{"id":2722,"date":"2014-10-03T18:35:59","date_gmt":"2014-10-03T22:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/~travelwriting\/?page_id=2722"},"modified":"2014-10-03T18:35:59","modified_gmt":"2014-10-03T22:35:59","slug":"if-you-didnt-spend-time-in-little-havana-you-didnt-really-visit-the-miami-area","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/students.com.miami.edu\/travelwriting\/?page_id=2722","title":{"rendered":"If you didn’t spend time in Little Havana, you didn’t really visit the Miami area"},"content":{"rendered":"

Posted October 3, 2014<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

By VALERIE LOPEZ<\/p>\n

As usual, every Sunday, I find myself standing in between a huge ice cream cone, a small art deco theater and a sidewalk painted with domino figures.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8166\"<\/a>It was mid day and my \u201cAbuela Maria\u201d ice cream was rapidly melting down the waffle cone as I watch an old lady cross the street with a colorful umbrella.<\/p>\n

I could hear a salsa beat in the background, as I smiled and thought to myself, \u201cyou could only experience this in Calle Ocho.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calle Ocho is the definition of Miami and, yes, everyone thinks of this city as sand, sea and party, but there is much more to it than that and this street is the perfect example. This path has also been stereotyped. It\u2019s located in Little Havana, neighborhood where most Cubans used to live and it\u2019s known for its Calle Ocho Festival.<\/p>\n

Calle Ocho is not only home away from home for Cubans; it\u2019s home for all Latin Americans.<\/p>\n

There are Cubans, Nicaraguans, Hondurans, Mexicans and many more immigrants from Central America and the Caribbean, making it a cultural and unique destination.<\/p>\n

SW 8th Street, a.k.a \u201cCalle Ocho,\u201d runs from South Miami Avenue to SW 107 Avenue. It\u2019s a five-minute drive west of downtown and its only 15 minutes from South Beach. It\u2019s pretty easy to tell you are close by because you\u2019ll start seeing advertising and signs in Spanish.<\/p>\n

However, the real action starts from SW 35th Avenue to SW 2nd Avenue. More than 33 blocks lined up with outdoors coffee counters, barbershops, beauty salons, mom and pop stores, local food markets, art galleries, dollar stores, cigar shops, \u201cBotanicas\u201d and bakeries with the best soft Cuban bread, fresh croquettes, guava pastries and plenty of other Latin American cuisine restaurants from Honduran to Mexican. You can find everything in this street.<\/p>\n

The best place to start the cultural tour is at Versailles, Little Havana\u2019s best-known restaurant. Stand at the counter window outside the place, order a guava and cheese pastry with a \u201ccortadito\u201d with evaporated milk. Make sure you order it with one scoop of sugar or else it will be too sweet. If you pass by everyday, you will find the same characters with their coffee in hand talking about politics.<\/p>\n

Versailles is a bit west of Calle Ocho\u2019s heart so you will need a car to get there, but once you reach SW 17th Avenue, it\u2019s pedestrian friendly.<\/p>\n

\"_MG_6251\"<\/a>As you head down the street, let your self be guided by the old men walking to meet at the Maximo Gomez Park, also known as the Domino Park. You will hear the clattering dominoes one block away and as soon as you walk in you will see more than a docent dominoes tables, all of them full. You can stay and play if you are 60 years or older or you can just watch.<\/p>\n

For ice cream lovers, there is no better ice cream in Miami than the home made from Az\u00facar Ice Cream Company. It\u2019s impossible to be missed, there is a human size dripping ice cream cone on the fa\u00e7ade, right across the street from the park.<\/p>\n

You will have a cultural experience while having a dessert. Order the \u201cAbuela Maria,\u201d vanilla ice cream with guava, cream cheese and crispy galletas Maria, you won’t go wrong.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_8190\"<\/a>Across the street is the Tower Theater; built in 1926. It\u2019s the first theater in Miami-Dade County. You can check out the auditoriums if they are not in use or stay to watch a Spanish movie or any international or artistic film.<\/p>\n

Keep walking to Los Pinare\u00f1os Fruteria, your last stop. This family-owned market has been here for over 40 years and its known for its fresh juices and Cuban tamales.<\/p>\n

The place has no doors or windows just a couple of dark green awnings and a fading sign with its name. By the time you get there a juice will be the perfect refreshment to cool down from the Miami humidity, the house specialty includes guarapo (sugar cane), pineapple, green mango and coconut milk.<\/p>\n

Pepe Hernandez, along with his father, Angel will be there to take care of you and tell you their story. Take cash because they don\u2019t accept credit or debit cards.<\/p>\n

Calle Ocho is endless. If you continue walking you will find \u201cEl Paseo Catracho,\u201d a traditional Honduran restaurant, \u201cDon Pocho,\u201d a Colombian restaurant, and \u201cMi Rinconcito Mexicano,\u201d amongst other various Mexican restaurants. At the end of the street, you will reach Brickell, which connects to downtown and Key Biscayne.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to go wrong in Calle 8 if you are looking for a local and cultural experience; it\u2019s like traveling to Central America without leaving the country.<\/p>\n

If You Go<\/strong><\/p>\n

Calle Ocho runs from South Miami Avenue to SW 107 Avenue.
\nBest pedestrian area is located between SW 17 Avenue and SW 4th Avenue.<\/p>\n

Versailles Restaurant<\/strong><\/p>\n