Reflections of Cuba: Hemingway’s Finca Vigía
I always envisioned Hemingway’s home in Cuba. Finca Vigía, to be on the water. But in fact, it’s inland, about a 30-minute drive out of town. From the back terrace of the home, you can see the city of Havana and the Gulf far in the distance.
His famous boat, the Pilar, was kept 10-15 minutes away in the port of Cojimar. Built in 1886 by a Catalonian architect, Finca Vigia was Hemingway’s home from 1939–1960 and is now a museum. The Pilar is now housed on-site.
While renting the home, he finished For Whom the Bells Toll and used the proceeds from book sales to purchase the 15-acre property for $12,500. He lived at Finca Vigía with his third and fourth wives (Martha & Mary), and many beloved dogs and cats. Hemingway added a pool, tennis courts, and a cock fighting ring in addition to the many nature trails he enjoyed throughout the property. The home is full of taxidermy animals, but I didn’t see any displayed fish – I guess they ate or released what they caught.
It was here, probably standing at his typewriter in his bedroom, that he wrote his most well-read, famous book, The Old Man and the Sea, a story about a Cuban fisherman. “Papa,” as Hemingway was known, dedicated his 1954 Nobel Prize in literature to Cuba, a country and a people he dearly loved.
After Hemingway left, the property deteriorated despite U.S. efforts to preserve it. It was eventually placed on the World Monuments Foundation list of the world’s most endangered historic buildings. The Cuban government finally restored the property, and it’s been open to visitors since 2007.
When I say, open that’s a literal statement. Most windows are open, and you can look through them to see the interior of the home. You cannot enter. You can see the continued deterioration of Finca Vigía and its grounds reflected in my photos. For a few dollars, the ladies working in the home will quietly borrow your cellphone to snap a few close-ups.
While there, we were told his widow had donated the home and contents to the Cuban government. Independent sources, however, indicate the property and contents were seized by the government, a few months after he returned to the U.S. in 1960. It is reported his widow was pressured to “donate” the property in exchange for collecting a few personal items and manuscripts that were in a vault in Havana. Which version do you believe?
Hemingway was allowed a residence permit, but was never able to return to Cuba before his death by suicide in July ’61.
Details (l-r): Bullets on his desk, bullfighting poster, original Picasso plaque, books & hunting trophies.
Of note for my cat-friends: No cats are living at Finca Vigíia now, and the Cuban cats were never the six-toed (polydactyl) variety like their famous Key West “cousins.” Hemingway had a fluffy gray Angora, Princessa, from a breeder in Key West, and Cuban cats, Good Will and Boise, to name a few.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my other content about Cuba:
Reflections of Cuba: Music & Dance
I LOVED the Hemingway post! Again- if the Villagers could just…Finca Vigilia!
Thank you! You would have really enjoyed seeing it. Check out the movie “Papa: Hemingway in Cuba” (Prime). Some of our mural friends suggested I watch it before the trip. The movie itself is NOT an Academy Award winner, but it makes up for it because it was filmed in the house!
It came out in 2015 and they were the first American film crew allowed to film a movie since Castro came to power. I’m guessing the film studio did some restoration work at that time. In any case, the house is the star.