Declared a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic preservation, Little Havana is a vibrant Latin community located only a few miles from the airport and also one of the best places to find authentic Cuban food.
Last year we had an 8 hour layover in Miami on our way to Spain. Sometimes it’s the price you pay for getting cheap airfare. You can easily turn these long layovers into good value by finding something to do and leaving the airport. We arrived on a domestic flight mid morning with our international flight scheduled in the evening which meant we would need to buy lunch. If you’ve ever been to Miami, you know its a bit pricey. Now add airport to the mix and the price goes up. Chances are it wouldn’t be a good meal either.
We decided to book the Little Havana Food and Cultural Tour. The $69 price tag seemed reasonable given it included lunch, a 2.5 hour tour, and a chance to experience an area of Miami we had never been to before. I have to say, it turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip!
Luggage Storage and Transportation
We actually managed to arrive without any bags in tow. This particular flight came with checked luggage but if you’re traveling with carry-on you have some options. On full flights they will often offer to check your carry-on all the way to your final destination free of charge. Which means you won’t have to lug it around during layovers. If they don’t offer, just go up to the gate desk and ask nicely. We’ve done this every time and to date have not been told “no.” If this is not an option, there is a luggage storage facility in MIA. Cummunitel Baggage Services is in terminal E, level 2, and open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
On exiting the airport we headed to the ride share pick up zone. Always compare Lyft and Uber. You will be surprised what the price difference can be between the two. Another way to save a little money here is to purchase gift cards from Target using your Target Red Card and load them to your ride share account. You save 5% and you don’t even need to drive to the store and get them. You can buy them online. The gift card codes are usually emailed to you in a matter of minutes though they tell you it can take up to 4 hours.
We went directly from the airport to Calle Ochos, aka Little Havana, and the main part of the Cuban neighborhood. Cuban exiles settled in this once Jewish neighborhood seeking refuge from Fidel Castro’s revolutionary war in the 1960s. Its considered one of the best places to get authentic Latin food.
El Cristo
As the tour wasn’t until 11 a.m. we decided to get some good Cuban coffee and ducked into El Cristo. Our mistake here is we hadn’t eaten breakfast and we were hungry. Its never a good idea to eat before a food tour! The empanada was really good though.
The Food Tour
The tour Little Havana Food and Cultural tour meets in front of Tower Theater. The food stops have evolved over time but there will be plenty of food to leave you stuffed and a full size Mojito is included as well. After the tour guide gave us some of her background and the group introduced themselves we were on our way.
El Pub Restaurant
Our first food stop was El Pub, proclaimed as the best bite in town. They have an indoor seating area but also a window you can order from. Here we had (more) Cuban coffee and another fantastic empanada. Afterwards we heard a little about the history of Domino Park and watched them play for a bit.
Old’s Havana Cuban Bar & Cocina
Here we had a Mojito complete with sugar cane spear and a pretty impressive Cuban sandwich. You also have the option of a non-alcoholic Mojito. I was sadly already getting full at this point and struggled to finish. The outdoor space here is really cool. Its full of vintage dark furniture and tropical foliage.
Los Pineratos Fruteria
This was actually a fun little stop. It’s a fruit stand with an old fashion juicer where they make a drink from juicing sugar cane called guarapo juice. It wasn’t as sweet as I expected and actually quite refreshing.
Churro Mania
We did some browsing in a traditional Cuban clothing shop. There were some pretty sharp hats and shoes! This was followed by hot fresh churros from Churro Mania.
Azucar Ice Cream
I don’t believe this is currently offered on the tour but it was when we went and definitely worth your time afterwards if you can make room in your stomach and schedule. They have some very unique flavors here and its really hard to decide what to get! They have a patented flavor called Abuela Maria. Its based on a popular local snack with Maria’s cookies, cream cheese, and drizzled guava sauce.
Overall Impressions
You could possibly save a bit a money and go to these places on your own but I would’t recommend it. Our guide crammed a lot of history into 2.5 hours. They include “culture” in the tour title with good reason. You learn about the people and the food and how things came to be as they are now. We learned about political turmoil and the behind the scene forces driving change. We were able to see cigars being hand rolled, learned dominos isn’t actually about the game, and got the scoop on the many artworks and murals we saw along the way. We considered this tour to be an excellent value for the price.
Are you visiting Miami and wondering what other neighborhoods are worth checking out? Read my blog post on Wynwood here.
