Ariel W.
Yelp
Little Havana in Miami is a place like no other. It runs west of Downtown and Brickell all the way to Douglas Avenue. It's flanked by the Miami River to the north and Coral Way to the south. Little Havana was created when Miami saw an influx of Cuban migration in the 1950's but even more so after Castro came into power. By the 1960's, this area was predominantly Latino and Little Havana was born. Today you can soak in the historic culture of this vibrant community by visiting restaurants, bakeries, fruit stands, cigar shops, rum bars, art galleries, and music venues. In 2017, Little Havana was declared a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Some of the must visit places in Little Havana include Versailles, a Cuban restaurant established in 1971 serving authentic cuisine and popular for its bakery La Ventanita where you have to indulge in guava pastelitos. Calle Ocho which runs between 13th and 17th streets is the most famous street in a little Havana. Pit Bull immortalized the street in his song "I Know You Want Me.." Look down for the Walk of Fame which is Little Havana's version of Hollywood's stars. The stars here feature Latin musicians and telenovela stars like Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias, and Celia Cruz. Maximo Gomez Park also known as Domino park is another Little Havana landmark named after a famous soldier who fought for Cuban Independence from Spain. Dominoes is a popular game in Cuba and the park is always packed with people playing. Azucar is the perfect stop for ice cream. Indulge in their number one flavor, Abuela Maria made with guava, cream cheese, and Maria cookies. Next to Azucar is the historic 1935 bar, Ball & Chain for live music and a fantastic mojito. For the perfect Cuban sandwich head to Sanguich de Miami and learn about Cuban history at Cuban Memorial Park where you can view the Eternal Torch in Honor of the 2506th Brigade, for the exiles who died during the Bay of Pigs Invasion; monuments to Cuban and Cuban American icons, a José Martí memorial, and a Madonna shrine.
Little Havana is easily walkable and if you score metered street you can explore by foot. You can also book one of the tours like the Little Havana Food and Walking tour with Miami Culinary Tours or one of the Little Havana Cultural Walking Tours. On the third Friday of every month come out for Viernes Culturales, Cultural Friday. This block party has been running for 22 years and features music, art, history, and food. However you choose to explore Little Havana, you can count on delicious food, refreshing drinks, lively music, and the hot Miami sun.