A once-popular beach area east of Havana, Boca Ciega, is now a “ghost town” marked by decaying infrastructure and abandoned properties, according to content creator Sisi Aguilera, who recently documented the area’s decline in a widely shared social media video.
Aguilera’s footage reveals ruined vacation homes, collapsed structures, and iconic spaces left to fall into disrepair. “Nothing I had seen in videos compares to the reality,” Aguilera stated after revisiting the site, as reported by CiberCuba on March 21, 2026.
The El Dorado complex, once a focal point for tourism, is particularly emblematic of the area’s deterioration. The swimming pool is filled with stagnant water and debris, and the nightclub shows signs of vandalism and structural damage, including damaged walls and corroded columns. The area’s structural dangers are further highlighted by exposed steel and buildings overtaken by vegetation, making it a hazardous location, according to Aguilera’s report.
The neglect of Boca Ciega underscores a recurring issue in Cuba: the existence of abandoned homes amidst a widespread housing crisis. “With so many families in demand of a home, why are they left like this?” Aguilera questioned, a sentiment echoed by numerous commenters on her video.
Social media users expressed a mix of nostalgia and frustration, recalling Boca Ciega as a cherished destination for family recreation. Many lamented the loss of a vibrant community space, now replaced by scenes of sadness and desolation. Comments linked the abandonment to state management, pointing to a contradiction between the housing crisis and the presence of derelict properties.
The deterioration of Boca Ciega is part of a broader pattern of decline in Havana’s recreational and tourist infrastructure. Recent reports have also highlighted the disrepair of the Mirador de Bellomonte in Guanabo, another formerly popular site now suffering from neglect, according to reports circulating on social media.
The case has prompted discussion about the causes of the decline, with some attributing it to poor administration and a lack of maintenance. The situation at Boca Ciega has drawn attention to the challenges facing Cuba’s tourism sector and the broader economic difficulties impacting the country.
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