Cuban Beats & Coastal Views: A Miami Day to Remember

Our best flight options for traveling to Peru from Phoenix all seemed to go through Miami, FL. Since we’d never been there, we decided to stay a couple of days and do some exploring.  Our hotel was just across the street from Bayfront Park, with beautiful views of the Port of Miami, Key Biscayne and the Miami Beach skyline.

Our #1 priority was to visit Little Havana and experience the food and culture of the neighborhood, which is the center of Cuban-American culture in the United States.  When we found the Little Havana Food and Walking Tour offered by Miami Culinary Tours on TripAdvisor, we knew it would be a great fit!

With Little Havana native Toni as our guide, the tour was centered on Calle Ocho, which is the vibrant main street, lined with restaurants, bakeries, fruit stands, art galleries, cigar shops, and music venues.

Salsa music reverberated from the restaurants and  bars, with many offering salsa lessons. Colorful murals depicting Cuban life and notable Cuban people seem to be on every wall.

As for the tour, it did not disappoint!  Scott immediately regretted his big breakfast because this tour wasn’t about small bites!  Each stop was delicious and filling!  All the stops were at family-owned venues, and we sampled Cuban cuisine (empanadas, Cubano sandwiches, churros), authentic drinks (Mojitos, gaurapo juice, and Cuban coffee) and watched cigar rollers in action.

A highlight for Gayle was a visit to Domino Park.  Officially named Maximo Gomez Park, after a famed Cuban revolutionary General, this park is a social gathering spot popular with locals.  At any time of day, you will find the regulars sipping Cuban coffee, playing dominoes and chatting with friends. A tradition for more than 40 years, gameplay at the park is serious, with authentic Latin energy and competitive banter, and players don’t mind an audience of “outsiders” watching them play. Unfortunately, you have to be over 55, a Miami-Dade County resident, and a Domino Club member to play.  Even without getting to play, it’s fun to watch this long-standing community tradition!

We left the tour with fully tummies, a much better understanding of the history of Cuban immigration to Miami, and a clearer appreciation of the embodiment of Cuban culture in Little Havana.

We did a fair share of walking around Bayfront Park both at night and in the daylight. We also opted to embark on a Sunset and City Lights Cocktail Cruise with Fiesta Cruises of Miami, which sailed out of Pier 5 at the Port of Miami.

During the cruise, we were treated to a glowing sunset as a backdrop to the Miami shimmering skyline and an up-close view of Miami’s famous coastal glamour.

For 2 hours, we sailed across Biscayne Bay, enjoying tasty frozen cocktails.  We cruised by Millionaire’s (and Billionaire’s) Row, including Star, Palm and Hibiscus Islands and Fisher Island (one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the US).  The DJ/Cruise Director made sure to point out who lived where (think Tom Cruise, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Lopez, Shaquille O’Neal - actually his ex-wife got the mansion in the divorce! - David and Victoria Beckham, Gloria and Emilio Estevan, Sean “Diddy” Combs…and the largest mansion of all … the billionaire inventor of Viagra!).

We even got an impromptu “show” from a yacht with a water powered jet pack as entertainment.

As we sailed back to the city, with the twinkling city lights reflecting on the bay, we were treated to a fireworks show to close out our cruise!  It was a beautiful way to end our time on the water in Miami!