Hershey: The sweetest ghost town in Cuba

The almost incredible story ofHershey, a "ghost" town in Santa Cruz del Norte, has always intrigued me. Out of curiosity, I decided to visit him personally and document his condition throughPhotographs.

The mystique that surrounds many settlements in Cuba, whether urban or rural, arises from the abandonment they suffer from the authorities. This oblivion immerses them in time and transforms them into strongholds of voluntary seclusion that powerfully attracts the attention of visitors and curious onlookers.

To get to Hershey, I took the small boat across the Bay of Havana and disembarked in Casablanca. From there, I headed to the electric train station to embark on a journey into the past.

The train, which seemed to have been stuck half a century ago, was full of life. People with briefcases, bags and small children shared space, creating an atmosphere of community in motion.

“Are you going to ‘Jersi’? But there is nothing there,” an old man next to me asked me. I explained to him about the ruins of the old sugar mill, where the most exquisite chocolate in the world was produced. His laughter and the mention ofMilton Hershey They filled our dialogue with life.

Mr. Hershey, who arrived in Cuba in 1916, purchased cane plantations and refineries to maintain his chocolate production in Pennsylvania. Inspired by his model town in the United States, he created a similar one in Cuba for the well-being of his workers, which included housing, medical and educational centers, recreational areas and even a railroad.

Today, Hershey is a shadow of its prosperous past. When I got off the train, the first thing I saw were the prefabricated buildings that emerged with the revolutionary reforms. Going deeper, I discovered suburbs that seemed frozen in the 1950s, with identical houses and meticulously manicured gardens.

However, Hershey's charm fades as you explore deeper. Most of the buildings from the period are in ruins and the famous central one stands as an archaeological reliquary. What was a vibrant playground is now just a jumble of iron among the dense vegetation.

The ruins of the plant, sold by Hershey in 1946 and nationalized after 1959, tell the story of an economic boom and bust that reflects the challenges of an entire nation.

This trip to Hershey was not only a physical exploration, but a journey through Cuban history, a reminder of what was and what could have been.