Before the adventure, a little history: Calle Ocho was once the heart of the Cuban exile during the Fidel Castro regime in the late 1950s. Today, it’s a melting pot of many other nationalities with more ethnic options like empanadas, arepas, arroz con habichuelas and avocado ice cream.
There’s also more live music like salsa, cumbia and merengue. And there’s tonnes of art and murals from international artistes. If you’re a foodie, this street makes it easy to try different flavours because, like most things on the strip, the restaurants are right next to each other too. This is great because you can see a lot of things without much walking.
Before you head out:
Take the Brightline or Tri-rail to Miami, and then take a shared-car service to Calle Ocho. Free parking can be hard to find. If you drive and you can’t find a free parking spot, you’ll need to download the Parkmobile App. You can only park for two hours, and the app will remind you to add money before the time is up.
A lot of people didn’t speak English when I went. If you think you’ll need translation, pay for a guided tour. If you’re looking for the perfect day, visit on the last Friday of the month. This is when the street celebrates Viernes Culturales (Cultural Fridays), which is all about music, food tents, art, vendors and more from 7pm to 11pm.
“El Festival de la Calle Ocho” should be on your calendar. This is the largest Latino festival in Little Havana. This annual event attracts more than 1 million guests and features eight stages with live music, vendors, food and more. It can get crazy.
Let’s explore calle ocho:
Starting point: Put this in your GPS: 1548 SW 8th St, Miami
Carbs and sugar overload
Why do carbs have to be so delicious? It would be difficult to dine in Calle Ocho if you live a carb-free life. Nor would anybody understand you when you share that about yourself. There are many options in Calle Ocho. From flaky empanadas to savoury guava and cream cheese pastries. Most breakfast snacks here are starchy and full of carbs, and are usually accompanied by extremely sweet cafe con leche or a sugar-filled natural juices.
Restaurants in Calle Ocho open between 7:30 to 8am.
Some other breakfast items to keep in mind when ordering are sandwiches like the Cubano or Pan con Bistek.
Insta-famous roosters
Big colourful roosters can be found around Calle Ocho. The colourful roosters started popping up in 2002 as part of the ‘Rooster Walk’ project by local artists. Because somewhere in the world, a rooster is announcing the rise of the sun.
Calle Ocho has its own share of giant rooster sculptures begging to get their pictures taken. And they do. You’ll see people posing next to these pieces of art all day, so take out your camera and snap away.
Get Cubanised!
Discover Calle Ocho in full Cuban attire. You’ll notice a lot of shopping can be done in this stretch to get your looking Cuban-tastic. You can find anything from footwear and clothing to jewellery, costumes, bags, leather and more. But don’t get overwhelmed. There’s an awesome dude at D’ Asis Guayaberas store that will get you looking and feeling fresh.
If this is a true day-cation for you, you can’t leave Calle Ocho without gifts for the family and loved ones, so here are four things you should buy to bring back home that are true to Cuban culture.
Cafetera (Stove top espresso maker): Make your own cafecito cubano from your home. A Cuban house could lose AC, cable or internet, but if the cafeteria goes missing, all hell breaks loose.
Puro (Cuban cigar): There’s no trip to Little Havana without buying a hand-rolled cuban cigar.
El conotie (Conotier hat).
Guayabera (popular men’s shirt): This patterned, flowery fabric is popular for men’s or women’s clothing.
Domino park gets rowdy:
Domino is a very popular game among Latin Americans, predominantly older men who take it very seriously. It’s also an opportunity to discuss politics or neighbourhood gossip. This park only allows people 55 and older to play.
The players can get loud and angry when they lose. And sometimes, they’re just loud because they can’t hear very well. Regardless, when coming to Domino Park, don’t get scared if a group of silver foxes keep trying to claw each other in the face.
A Tobacco legacy
Little Havana and tobacco go hand in hand like Denver and Mary Jane, or coffee during a New York winter. It’s a common pastime, a vice for some and a family tradition for others.
I visited the Cuba Tobacco Cigar Co, which is run by the 4th and 5th generation of the Bello family. You can see an employee inside the store rolling cigars for tourists exactly as they started in Cuba more than 100 years ago.
The Bello family took their original Cuban tobacco seeds and has been growing them in Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic to create perfectly-blended Cuban tobacco. You know, because growing and selling tobacco made in Cuba is illegal. They make hundreds of hand-rolled cigars a day at the shop. Whether you smoke or not, a visit to the store is still worth it. While you’re there, take a picture with Don Pedro Bello, he’s a local celebrity. You’ll find him relaxing on a chair and smoking a puro, chilling so hard you’ll think he’s a wax figure.
Look out for Paseo de las estrellas
The ‘Paseo de las estrella’ (walk of fame) can be found along the sidewalks of the strip where celebrity names are carved on golden stars. Ever heard of Celiz Cruz, Gloria Estefan, Sammy Sosa? Their stars are there.
Paseo de las Estrellas: Scattered throughout Calle 8. Keep your eyes on the sidewalk.
Tower theatre Miami
This is a historic, art deco movie theatre where a lot of Cuban refugees would watch Spanish movies with English subtitles during the 1960s. To many of them, this theatre served as an escape from their current situation, and a chance to learn about American culture.
The Tower Theatre Miami was built in 1926, and it’s now owned by Miami-Dade College. Check out their schedule online to catch a variety of movies or events like seminars, art exhibitions, lectures and more.
Cuban Memorial Boulevard Park
Walk just south of Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) along SW 13th Ave and find the Cuban Memorial Boulevard Park.
Here, you’ll see several monuments to Cuban and Cuban-Americans like the Eternal Torch in honour of the 2506th Brigade who gave their lives battling the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion, and for those who fought the Cuban War of Independence. There’s also a Jose Marti monument.
Finally, some dancing
Ball and Chain is the go-to place for locals and tourists when it comes to dancing. This is an open-space restaurant where local musicians perform daily. Ball and Chain has an interesting story that you should read before heading there.
This restaurant opened the 1930’s, and it’s still as popular as ever. I think I’ve given you enough things to do while you’re exploring Calle Ocho in Miami. Oh, and did I mention that I basically only covered two blocks? Right. There’s a ton to do, so take your time and enjoy the vibe.
If you have any friends who speak Spanish, that would be the first call I would make in planning this day trip. It will make your life easier as a lot of people don’t speak English there. But if you like adventures or would like to practice your Spanish, you can do that too. I definitely had a blast. I ate more than I needed to. I danced way too much for how hot it was outside, and I came back with new, Cuba-inspired clothing. – The Palm Beach Post/TNS
