Audio Guide: Hemingway's Havana Walking Tour (Self Guided), Havana

Ernest Hemingway was an American novelist, journalist, and short-story writer, renowned for his direct, economical prose and his adventurous lifestyle. One of the most influential authors of the 20th century, he wrote such celebrated works as “A Farewell to Arms”, “For Whom the Bell Tolls”, and “The Old Man and the Sea”. He received the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 and the Nobel Prize in Literature the following year.

From his first visit to Cuba in 1928 until his death in 1961, Hemingway felt a deep connection to the island, its people, and its culture. During the 1930s, he regularly stayed at Hotel Ambos Mundos in Old Havana, where he worked on several books, including parts of “For Whom the Bell Tolls”. Today, Room 511 is preserved as a small museum displaying photographs, books, a typewriter, and other objects associated with the writer.

Hemingway was a frequent patron of El Floridita, a historic bar famous for its daiquiris. He is closely associated with the establishment’s frozen daiquiri, which he preferred with less sugar and extra rum. You can also try a mojito at La Bodeguita del Medio, another Havana bar traditionally linked with Hemingway. Its walls are covered with photographs, handwritten messages, and signatures left by generations of famous visitors and travelers.

After leaving Hotel Ambos Mundos, Hemingway purchased Finca Vigía, a hilltop house southeast of Havana, where he lived for approximately two decades. Hemingway frequently sailed from the nearby fishing village of Cojímar, whose fishermen and maritime traditions helped inspire “The Old Man and the Sea”. Published in 1952, the novel tells the story of Santiago, an aging Cuban fisherman engaged in an epic struggle with a giant marlin. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and played an important role in Hemingway receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Hemingway later dedicated his Nobel medal to the Cuban people, and it is kept at the Basilica of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre.

Today, visitors continue to seek their own connection with the legendary author whose words have inspired generations around the world. Follow in Hemingway’s footsteps, visit the places where he lived and wrote, relax at his favorite bars, and discover your own literary connection with Havana.