Miami: Little Havana (July 2016)

Little Havana – Worth the Trip from South Beach

My spouse and I visited Little Havana on a Saturday morning in early July 2016. Little Havana gets its name from the many Cubans who settled the neighborhood after they immigrated beginning in the 1950s. The Cubans fled the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista and then Fidel Castro. Little Havana is located on the way to the Miami International Airport, and about 11 miles (20 minutes) from South Beach. We took a cab to Little Havana from our South Beach hotel for an astronomical fee of over $40, but we took an Uber back, which was reasonable at $15. In addition, the hop-on/hop-off buses stop in Little Havana, and reportedly, you can ride a free trolley within the neighborhood.

The main thoroughfare of the Little Havana neighborhood is called “Calle Ocho”, formally known as Southwest Eighth Street. Calle Ocho is lined with locally owned bakeries, coffee stands, restaurants, and fruit markets. The tight-knit community is welcoming to outsiders. The streets are colorful with painted and mosaic tile murals that depict symbols of Cuba, such as tropical fruit, musical instruments, dominos, cigars, and legendary Cuban people. The sound of dominoes clacking from Domino Park makes you want to investigate further.

Domino Park’s official name is Maximo Gomez Park, named after the commander in Cuba’s Ten Year War against Spain (1868 to 1878) and in Cuba’s War of Independence (1895 to 1898). Gomez’s portrait graces the Cuban 10 peso bill. Domino Park is one of the main landmarks of Little Havana, providing a gathering place for the older Cuban community. From 9:00 am to 6:00 pm daily (sunrise to sunset), local residents play dominos, chess, and checkers on permanent tables positioned under shaded pavilions while drinking Cuban coffee and discussing Cuban politics. Play is fast-paced; each game takes about five minutes to complete. No gambling is permitted, but you can see players taking notes, perhaps to settle accounts later. On the wall behind the players is a large mural depicting the presidents and prime ministers of all the American nations that attended the Summit of the Americas in Miami back in 1994. We met a man who could recite details about every president of the United States, including name, state where he was from, and the dates and numerical order of his presidency.

The Latin Walk of Fame runs along Calle Ocho between 12th and 17th Avenues. Its collection of stars cemented in the sidewalk honors Latinos who have influenced the culture, community, and traditions of the community, including bandleader and percussionist Tito Puente, boxer Roberto Duran, singers Julio Iglesias and Thalia, musician Willy Chirino, and salsa dancer Celia Cruz. The walk is also called the Paseo de la Fama, the Calle Ocho Walk of Fame, and Hispanic Hollywood.

Cuban Memorial Plaza, which is located on SW 8^th Street and 13^th Avenue, features the Eternal Torch of Brigade 2506 monument, with an eternal flame to the men who fought in the Bay of Pigs Invasion of 1961. Regrettably, the counter-revolution failed, and Castro still rules the island dictatorially to this day. The line of monuments on this avenue commemorates Cuban heroes such as journalist and poet Jose Marti and war general Antonio Maceo Grajales (“El Titan de Bronce”, or “Bronze Titan”), among others. Behind the small white statue of the Virgin Mary is a large ceiba tree with Santeria offerings arranged against the roots of the tree. (Santeria is an Afro-Caribbean religion that focuses on the power of saints.)

Little Havana’s Tower Theater is one of its oldest cultural landmarks. Although it opened in 1926, in the 1960s, it began to offer films with Spanish subtitles in recognition of the changing demographics.

The Little Havana Cigar Factory offers the widest and most extensive selection of premium cigars under one roof. You can smoke a cigar and enjoy a drink while you relax on a leather sofa.

Be sure to visit some of the special food outlets, such as the Ball and Chain, Azucar Ice Cream, Yisell Bakery, El Nuevo Siglo Supermarket and Café, Los Pinarenos Fruteria, and La Esquina de la Fama. (See our separate reviews for these restaurants.)

Before we visited Little Havana, we wondered whether it would be worth the effort to travel there from South Beach. Now that we have been there, we can answer a resounding “Yes!” Do not miss a trip to Little Havana if you like to learn about other cultures and you like to try unique ethnic food in a friendly neighborhood!