Maps · Varadero · Cafes

Kasa de Al

5.0

119 ratings

provincia de Matanzas, municipio de Cárdenas, Cárdenas, Varadero, avenida Kawama

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provincia de Matanzas, municipio de Cárdenas, Cárdenas, Varadero, avenida Kawama

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5.0

119 ratings

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Мария М.

Level 6 Local Expert

Café acogedor! Buena comida, deliciosos cócteles. Llegamos allí cuando era posible alimentar a los pelícanos y los músicos tocaban. ___________ A cozy cafe! Good cuisine, delicious cocktails. We got there when we could feed the pelicans and the musicians were playing.

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👉 Куда занесло 👉Дзен

Level 30 Local Expert

Al Capone's house in Varadero is a place with an atmosphere of legend and a touch of gangster romance. Located right by the coast, surrounded by palm trees, overlooking the sea and a green lawn. The building has retained its original architecture — stone walls, arched windows, and a red tiled roof. It was here, according to stories, that Al Capone visited in the 1920s and 30s — during the prohibition period in the United States, when Cuba became one of the quiet shelters for the elite of that time. There is a restaurant here now, but the building itself is a historical site where people come not only to eat, but also literally "touch the legend." Old photos, a vintage car on the lawn, interior details — all this creates a special mood. Tip: not only look inside, but also walk around the perimeter of the building — the views and photos are excellent. If the review was useful, please like it. It's not a museum, but you can feel the atmosphere, especially if you know who used to dine here. 🕶️🌴

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Никита

Level 27 Local Expert

General information and origin of the name · Official name: Villa Dupont, also known as Xanadú. · Common folk name: "The House of Al Capone" (Spanish: Casa de Al Capone). This name is an urban legend and historically untrue. Neither Al Capone nor any other famous gangster has ever owned this villa and, according to archival data, has never visited it. · Current status: The building has housed the prestigious El Xanadú restaurant since the 1980s (since 1999 operated by the Spanish group NH Hoteles, later Iberostar), as well as part of the Iberostar Selection Varadero Hotel. It is one of the architectural and historical attractions of Varadero. 2. Construction history and first owner · Years of construction: 1928–1930. · Customer and owner: Iréneé du Pont, American chemist, industrialist and millionaire, president of the giant DuPont Chemical Corporation in 1919-1926. · Reasons for construction: Irene DuPont, who was fond of yachting and golf, was looking for a place to build a winter residence in a tropical paradise. Varadero, which was just beginning to develop as a resort for the elite, was an ideal fit. The location on the hill was not chosen by chance: it offers panoramic views of the entire Varadero and the ocean, as well as the golf course built next door in the same years (now Varadero Golf Club is the oldest in Latin America), in the development of which Dupont also invested. · Architecture: The villa is an example of luxurious colonial Mediterranean architecture with elements of the Spanish style. It is a massive three-storey building made of local coral stone, with terraces, an inner courtyard (patio) and a square watchtower (mirador). 3. The Golden Age (1930-1958) Villa DuPont has become a symbol of the wealth and luxury that prevailed in Cuba before the revolution. The Dupont family, their friends and business partners from the highest society of the USA rested here. · The special pride of the owner was a private observatory located on the top floor of the tower, with a high-class telescope for that time. Dupont was an amateur astronomer. · During the Second World War, when shipping in the Caribbean was dangerous, the villa was used by the family irregularly. 4. The Cuban Revolution and nationalization (after 1959) · After the victory of the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and the severance of relations with the United States, the villa, like many other properties owned by foreigners and the Cuban bourgeoisie, was nationalized by the new government. The Dupont family left Cuba forever, leaving almost all the property inside the villa (furniture, dishes, library). · During the 1960s, the building was used for various purposes, including as a school and as housing for Soviet specialists working in Cuba. 5. New Life: Restaurant and hotel (from the 1980s to the present) · As part of the development of the tourism industry in Varadero in the 1980s, the villa decided to turn into an elite restaurant. · Careful restoration was carried out. The former bedrooms and living rooms have been transformed into the elegant halls of the restaurant. Most of the original furniture and interiors have been preserved, creating a unique atmosphere of a mansion frozen in time. · The restaurant was named "El Xanadú" (after the famous line from the poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge and the residence of "Citizen Kane"). It quickly became one of the most fashionable and expensive establishments in the resort. · Later, in the 1990s, a high-rise hotel building was built next to the villa, integrated into the Iberostar Selection Varadero complex, but the villa itself retained its autonomy as a historical and gastronomic facility. 6. The Origin of the Al Capone Myth · The legend of the villa's connection with the mafia probably arose due to the general context of the Prohibition era in the United States (1920-1933). During this period, Cuba, and especially Havana, really became a place of recreation, money laundering and business for American gangsters (Meyer Lansky, Lucky Luciano, etc.). Casinos and hotels associated with the mafia were built. · However, such activity was minimal in Varadero. It was a resort for the legal rich elite, not for the criminal world. Gangsters preferred Havana. The exterior of the villa — massive, almost fortress-like architecture on a secluded hill— could be associated with people's ideas of a safe haven for a gangster. · Thus, the name "Al Capone's House" is pure folklore, which arose to give the place an additional sensational mystery and attract tourists. The official history and documents do not confirm this connection. Meaning: Villa DuPont is a tangible evidence of the "American" period in the history of Varadero, an era when the resort was created as a tropical paradise for millionaires. It is an architectural and historical monument, successfully adapted to the modern tourist realities of Cuba, preserving the spirit of luxury of the 1930s.

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Kasa de Al

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