Little Havana along SW 8th Street — Calle Ocho — is the cultural heart of Miami's Cuban exile community. The main strip runs from about 12th to 27th Avenues, with cigar shops, fruit stands, and ventanitas (walk-up coffee windows) serving cafecitos and cortaditos. Máximo Gómez Park, known as Domino Park, is the iconic spot — elderly Cuban men play dominoes under a shaded pavilion while tourists photograph them.
The neighbourhood is more than nostalgia. Ball & Chain, a restored 1935 music hall, has live salsa and jazz most nights. Azucar Ice Cream Company makes Cuban-inspired flavours. The hand-rolled cigars at El Titan de Bronze are among the best you can buy outside of Cuba. The Calle Ocho Walk of Fame honours Latin musicians and celebrities with pink marble stars embedded in the sidewalk.
Little Havana is best explored on foot, ideally in the late afternoon when the light is soft and the music starts up.