Havana — The Secret of the Pilar
Uncover the hidden conspiracy behind Hemingway's Pilar boat in Old Havana. Decode clues at historic landmarks to expose a smuggling plot and claim the lost treasure before it's gone forever.
📱 1 to 10 phones · 1 team per phone · Independent codes
In the shadowy heart of Old Havana, Ernest Hemingway's legendary Pilar boat held more than fishing trophies—it concealed a dangerous secret
Havana — The Secret of the Pilar
You are a freelance intelligence operative dispatched to Havana, 1947.
In the shadowy heart of Old Havana, Ernest Hemingway's legendary Pilar boat concealed more than fishing trophies—it held a
Ernest Hemingway's lost manuscript
« A man can be destroyed but not defeated »— Ernest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea, 1952
Hemingway in Cuba: twenty years between revolution and creation
In 1939, Ernest Hemingway acquired Finca Vigía, a 6-hectare property in San Francisco de Paula, 15 kilometers from Havana. This Spanish colonial house became his creative refuge for twenty years. Here he wrote his major works: For Whom the Bell Tolls (1940), The Old Man and the Sea (1952), the Pulitzer Prize winner that would earn him the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. His fishing boat Pilar, a 12-meter Wheeler bought in 1934, was moored at Cojímar port where he mingled with Cuban fishermen who inspired his stories.
Hemingway experienced the 1959 Cuban Revolution with fascination and concern. Close to Fidel Castro whom he met several times, he initially supported the revolutionary movement while fearing for his property. In 1960, sick and depressed, he left Cuba permanently for Idaho where he committed suicide in July 1961. His wife Mary Welsh donated Finca Vigía to the Cuban government in 1962. The property, preserved intact with its 9,000 books and hunting trophies, became a museum in 1964, a frozen testimony to the life of America's most famous writer in Cuba.
How does it work?
Explore the city on foot solving puzzles based on real historical facts. No locked room — the city is your playground.
No app to download. Play directly from your browser. Guided step by step, at your own pace.
One purchase per phone is enough. Play with family, friends or as a couple — everyone participates.
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears and speaks to you in your language. Golden letters magically write themselves on the wall to reveal the puzzle answer.
Stuck? Progressive personalised hints. The character repeats the puzzle on demand — at your own pace.
French, English, German, Spanish, Italian + 27 other languages auto-translated by AI.
Want to go deeper?
Places tied to your adventure — optional entries, totally up to you · per person
The Route
5-10 curated sites across the territory
The gameplay: AR, camera, hidden clues
At each stop, open your phone camera: an augmented reality character appears on the façade and speaks your language. Hunt the clue — it materializes as golden letters on the real wall or floats in front of you. When you find it, the phone vibrates, an AR chest opens and reveals your answer fragment. 8 stops, 8 clues to find with the camera, 1 final code.
The stops on your route are a surprise. You'll discover them one by one, guided by your phone, starting from the meeting point.
How does it work with a group?
One phone = one team. Pick the number at checkout (1 to 10).
Solo, or a group sharing the screen. One team, one code.
Family, couple, or 2-3 teams competing. Each phone has its own code and its own score.
Friends, bachelor/bachelorette, small office outing — each their own code, each plays at their own pace. Tiered pricing then €6 flat per phone from the 6th.
- ✓All codes are independent — play at the same time OR separately, each team advances at its own pace.
- ✓Leaderboard between your teams + global game leaderboard — each score appears in the public ranking.
- ✓More than 10 phones or need a personalized quest? Discover custom tours.
Ready to live this adventure?
Get my code · 14,90€No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒 Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
Practical info
Why this route?
Literary fishing
Follow the Pilar's trail from the Finca to Cojímar port where Hemingway mingled with the fishermen who inspired Santiago
Literary creation
Explore the white tower where the writer created his masterpieces standing up, facing the Caribbean Sea
Revolutionary navigation
Decode the navigation techniques Hemingway secretly used to map Cuban waters
Cuba, island of lost writers
In Hemingway's gardens
9 features nobody else has
OddballTrip combines gamified play, augmented reality and AI. All our competitors deliver 1 or 2 of these angles. We deliver all 5.
AR treasure chest
A golden chest floats in front of the monument. Tap → opening animation → reveals a secret message.
AR narrator character
Point your phone at the façade: a knight, witch, monk, sailor, detective or ghost appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language with their dedicated ElevenLabs voice (each character has their own unique voice) — your living guide.
Magic golden letters
At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's the puzzle answer. An unforgettable visual effect.
Written + audio narration
Every puzzle available as text AND voice-over: read at your own pace or listen eyes-free while walking. Great in groups and for accessibility.
360° radar + vibration
A mini-radar shows the target even behind you, and the phone vibrates when you aim in the right direction.
Heritage storytelling
Every puzzle weaves in real historical facts (architecture, era, anecdotes). You learn by playing — like a gamified audioguide.
Progressive AI hints
3 levels of AI-generated help: vibe → where to look → answer format. You're never stuck.
AR selfie memento
At the end of the game, capture a selfie with OddballTrip banner + mascot, shareable on Instagram, TikTok.
Zero app to install
PWA technology: open the link, it plays in your browser. Same quality as an app, no App Store hassle.
Frequently asked questions
Q01Do I need to download an app?
No, never. You get a link, you click, it plays in your browser. That's the point of a PWA: same as an app, without the hassle.
Q02Does it work offline?
GPS yes (handled by your phone). Maps yes (tiles cached). AI and hints need an intermittent 4G connection.
Q03How long does a game take?
1 h 30 to 2 h 30 depending on your pace. The timer runs but only for the leaderboard — you play at your own tempo.
Q04What happens if I'm stuck?
You get 3 levels of hints per puzzle (increasing penalty). If truly stuck, you can skip the step (45-min penalty but you keep going).
Q05What's the age range?
From 12 without an adult, from 6 with an adult reading puzzles. Works for families, couples, friend groups, companies.
Q06What if my city isn't in the catalogue?
Pre-register or contact us — we'll email you as soon as your city is live.
Q07What is augmented reality exactly?
Point your phone at the façade: a historical character appears full-screen and speaks to you in your language. At the puzzle climax, golden letters magically write themselves on the real wall — that's your answer. After each puzzle solved, a treasure chest floats in front of you. Seeing is believing.
Avis des aventuriers
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Your turn to play
Unravel the maritime secret Ernest Hemingway concealed in his Cuban property before his final departure — between literary creation and revolutionary mystery, the fragments of his final chart await you in the corners of Finca Vigía.
1 purchase = 1 phone. Play several on the same device.
No calendar booking. Code sent immediately by email.
🔒Secure payment · Code in 5 min · Free cancellation
🪙+24 TripCoins granted with your booking
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