Cover Literary icon Ernest Hemingway (right) stands with a fishing rod and a marlin, while Captain Joe Russell from Key West looks on. (Photo: Corbis / Getty Images)
Literary icon Ernest Hemingway (right) stands with a fishing rod and a marlin, while Captain Joe Russell from Key West looks on. (Photo: Corbis / Getty Images)
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From bullfighting rings to big-game fishing, here’s how to channel Ernest Hemingway’s fearless spirit through seven unforgettable experiences
Literary titan Ernest Hemingway would’ve turned 126 on July 21—a perfect time to retrace the life of the extraordinary writer who didn’t just tell stories of adventure, but lived them. From the smoky cafés of Paris to the windless skies of Idaho, Papa’s life was a masterclass in immersive experience. His travels weren’t mere backdrops for his fiction but active participants in his creative process, shaping his voice and larger-than-life persona.
For literature lovers who want a connection with Hemingway, here’s how you can retrace his steps around the world, chasing the raw, lived intensity that made his work—and his life—unforgettable.
In case you missed it: 10 profound quotes on travel from famous writers through the ages
The Swiss Alps: explore the slopes that inspired Hemingway
Above The pristine slopes of the Swiss Alps inspired Hemingway’s vivid description of winter in ‘A Farewell to Arms’. (Photo: Victor He / Unsplash)
The pristine slopes of the Swiss Alps inspired Hemingway’s vivid description of winter in ‘A Farewell to Arms’. (Photo: Victor He / Unsplash)
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Ernest Hemingway and his first wife Hadley spent winters in the region, enjoying the exhilaration and physical challenge of skiing around Montreux, including Chamby, as well as in Austria’s Montafon Valley near Schruns. The author also visited resorts around Gstaad, where the stunning mountain environment inspired his descriptions of winter’s raw beauty in A Farewell to Arms. At the Swiss and Austrian Alps, travellers can carve the same pristine slopes that fueled his passion for both sport and writing.
Paris, France: write your story in a quiet sanctuary
Hemingway wrote parts of his breakthrough novel The Sun Also Rises while frequenting cafés such as La Closerie des Lilas, located in the lively Montparnasse district. He also rented rooms in the Latin Quarter, including areas near Rue Descartes, seeking quiet spaces to write away from the bustle of his flat. Find your corner table, order a café au lait and let the city’s rich literary energy inspire your story.
Key West, Florida: battle a marlin on the deep blue Gulf Stream
Above The literary titan spent countless hours on fishing adventures, hunting marlin, tuna and swordfish. (Photo: Slava. Jamm / Unsplash)
The literary titan spent countless hours on fishing adventures, hunting marlin, tuna and swordfish. (Photo: Slava. Jamm / Unsplash)
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Few places captured Ernest Hemingway’s passion like the deep sea. In 1934, he purchased his customised 38-foot fishing boat Pilar, and spent countless hours on the Gulf Stream and surrounding waters off Key West, Cuba and the Bimini Islands, hunting giant marlin, tuna and swordfish. These fishing adventures provided authentic detail for his novels, To Have and Have Not and his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Old Man and the Sea. Today, you can charter a boat from Key West’s historic harbour and experience the thrill of battling these magnificent fish in the same waters that served as Hemingway’s ultimate proving ground.
Northern Michigan: find solitude on the trout streams of his youth
The pristine wilderness shaped Hemingway’s earliest literary imagination. During summers at his family’s cottage, Windemere, on Walloon Lake, young Ernest developed his lifelong passion for fishing in the crystal-clear streams of northern Michigan. This landscape became the setting for his semi-autobiographical Nick Adams stories, where characters first confronted life’s harsh truths. Visit public access points on Walloon Lake or cast a line in Horton Creek, connecting with the natural world that was the wellspring of his writing.
Pamplona, Spain: soak up the 24/7 energy of the San Fermín festival
The energy of Pamplona’s San Fermín festival transformed Hemingway from observer to participant. He attended the festival numerous times, fully embracing the spectacle of dancing, drinking and the primal thrill of the bull run—even participating in the run himself. His novel The Sun Also Rises turned this provincial party into a global phenomenon. Experience the non-stop energy of the fiesta, from the Plaza del Castillo to the winding streets of the encierro route, and understand why this celebration became central to his artistic vision.
Cuba: live the island life, from Old Havana to the fishing village of Cojimar
Above Hemingway spent over 20 years in Cuba, fishing and frequenting local spots. (Photo: Diego Gennaro / Unsplash)
Hemingway spent over 20 years in Cuba, fishing and frequenting local spots. (Photo: Diego Gennaro / Unsplash)
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Cuba defined Hemingway’s most productive decades. For over 20 years, he made the island his home, fishing for marlin from his boat Pilar, which he docked in the small fishing village of Cojimar—the inspiration for the setting of The Old Man and the Sea. He was a well-known figure in Havana, starting a local baseball team and frequenting bars like La Floridita. Live like a local: fish the Gulf Stream, explore Old Havana’s cobblestone streets and soak in the vibrant culture that inspired his Nobel Prize-winning work.
Idaho: hunt for serenity in the ‘high blue windless skies’
Ernest Hemingway sought the peace that eluded him in his final sanctuary. The writer found refuge in Ketchum, Idaho’s rugged landscape, which reminded him of Spain’s mountains. His passions here were hunting and fishing, finding solace in the outdoors. He wrote a moving eulogy for a friend, now inscribed on his memorial, celebrating the “leaves yellow on the cottonwoods” and “the high blue windless skies”. Explore the mountains and streams around Sun Valley, seeking the same tranquillity and connection to nature that he pursued in his twilight years.
After more than a decade in lifestyle media, Clifford has mastered the art of writing seriously about things that are fun—and writing fun things about people who take themselves very seriously. At Tatler Asia, he helped steer its flagship lists, Tatler’s Most Influential and Asia’s Most Stylish. And today, he leads T-Labs, Tatler Asia’s content innovation hub, where he continues the noble pursuit of lifestyle storytelling, spinning stories on wealth, entertainment, necessary style, Hallyu, Hollywood, beauty and more for audiences across Asia.
