Al Capone's house in Varadero

Al Capone Cuba

Varadero is one of the most beautiful destinations in Cuba, famous for its beaches and landscapes. Its magnetism has attracted millions of visitors of all kinds. good's and bad's. In fact, it was here that one of the best known gangsters in history decided to build a house and enjoy paradise. This is the Al Capone's house in Varadero.

If you travel to Cuba and Varadero is on your destination list, you should spend a little of your time getting to know this place. The villa is located in Coco Cove, built on the key that stretches between the ocean and the Paso Malo Lagoon. A truly exceptional location.

Al Capone, king of the Mafia

Born in Brooklyn in 1899, alphonse gabriel capone (better known as Al Capone) has gone down in history as the most famous mobster in the world.

Capone, coming from a family of Italian emigrants, started working at the Chicago organized crime in the 20s, thanks to his intelligence and unscrupulousness, he soon rose to the ranks of this underworld, becoming a prominent figure in the illegal gambling and alcohol smuggling business.

Al Capone gangster

Al Capone spent many summers in Cuba, from where he conducted his businesses outside the law

In those years Cuba it was a kind of grand casino for the most powerful American citizens. For that reason, Al Capone decided to move part of his business there. And to control it closely, he had a luxurious villa built in one of the most beautiful places on the island. His "Cuban home" was a typical Californian chalet with stone walls, blue-painted wooden balconies, and a tile roof.

Capone spent many summers in his Cuban retirement. In the last years of his life, already seriously ill, he decided to seclude himself in his mansion in Miami, where he died of a lung disease in 1947. The mobster could not imagine that his beloved home in Varadero would end up being expropriated by the communist government of Fidel Castro just a few years later.

Abandoned for decades, the house became the headquarters of the Luis Augusto Turcios Lima Sports Initiation School (EIDE), but its former splendor would not revive until the 90s.

Al Capone's house today

The Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the collapse of the Soviet bloc were events that had serious consequences for the Cuban economy, which for decades had been supported by aid from the Soviet Union.

It was then that the Cuban communist regime decided to open the door to the income generated by the , thus timidly embracing the capitalism so reviled by the leaders of the Revolution. Matter of survival.

In this context, the Ministry of Tourism of Cuba took over the ownership of the Casa de Al Capone in Varadero, starting a business that turned out to be very successful: a restaurant called "La Casa de Al".

Eat at «Casa de Al»

Al Capone's restaurant turned out to be a powerful tourist claim for many visitors. Many of those who travel to Varadero today do not miss the opportunity to reserve a table here. The idea is to enjoy a lunch or dinner in a beautiful natural environment and at the same time relive the legend of Al Capone.

The house is decorated with numerous elements that allude to the figure of the famous gangster. The best known of all is found at the entrance: a replica of the Cadillac V8 Town black, Al Capone's favorite car, parked in the garden.

Al Capone Varadero

Entrance to the restaurant 'La Casa de Al' in Varadero

Once inside the building, customers are greeted by a great black and white photograph of the mobster. In it he appears smiling, wearing his characteristic hat and smoking an authentic Cuban cigar. It's just the first of many winks awaiting diners. But the original decoration of the place is not the only strong point of this place. The views of the sea and the beauty of the environment are arguments that alone justify the visit.

After lunch or dinner, visitors can enjoy a drink (or a "little drink", as they say in Cuba) at the Capo Bar, which is part of the complex, a bar decorated in the style of the 30s where there are also references to the figure of Al Capone.

Finally, it should be mentioned two aspects that overshadow the visit to this emblematic place. In the first place, the moral question of paying homage to a sinister character who distinguished himself by committing all kinds of crimes. On the other hand, the theory defended by many both inside and outside Cuba, that Al Capone never had a house in Varadero. Anyway, let's not let reality ruin a good idea,


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