7 impressive abandoned places in Cuba

The abandoned places in Cuba are not only deteriorated structures: they are living traces of the boom and fall of eras, broken dreams and wasted opportunities.

Many of them left deep footprints in their communities, and even today arouse amazement, sadness and curiosity.

1. Higher Institute of Art (ISA) – Havana

From an exclusive golf course to an unfinished art utopia. Isa was the great promise of Fidel Castro and Che Guevara in 1959: build the best art school in the world.

Its architecture, devised by Ricardo Porro, Roberto Gottardi and Vittorio Garatti, still surprises with Catalan vaults, local curved shapes and materials. Although several faculties continue to function, Ballet’s remains in total abandonment.

This place symbolizes how the artistic ideals of the revolution were replaced by Soviet rigidity.

What was going to be a sanctuary for young talents was half building, affecting entire generations of artists who never stepped on those corridors.

2. FINCA LA LUISA – Havana

In Arroyo Naranjo lies the mansion of José Manuel Cortina, emblematic figure of the Republic. Inspired by Renaissance Palacios, it was expropriated and used by the Government as an industrial research center. His Florentine style, with luxurious domes and bathrooms, still resists deterioration.

The local community, which could benefit from tourism or culture, lives oblivious to its historical value. This architectural colossus is one of the abandoned places in Cuba that most clearly reflect the fall of the bourgeois splendor and the inability of the system to conserve it.

3. Prison model – Youth Island

Also called the «island of prisoners», this circular jail housed more than 6,000 inmates. Inspired by Joliet prison, their structures promoted absolute control. There were figures like Fidel Castro, and at least 500 deaths were documented.

The model prison is an icon of the Cuban prison system, where repression was norm. Its abandonment is a paradox: a symbol of oppression that today could teach, move and raise awareness if it was restored as a museum or memorial.

4. San Miguel de los Baños – Matanzas

A forgotten thermal paradise. San Miguel was a spa town famous for its healing waters. Today, its hotels, channels and tubs are in ruins. Although residents still collect mineral water, the government blocks tourism projects due to their proximity to military facilities.

This site not only lost its health and tourism function; He lost his community. The lack of investment and abandonment has caused young people to emigrate, and the few who remain between broken memories and promises.

5. Cortina Hacienda – Pinar del Río

A dream farm turned into ruins. With gardens, lakes, castles and sculptures, the Cortina Hacienda was the personal retirement of José Manuel Cortina. Expropriated after the revolution, today it is part of a national maintenance or proper tourism promotion.

The San Diego de los Baños community could benefit from the development of this site, but the bureaucracy prevents it. A clear example of how the abandoned places in Cuba continue to carry the weight of the past and the stagnation of the present.

6. Central Hershey – Mayabeque

Built by the Hershey’s company in the 20s, it was one of the most advanced sugar mills in the country. He had his own electric train, schools and homes. After the revolution, he was nationalized and over time fell into decline. Today, its fireplaces and oxidized machinery are an industrial skeleton.

The impact on the community was devastating. Unemployment, exodus and loss of identity are the sequels of this abandoned colossus. It is one of the abandoned places in Cuba that most clearly show the collapse of an economic model.

7. Cine Campoamor – Old Havana

Located in the heart of the historic center, this cinema was one of the most modern in its time. Closed decades ago, it has been devoured by moisture and abandonment. Many Havaneros don’t even remember that it existed.

In a tourist area, Campoamor could be a cultural jewel. Instead, it is a black hole that reflects urban laziness.

Conclusion

The abandoned places in Cuba are not just ruins. They are mirrors of a country trapped between memory and oblivion. Each one tells a story: of interrupted art, expropriated wealth, careless health and unfulfilled promises.

Recovering them would be more than an act of physical restoration; It would be an opportunity to heal social wounds, recover identity and generate new opportunities for communities.