Little Havana is a lively and colorful neighborhood where Cubans first immigrated when they fled Cuba in the 1960s. It is still the prime Cuban neighborhood in Miami and the best place to come to purchase a Cuban Cigar, have some Cuban coffee and engage with people from diverse ethnic backgrounds and origins.
Little Havana is also the ideal neighborhood where to try out authentic Cuban food, especially in Versailles restaurant. There are many parks such as Maximo Gomez Park also called Domino Park, Plaza de la Cubanidad and Cuban Memorial Boulevard Park. Also be sure to check out the Bay of Pigs Museum and Library, and the popular Calle Ocho festival which brings in over a million people every year.
The best time to go to Little Havana is on the weekends, when there are many tourists walking around and a lot of activity. You should avoid going to Little Havana at night, especially if you're a tourist or a woman; it can get empty and a little bit dangerous.
There are many fun annual festivals that you might want to check out. Find out when they happen so that your trip down to Little Havana coincides with them. For example, the huge Calle Ocho Festival occurs in March of every year. Also on the last Friday of every month, there's the Viernes Culturales, a street festival featuring art, performers, food and music that you won't want to miss.
Little Havana is a great neighborhood to visit if you're looking to experience the heart of Miami's culture. Here you will find many vendors and shops of Cuban immigrants that are replicates of stores they left in Havana, Cuba. It's the best place to try out Cuban Coffee or get a Cuban Cigar.
You can also learn about the history of Cuban-Americans by visiting the various landmarks such as the Cuban Memorial Plaza, the Bay of Pigs Monument, Domino Park and the Memorial Plaque of Cuba. Be sure to get some authentic Cuban cuisine at Versailles restaurant and La Carretta restaurant. There are also many theaters around Little Havana such as Manuel Artime Theater or Tower Theater where you can catch a show.
Little Havana is located between Miami River to the North and 16th Street to the South, SR/27the Avenue to the west and I-95 to the east. It is just west of downtown Miami. You can get to Little Havana using public transportation by taking Buses numbers 6, 7, 8, 207 and 208 from downtown Miami. If you have a car, it is best to drive to Little Havana instead of taking the bus, and there is a lot of available, cheap parking. Avoid driving there at night.
Various establishments may offers discounts for senior citizens, students and military personnel in Little Havana. You will have to enquire at each individual business to see if they offer them, and just in case; always have your ID with you.
Little Havana is an affordable neighborhood where you can get delicious food, fruity drinks, and souvenirs for great prices. If you're looking for a cheap hotel, you can book a room at the Tower Hotel which is in the heart of Little Havana and right across from Tower Theater.
Check out great souvenirs and authentic Cuban shirts called Guayaberas at La Casa de Las Guayaberas where Ronald Reagan came to get his own. Drink delicious sugar cane juice at Los Pinareños Fruteria for only $3, and for some cheap eats try out: El Rey de Las Fritas, San Pocho, El Paseo Catracho, and El Prado restaurant. If you have some more money to spend, head over to la Casa Juancho or Versailles restaurant.
Little Havana is fun for everyone, but if you're a lady, it is best if you are accompanied by gentleman, especially at night. Some great activities that families, groups, and couples will enjoy as well as the lonely traveler are the festivals like the yearly Calle Ocho Festival or the Viernes Culturales every last Friday of the month. No matter who you're with, you will also enjoy hanging out with some Cuban elders while they play dominos and Chess at Domino Park, and browsing the many Cuban historical landmarks.
Experience the Latin vibe and colorful culture of Little Havana where you will discover a vibrant Hispanic culture, cuisine, and community. Its name is a result of the concentrate Cuban immigrants that settled in the area in the 1960s; Havana, after the capital of Cuba.
Little Havana is known as a center for cultural and social events as it consists of a majority Cuban population and an symbolic point for Cuban Americans and the Cuban exile community.
Throughout Little Havana, mainly 8th Street, you will find a great variety of restaurants featuring the wonderful dishes of Cuban cuisine as well as other Latin plates. Men playing dominoes and smoking Cuban cigars is the typical sight you will see when walking around this area. In the Walkway of the Stars are the stars that outline 8th street given to famous Cuban artists and other Latin personalities, such as Gloria and Emilio Estefan and Celia Cruz among many others.
The vibrant Hispanic neighborhood runs from the Miami River (north), SW 11th Street, SW 22 Avenue (west), and I-95 (east).
It is recommended to avoid area at night.