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 8th Street and 13th
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!
