Following Hemingway’s steps at Havana

• Estimate Duration: 3.5 hours
• Pre-tour educational materials to prepare you for scheduled activities.
• Exclusive, guided itinerary including unique, handpicked people-to-people activities, insider access to Cuba’s landmarks and hidden gems, private visits, and lectures with renowned Cuban experts.
• All entrance fees to scheduled activities and events unless otherwise noted.
• Transportation in Cuba & Ground logistics.
• Meal as noted in the description.
• Expert Cuban guide
• Private Cuban driver
• Certification of travel to Cuba under the U.S Department of Treasure general license.

**End-of-tour gratuities for the Cuban guide, driver, and tour leader are left to the guest’s discretion and should be based on your satisfaction with the level of service received.

After departing the pier, you will take a 15-minute walk to Havana’s most famous bar, La Bodeguita del Medio, made famous thanks to the rum exploits of Ernest Hemingway. Previous visitors include Salvador Allende, Harry Belafonte, and Nat King Cole, all of whom have left their autographs on La Bodeguita’s walls, along with thousands of others.

Your tour continues walking along Obispo Street to get to El Floridita, which promotes itself as the “cradle of the Daiquirí.” El Floridita was a favorite of American expats long before Hemingway dropped by in the 1930s, hence the name. Bartender Constante Ribalaigua invented the daiquiri soon after World War I, but it was Hemingway who popularized it. Ultimately, the bar christened a drink in his honor: The Papa Hemingway Special.

Afterward, you will go to Finca Vigía, Hemingway’s house in Cuba. Finca Vigía is in the small, working-class town of San Francisco de Paula. It was built in 1886 by Spanish architect Miguel Pascual y Baguer. Hemingway purchased it in 1940 for $12,500. There, Hemingway wrote two of his most notable novels: For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea. A Movable Feast was written there as well. An interesting fact to know is that Gregorio Fuentes inspired Hemingway to write the character of Santiago, the old fisherman protagonist of the book “El Viejo y el Mar,” with which he won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953 and the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954.

Next, you will have the opportunity to visit La Terraza de Cojímar, Hemingway´s favorite restaurant in the area. Upon entering the restaurant, you will notice that images of the American writer decorate the premises. To this day, La Terraza de Cojímar is a place of pilgrimage among the devoted followers of the writer. Finally, you will enjoy lunch in a rustic setting at Café Ajiaco.

After lunch, you will return to the pier to enjoy the remainder of your day.

Meal included: Lunch at Café Ajiaco
Start time: 10:00 a.m.

Note:
This tour involves some walking, mostly on pavement, and there is a staircase in Hemingway’s house. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair access. Guests are advised to bring their camera and wear flat, comfortable shoes. This tour is OFAC compliant.