Although Miami Beach is known for its nightlife, one of the city’s nicest neighborhoods is located on the mainland, just across the bridge. Calle Ocho (8th Street), often known as Little Havana, is where the city’s heart beats the loudest. This Cuban area is only a 15-minute drive from the beach and is packed with character, live music at all hours of the day, and some of the city’s best Latin American cuisine.
Little Havana is an area with something for all if you’re searching for a great evening away from the hordes of Miami Beach or want to spice up your Miami vacation with some cultural activities. One thing is certain: there will never be a dull moment here.
1. Spend Friday at Viernes Culturales
Viernes Culturales, or Cultural Fridays, is a once-a-month celebration of local art, music, and culture that takes over Little Havana every third Friday of the month. Between 13th and 17th avenues, Calle Ocho transforms into a massive pachanga, or street festival, with local businesses transforming into galleries showcasing local and international artists. Meanwhile, across the street, food vendors, craft merchants, and music stages expand to finish out the evening with the finest of Little Havana.
If you’re in the vicinity on the third Friday of the month, Viernes Culturales is the best place to be not just in Little Havana, but in all of Miami. If your visit to Little Havana does not coincide with Viernes Cultural, you may still visit many of Calle Ocho’s art galleries at any time of the month, including the hip Futurama gallery.
2. Roll Up an Authentic Cuban Stogie
El Titan de Bronze, one of Little Havana’s finest and most genuine Cuban cigar businesses, is open to non-smokers. Since its inception in 1995, it has been family-owned and operated, and each day, trained rollers who are considered masters in their profession hand roll a selection of premium cigars. Entering this modest Calle Ocho establishment is like going into an actual cigar shop, with the smells of tobacco and coffee in the air. Don’t miss out on seeing these artisans at work when you’re touring Little Havana. If you want to go all out, pair your cigar with a glass of craft rum from one of the surrounding bars.
3. Taste Rum and Check out the Art at Cubaocho
The largest rum collection in Miami, if not all of Florida, is supposed to be housed in this museum, bar, and performing arts facility. There’s one thing you can count on in Cubaocho: there will never be a dull moment. As an alternative to the overcrowded clubs on Miami Beach, look at the events calendar for live music, salsa lessons, and bachata evenings. Remember to bring your dancing shoes—and by dancing shoes, we imply the most pleasant ones you have—because you’re about to burn a lot of calories. Don’t worry if you don’t know how to dance. You’ll be loosening up and dancing in no time if you drink the famous mojito or a tasting of the best rum in the house.
4. Catch a Flick at Tower Theater
Little Havana’s Tower Theater Miami, which has been operating since 1926, is one of Miami’s oldest cultural monuments. This classic Art Deco-style theater closed in 1984, but was later given to Miami Dade College and refurbished to be much more than a movie theater. Today, this historic cinema screens films in both Spanish and English organizes local exhibitions and concerts, and hosts college faculty members for free community talks on a variety of topics. All of the English-language films are subtitled in Spanish, a testament to the Tower Theater’s varied neighborhood.
5. Experience Delectable Flavors at Azucar Ice Cream Company
This family-owned store, located directly across from Tower Theater, opened in 2011 and specializes in Latin-inspired ice cream and sorbet varieties created with only the best ingredients. From the mamey scooped down the street at the Los Pinarenos fruit market to the sweet plantain (Maduros) cooked at El Nuevo Siglo Grocery Store, almost everything is sourced locally. When feasible, Azucar Ice Cream Company collaborates with Florida producers in the Redlands, who supply locally grown seasonal fruits to the shop. You can’t go wrong with any of the trademark Miami flavors, but the Abuela Maria, which is crafted with premium vanilla ice cream, ruby red guava, thick cream cheese, and crispy Maria cookies, is a cult favorite.
