At 8 a.m. in Key West, a rooster is crowing somewhere, shouting at the top of its lungs. At 5 Brothers, the hole-in-the-wall corner grocery store not far from the Key West Cemetery, a man with thick white hair and a big belly brews a buchi espresso while chatting with a customer. His words flow from Cuban-accented Spanish to English, and the store fills with the scent of fried eggs and sizzling pork.
The Florida island is known for its idyllic beaches, the iconic red, black and yellow Southernmost Point monument with "90 Miles to Cuba" sprawled across it, and the sweetly tart key lime pie. What's less visible today is its immense Cuban influence. Key West and Cuba have a connection that dates back 200 years, just as long as the island has been part of the United States. (Key West celebrated its bicentennial on March 25.)
The remnants of the Cuban fight for independence are still visible on Key West if you look past flashy Duval Street and the all-you-can-drink bars, overpriced restaurants and crowds of sunburned tourists. Here's where to start.
