When to go

There isn't a bad time to visit Cuba. The tourist high season runs December through March, coinciding with the winter months in most northern countries. It also coincides with Cuba's dry season. Throughout this season, and especially around the Christmas and Easter holidays, the beaches and resorts are relatively full, prices are somewhat higher, and it may be harder to find an available rental car or room. Moreover, overbooking, a widespread problem in the Cuban tourism industry, is certainly much more of a problem during the high season.

Cubans take their holidays in July and August and especially around 26 July, when they celebrate the anniversary of the revolution, so this is when the local beaches are most crowded. During the low season, you should be able to find discounts on rooms, car rentals, and tour options. Moreover, resorts and attractions are much less crowded. However, temperatures are somewhat higher throughout low season, and periods of extended rainfall are not uncommon.

Cuba has 2 distinct seasons, rainy (May-October) and dry (November-April). The dry season is characterized by consistently sunny and temperate weather, with daytime temperatures averaging between 24°-27°C. However, temperature swings are greater during this period, and it can actually get somewhat chilly when cold fronts creep down the eastern seaboard of the United States. In contrast, the rainy season is overall a warmer period in Cuba, with less dramatic intra-day temperature swings. There's a small dry spell most years during August, which is also the hottest month to visit Cuba. The entire Caribbean basin is affected by an annual hurricane season (June-October), with September and October having the highest number of hurricanes.