Calle Ocho is the local name for Southwest 8th Street, the spine of Little Havana. The neighbourhood grew as the centre of Miami's Cuban community from the 1960s onward and it has since drawn people from across Latin America, so you will hear Spanish as much as English and see Nicaraguan, Colombian and Venezuelan flags next to Cuban ones.
It is not a theme park and it is not a museum. It is a working neighbourhood with a tourist-friendly stretch, and the best way to spend time here is to eat, drink strong coffee at a walk-up window, and watch the domino games in the park.
Go if you
- You care more about food and culture than beaches
- You want to try real Cuban coffee and pastries
- You like street art, music and a neighbourhood with a story
Eat and drink
- A cafecito (a small, sweet espresso) from any ventanita, ideally with a pastelito de guayaba.
- A Cuban sandwich: roast pork, ham, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard on pressed Cuban bread.
- Versailles, on 8th Street, has been serving Cuban food for decades and is a Miami landmark.
- Fresh sugarcane juice or a mamey or guanabana shake from a fruit stand.
Don't miss
- Domino Park (Maximo Gomez Park) at 15th Avenue, where older locals play dominoes and chess. Watch, do not photograph people up close without asking.
- The painted rooster sculptures scattered around the neighbourhood.
- A cigar-rolling shop, where you can watch rollers work even if you buy nothing.
- Live music in the evening at the bars along Calle Ocho.
Know before you go
- Domino Park has its own rules about who plays. Watch from the edge and ask before taking close-up photos of people.
- Prices at the busiest tourist stops are higher than a block away.
- Carry a little cash; some small windows and stalls prefer it.
Hours, prices and conditions change. Confirm details with the venue before you travel.