Ah... that heady aroma of a fine blend of hand-rolled tobacco. You'd think you were in Cuba, but you're actually in Florida. Little Havana it's called, ten minutes west and slightly south of central Miami, this Cuban enclave is one of the city's liveliest districts.
Calle Ocho (SW 8th Street) is Little Havana's main drag, and it's lined with traditional Cuban restaurants, art galleries, and cigar factories. Though not known for its shopping, the area does feature a few specialty shops like Little Havana to Go (1442 SW 8th St) where you can pick up t-Shirts, books about Cuba, coffee, and a box of dominoes to take over to Maximo Gomez Park aka Domino Park right next door. Soak up the atmosphere by settling in with the locals at a game table and sip a hot Cuban coffee near a mural depicting the presidents of the Americas. Then saunter over to Lily's Records (1419 SW 8th St) to replenish your Cuban music collection with a few rare LPs. Or browse the colorful gayabera men's shirts and tropically-hued dresses for the ladies at Alfaro's Boutique (1604 SW 8th St). By now you must be itching to get back to that warm plot of white sand at the W South Beach, but before you go, be sure to pay your respects to Cuban heroes like the revolutionary poet Jose Marti on the Cuban Memorial Boulevard, a stretch of SW 13th Street just south of 8th.
