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The famous American novelist Ernest Hemingway purchased the Finca la Vigía villa on the hill of San Francisco de Paula, 15 km from downtown Havana, in 1940, and lived on this wonderful property for 20 years.

In 1960, after the revolution, Hemingway left Cuba to return to the United States and donated his villa and park to the Cuban people; the government and the Ministry of Culture have kept the property in excellent condition, turning it into a museum. The house is moving because it is exactly as the writer left it, with all his personal effects.

To preserve the objects, paintings, records, and even Hemingway's clothing, visitors cannot enter the interior; instead, the visit takes place by looking through the large doors and windows, which are left open during opening hours, allowing a glimpse into the writer's universe. You will see books everywhere (even in the bathroom), a large phonograph with a record collection, and an impressive number of objects and big-game hunting trophies (the passion of Hemingway and his wife). The trophies hang on the walls. In the bedroom, on the dresser, there is one of the typewriters, since he loved to write standing up.

Next to the house, in the three-story annex, you can admire a second typewriter, a telescope, and a deckchair facing the city view.

Strolling through the lush garden, you reach the pool where Ava Gardner is said to have swum naked, a cockfighting ring, and the small gravestones of his beloved cats.

On what was once a tennis court, you will see the Pilar, the boat Hemingway used for deep-sea fishing trips, hauled ashore.

If you love the story of one of the most significant writers between the 1920s and the 1960s and are passionate about architecture and design, you cannot miss this wonderful visit.