your view with the 1950s cars, taxis, the three-wheeled mini-taxis, bicycles, carts and the people that live in the city. The Habana Vieja, the historic district, alternates with architecture from the colonial era and the socialist era, without any respect for continuity. Some buildings are crumbling, their walls peeling, but this irregularity of architecture gives the city a special charm. Havana finds perfection in imperfection. The atmosphere is unique and it was within the streets of the old city that Hemingway found refuge while looking for an escape from work and the formalities imposed by his intellectual position.

In the years spent in Havana, Hemingway built relationships with both the common people of the town and the most influential people in the area, without paying too much attention to political affiliations. He has been linked to Fidel Castro, inside one of his favourite bars, El Floridita, is a bronze statue erected in his honour. On the wall, there is a photograph of one of the meetings he held with Fidel Castro. The daiquirì cocktail was, by the way, invented at El Floridita. Another one of the writer's favourite places was the La Bodeguita del Medio, where he usually went to drink with his friends, perhaps after fishing for marlin, one of his favourite activities. The Mojito was invented in this characteristic bar and still today, Hemingway's famous quote is written behind the counter: "My mojito in La Bodeguita, My daiquiri in El Floridita".

In 1939, the writer bought Villa Finca Vigìa (in San Francisco de Paula), which sat on a hill overlooking the city below. He lived here for 18 years up until 1961 and built a library collection of ten thousand volumes. Today, the villa is a splendid museum which houses thousands of documents, some important works of art by Picasso and Klee and all the original furniture and furnishings, including the Hemingway's prestigious typewriter. The courtyard, in addition to the infamous swimming pool where Ava Gardner bathed naked, also hosts his yacht, El Pilar.

The writer's study in his Cuban home, Villa Finca Vigìa.

Ernest Hemingway is one of those characters who achieved immortality thanks to his work. The superb writer was able to sketch a portrait Cuba with skill and mastery. His last short novel, The Old Man and the Sea, earned him the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954. The novel speaks of a Cuban fisherman - an old, silent and humble man whose home is at sea, who almost suffers during the hours spent on dry land. During his last fishing trip, he duels with a big marlin fish. No story better represents the Cuban spirit and the philosophy of life that characterizes the island, located at the intersection of the seas, suspended in a time that no longer exists. These are the stories that fascinate people. Stories of the sea.

What is the best area to stay in when you visit Havana? Each area has its own characteristics and we suggest you discover them in the footsteps of Hemingway, by staying in the city centre.

Seeing as costs of travelling have decreased in recent years, Cuba has now become a popular destination thanks to its low-cost accomodation and dining options. Cuba is full of family-owned guest houses and hostels just waiting to host you. We've selected the best of the best for you, all guaranteed by HostelsClub to give you the best Cuban experience:

Rolando's Backpackers

Paradise Hostel Backpacker

Hamel Hostel

Enzo's Backpackers

Almendares Hostal