About
Little Havana Experiences is owned by Little Havana expert and Miami resident Corinna Moebius, Ph.D.
I specialize in small group (up to 12 people) and customized Little Havana walking tours. My clients don’t settle for single stories about people and place.
I’m a cultural anthropologist and urban historian who co-authored A History of Little Havana, a “people’s history” of this Miami neighborhood. I have devoted more than a decade of my life to in-depth ethnographic and archival research on Little Havana, where I lived for 15 years.
I share silenced stories about Little Havana and complicate the cookie cutter scripts that prevail in Little Havana tourism today.
The photo to the left shows an outdoor exhibit of Little Havana personalities curated by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
UNPARALLELED EXPERTISE
Your expert guide to Little Havana.
I began leading custom walking tours of Little Havana nearly 20 years ago, in 2006. I was then a neighborhood resident and director of Little Havana’s monthly arts and culture festival. In 2023, I returned to Miami after a two-year hiatus, ready to share even more knowledge about this storied place.
After co-authoring the first in-depth book on the history of Little Havana, I spent another decade researching its fabled heritage district. The new book I’m writing draws on my award-winning Ph.D. dissertation and additional investigations into the cultural history of the district and its role in U.S.-Cuba relations. As a Graduate Fellow with the Cuban Heritage Collection at the University of Miami, I’ve had a month of access to the largest U.S.-based archive of materials on Cuba and the Cuban diaspora.
During my 15 years living in Little Havana, I received awards for my civic leadership, including the Calle Ocho Community Champion award. The National Trust for Historic Preservation has also recognized my work. I directed a monthly arts and culture festival in Little Havana, co-founded a merchant association, and championed equitable and sustainable development in the area.
Unfortunately, many existing tours of Little Havana are excluding or distorting the contributions of Afro-Cubans to Little Havana and to Cuba and the rest of the Americas. I don’t. Moreover, I have studied Afro-Cuban folkloric and sacred dance, music and religion for 20 years.
In Havana, Cuba, I have also conducted research. I am the Senior Cuba Tour Leader for a top-rated international tour company, Classic Journeys. Before cruises to Cuba from the U.S. were banned, I was also the Guest Lecturer for the longest cruise to Cuba.
I earned my Ph.D. in Global & Sociocultural Studies at Florida International University (FIU), specializing in cultural / ethnohistorical anthropology and Cuban Studies. At FIU, I received the Alex Stepick Award for Outstanding Dissertation. I also earned Graduate Certificates in Afro-Latin American Studies and African & African American Studies at FIU.
Years Leading Little Havana Tours
YEARS OF IN-DEPTH RESEARCH ON LITTLE HAVANA
Book About Little Havana
IMMERSIVE, MULTI-SENSORY EXPERIENCES
Experience place through your whole body, for Aha! moments.
Instead of offering the same ole food tour, I use the power of taste in a unique way. Moreover, my tours do not produce any plastic or styrofoam waste, unlike existing food tours of Little Havana. For a true experience of Little Havana food, I recommend the “slow food” approach: an actual sit-down experience at a counter or in one of our local restaurants–including those outside the crowded district. I provide my guests with an inside guide to these places.
In addition to taste, I teach through sound, touch and movement. Plus, I share historic and archival photos so you can see what is no longer there.
These are not ordinary walking tours.
The Stories You Haven’t YET Heard
Hear the counter-narratives, the silenced stories, the buried secrets …
A COMMITMENT TO EQUITY & SUSTAINABILITY: REGENERATIVE TOURS
I abide by global principles of sustainability and a new generation of travel: “regenerative tourism.” I am also champion a more equitable and inclusive tourism industry.
At events such as the Multicultural Heritage Tourism Summit I have spoken about the need for a more inclusive and equitable tourism industry. In 2022, I co-presented a webinar on creating equitable and regenerative heritage districts for Smart Growth Online.
For Florida Atlantic University, I connected graduate students in Urban Planning with local residents and civic leaders, so student projects could address the issues and concerns of local residents. The students then presented their findings to the public.
The National Trust for Historic Preservation featured me in an outdoor exhibit of Little Havana personalities based on my work in Little Havana (“Little Havana Me Importa”). See the exhibit panel below.
CARE FOR THE PLANET: NO PLASTIC, NO STYROFOAM
Most Little Havana tours produce excessive plastic and styrofoam waste from food samplings. This plastic ends up in the ocean, in our water and food supply, and in our own bodies!
To avoid creating such waste, I offer guests a personalized e-guide to the best Little Havana (and Miami) places for a “slow food” sit-down experience. I also offer custom tours with sit-down dining experiences.
My clients also receive suggestions for how to travel in a way that contributes to communities instead of exploiting them.
SUPPORT LOCAL ECONOMIES And Mom & POP Businesses
How much of your tour investment supports the local tour guide? How much is redirected to a large company based out-of- state? What happens to your tour dollar after you spend it?
When you purchase a tour from me, you benefit me directly: a Miami resident. I prioritize my own spending on supporting diverse local businesses (including mom & pop), farmers, artists, etc. I also have a documented record of supporting artists and businesses from historically marginalized communities.
Your purchase also helps me continue my work to cultivate a more just, sustainable, resilient and loving community and world.
SHOW YOUR CARE FOR Little Havana RESIDENTS
Little Havana residents face impacts from “overtourism,” including severe housing shortages. They are also affected by racial/ethnic stereotypes and myths sadly perpetuated in local tourism.
I help you understand how you can support Little Havana residents, economically and otherwise. I deconstruct racial/ethnic stereotypes and myths and help you learn how to watch out for them.
I also provide plenty of opportunities for you to interact directly with residents and hear their stories.
Exclusive Offer THROUGH Mar. 31
Get 10% OFF CUSTOM TOURS
Through the end of March, receive a 10% discount on custom tours.