In the past few years, Cuba has opened up its doors to tourism. Naturally, this has brought visitors flocking to the island nation to experience its wonders.
If you’re among those who want to visit Cuba, you may be wondering when to go. What is the best time to visit Cuba?
The truth is that it’s complicated. It depends a lot on what you’re looking for. Some may come looking for a warm, tropical getaway, while others may want to stay away from long lines and throngs of people.
We’ll talk more about tourist season in Cuba in the paragraphs below.
1. Cuban Climate
Cuba’s climate is best described as tropical or semi-tropical. Variance in temperature is little, with the cooler months reaching the low 70s and warmer months going as high as the mid-90s, at least in Havana. On other parts of the island, the temperature can up to 100.
This may be one of the reasons that Cuba is only recognized as having two seasons–wet and dry. The dry season takes place from November through April, during what we would recognize as winter and fall.
Cuba is also famous for its beaches, which are going to be more pleasant during the dry season.
During the wet season, Cuba can be subject to tropical storms, hurricanes, and other extreme weather patterns. Just a few months ago, a tornado ripped through Cuba’s capital of Havana. Four people were killed and close to 200 were injured.
2. Downsides
So, is the dry season the best time to visit Cuba? Maybe.
There are definitely advantages to visiting during the dry season, but there are disadvantages, too. One of the biggest downsides is that other tourists have also figured out that the dry season tends to be pleasant, so everything is crowded.
Worse yet, due to the influx of tourists and the basic laws of supply and demand, things are more expensive in the dry months.
3. Wet Season
The wet season is different. Tourists often avoid Cuba in the hotter months, which makes prices go down along with crowds.
Though temperatures don’t get much higher than the colder months, it can still be hot. However, heat is only one problem, because the warmer months are far more humid.
On top of all that, the wet season got its name for a reason. Rainfall increases exponentially. By the end of your trip, it may feel like you’ve been walking through a jungle.
The worst of the wet season occurs during the summer months, so if you want to avoid crowds but prefer to stay away during the worst of the wet season, don’t go during August or September.
4. Holidays and Festivals
When talking about visiting Cuba we need to talk about the holidays and festivals there. If anything is true about the people of Cuba it’s this–they love to party.
Regardless of when you decide to visit Cuba, chances are the people will be celebrating something. For instance, if you’re there during the dry season, you may be there to witness the Cigar Festival in February.
This festival takes place over a few days in February. It’s a time when tours of factories and tobacco fields are common. Visitors can also learn how to roll a cigar and may even be offered a small sample.
One thing you can experience year-round in Cuba is nostalgia. The island still looks almost the same as when Hemingway left it.
Many of the roads are unpaved, whole parts of certain cities look the same as they did in the ’50s and 60s, and people drive vintage cars. Some companies even allow you to tour Cuba in a vintage car.
5. Carnival
If you’re there during the wet season, you may be there for Carnaval in the last week of July. This holiday is so unique and amazing that it needed its own heading.
Carnaval also called Mardi Gras in the US, is common among many countries in the Americas.
Cuba, however, is different. Cuba’s version of Carnival is not based on the European pagan traditions that spawned Mardi Gras.
Cuba’s version is based more on African and Latin American influences. It was first called Carnival so the Spanish would confuse it with the Catholic holiday and allow the Cubans to celebrate it.
The festival takes place in Santiago de Cuba and bears witness to a whole host of different cultural traditions and art forms.
Best Time To Visit Cuba
What is the best time to visit Cuba? Truth be told, there are many possible answers and it all depends on what you want to do in Cuba. Most tourists prefer to visit during the dry season, but this means attractions are often crowded.
Others prefer to visit during the wet season when things are cheaper and less crowded. The weather tends to be hotter, more humid and far rainier at this time. There’s also the small risk of hurricanes, especially during August and September.
Another option is to visit when the seasons are changing. This gives you some of the benefits of both seasons. There may still be lines and crowds, but the tourist season is either starting up or winding down so they may be less of an issue.
You may be dealing with the heat and moisture of the wet season, but it won’t be out in full force.
If you want to know more about Cuba and the various things to do there, please visit our site. We’ve mentioned beaches on this list. Do you want to know about some of the best ones in Cuba?