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Ernest Hemingway Villa Cojimar - "Old Man and the Sea"
Cojimar is only a 10 min drive from Old
Havana, taxis will drive through the
residential section to park
at the seafront,
which is close to everything of interest.
Cojimar a small fishing village is the background
for Hemingway's most poetic work,
The Old Man and the Sea. In fact Santiago the
Old Man in the title, was drawn from
Cojimar resident Gregorio Fuentes.
When the novella won the Pulitzer Prize in 1953,
tourists began seeking out
the symbolic Cuban village.
Hemingway took the Nobel
Prize in 1954, Cojimar's became tourist attraction.
Hemingway docked
his boat, El Pilar, in Cojimar and fished here
with his guide, Gregorio Fuentes.
The writer is remembered by
the town with a small gazebo that encircles a commemorative
bust, sculpted from the melted down propellers donated by local
fishermen.
Across the street from the gazebo is Torreon de Cojimar, an aged
Spanish fort now used by the Cuban Coast Guard.
After viewing
the memorial, walk one block south by the harbor to the quaint
waterfront city park.
Like a miniature Malecón, this park attracts
Cojímar residents wanting to relax, play dominoes, and enjoy the
sounds of the sea.
Have lunch at La Terazza, where Hemingway used to eat. Not
only will you enjoy a delicious seafood meal, you can have an
audience with Gregorio Fuentes, Papa's fishing guide and
inspiration.
Though Fuentes age is disputable
there's no doubt that he loves to have his picture taken.
For CUC$10, you can snap a picture and listen to Fuentes' account
of fishing with Hemingway.
If Fuentes isn't at La Terazza, he also
takes visitors at his house only 5 blocks up the street. |
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