Calle Ocho

The Cuban-American heart of this culturally diverse city is Calle Ocho—or “Eighth Street,” for the gringos. Once a Jewish neighborhood, it became “Little Havana”—a cultural and highly political center for Cuban émigrés—after Fidel Castro assumed power on the other side of the Florida Straits. Rich with history and fiercely authentic, it’s the place to come for Cuban treats like cigars, mojitos, and, of course, Cuban sandwiches and café con leche. Try to visit on the last Friday of the month, when it becomes a huge, art-and-culture-inflected street party.