Weather and Geography

The weather in Cuba and when is best to travel

Let's be honest-there really is no bad time to visit Cuba. Year-round, the island's tropical weather is pretty darn fantastic. At no point will you be shivering with cold as you might be doing for about half the year back home! That said, there are certainly better times to visit than others.

The average monthly temperature in Cuba ranges from about 31°C in August (the warmest month on average) down to about 23°C in January (the coldest month on average). Though both these temperatures seem quite moderate and very pleasant, please be aware-during the height of the day in August the temperature can climb well past 35°C while nights in January and February frequently drop below 15°C.

Additionally, there's another factor to contend with while planning your trip that you might not think about as much back home-Cuba has very prominent dry and rainy seasons. The dry season runs approximately from November through April, and during these months even the occasional shower is a rarity. The rainy season, on the other hand, runs roughly from May through October. During these months, you might get a rain shower almost daily. But don't worry too much-these come and go quickly, and famously occur only once per day. Just wait out a short hour-long rainfall and then you can get on with your holiday-or even partake in the Cuban tradition of the rainy-season midday nap, resting briefly for an hour or so to the sound of the rain falling lazily against your roof!

Best times to visit

The best time to visit Cuba depends entirely on what you're looking to get out of your trip. The two tourist high seasons run from December through March, when weather is the nicest in Cuba and the nastiest farther north where many tourists come from, and during July and August, the period when most Cubans are on holiday and many large carnivals are held.

The tourist high season features some of the nicest weather, but be warned-resorts can get crowded and prices can climb substantially. If you can manage to visit during the second half of March or during April, you should be able to save some cash while still enjoying the weather benefits of the dry season.

The rainy season can also be a fine time to visit Cuba, but we frankly recommend avoiding the island during July and August-not only can the weather get uncomfortably hot and humid, but you also won't be saving much money as you'll be competing with substantially more national and international tourists during that period.

Hurricane Season

Lastly, you'll want to consider the prospect of hurricanes and tropical storms before planning your Cuba holiday. Hurricane season is widely considered to take place between June and November, though the beginning and the end of this period rarely see any major storm systems moving through. The worst of Cuba's hurricane season takes place in September and October, and though the chances of a major storm disrupting your holiday are still relatively low these are another two months that you might want to consider adding to your "do not visit" list.

What to wear

Generally speaking, Cubans dress quite casually on the street or going about their daily errands. This doesn't mean, however, that it's appropriate to wear your bathing suit out and about when you head into town! Cubans are casual, but don't dress so casually that it could be interpreted as disrespectful.

If you're going to a theatre or upscale restaurant, it's important to look nice. You don't have to go over the top-no full suits or long gowns, please-but women can wear a dress with sandals and men should put on a collared shirt at the very least.