Finca Vigia

About

Ernest Hemingway lived in the hilltop villa of Finca Vigia from mid-1939 to 1960, during which time he wrote much of For Whom the Bell Tolls, as well as The Old Man and the Sea (the fisherman was from the nearby town of Cojimar), Dangerous Summer, and some of A Moveable Feast as well. In 1960, depression and illness forced him to abandon his home of 20 years and return to the US. After his suicide in 1961, Finca Vigia became the property of the Cuban government, who have tried to maintain the house as a museum. The interior is still fully furnished with Hemingway’s belongings (partly because his wife couldn’t get them back), so you can see exactly how he lived - though with inconsistent opening hours, you might have to peek through the windows! The grounds are a treat as well, offering views of Havana, a refreshing breeze, and Hemingway’s fishing boat, Pilar.