Love Cigars & Cuban cuisine? Get down to the famous street called Calle Ocho, the Little Havana in Miami. Also, don’t forget to check out the walk of fame!
Red Roof Plus+
On our last night here in Miami, we stayed near the airport – Red Roof Plus+ Hotel. Lona drove us from Key West to this hotel before she returned the rental car and headed to the airport to catch her flight back home. The queue to check in was long, and we only got our rooms after 4 pm.
Mike and I have stayed in this chain hotel before in San Antonio, and we knew what to expect. The crowd was thin in San Antonio, but because this hotel was situated near the airport, about eight minutes ride in the free shuttle, I suspect it always will be busy.
The twin beds we got in our room were comfortable. The room was spacious, suitable for a traveller with many luggage. Just like the hotel in San Antonio, the layout and colour of the room were similar, including the wooden flooring, and the room facilities – a work desk, flat-screen TV with satellite/cable channels, hairdryer, bathtub, and a safe box.
The breakfast was self-service, and I burnt my hand when flipping my pancake over, silly me. The checkout time was 11 am, and because we still had plenty of time before our flight time at 5 pm, we sat next to the outdoor pool for plane watching.
Notes: We took an Uber from the hotel, which cost $13 to Little Havana, and got back to the hotel with a Yellow Taxi cost $21.
Calle Ocho Little Havana
We visited Little Havana twice. The first time was when we were still staying in South Beach, and we took the Metrobus to this place in the morning. The second time was when we stayed about 8km away and visited in the late afternoon.
Calle Ocho is full of Cuban food and stores, and if you love Cigars and Cuban cuisine, this street would be heaven for you.
I didn’t see much difference in the crowd during the day and in the afternoon though, probably because we didn’t stay out late or maybe because it’s on weekdays. But one thing I noticed was that some of the shops closed early.
Walk of Fame
The Walk of Fame in Calle Ocho is dedicated to Latin American famous figures such as artists, musicians, actors, and writers.
Maximo Gomez Park / Domino Park
This city park is located on the corner of 15th Avenue. When we walked past there during our first visit, we saw many older people gathered around playing Domino. However, on our second visit, the park was already closed. Opening hours: 9 am – 6 pm daily.
Tower Theater
This theatre is one of the oldest cultural monuments in Miami. Located adjacent to Domino Park, the Tower theatre was built in 1926 with a Mediterranean Revival design. In 1984, this theatre was closed, and after nearly two decades, it was re-opened to the public again thanks to Miami Dade College.
This theatre is the only one in Miami that shows English language films with Spanish subtitles.
Food and Drinks
Mercado Havana Daily Café – Cuban Cuisine and Bar
During our first visit to Little Havana, we had our breakfast in this café. It served Cuban Cuisine, it had a Bar and also with a little market. It costs $7.50 for a pint of Havana Lager.
Union Beer Store
This beer store located right in the heart of Calle Ocho had a great selection of local craft beer with a cool wall and decoration.
El Cristo Restaurant
We loved our meals in this restaurant! The servers were friendly, and one of the waitresses was from Bucaramanga! She overheard me talking about Bandeja Paisa, Colombian cuisine and that’s when she told us where she was from.
When we were there, we chose to sit outside. The restaurant wasn’t busy, and our meals were ready in less than fifteen minutes. The beer bottle price was $5.00, with the selection from Cuban – Hatuey, Mexico – Modelo, Dominican Republic- Presidente, Belgium – Stella Artois and USA – Samuel Adams and Yuengling.
Travel Date: 25th July 2019 & 05th August 2019