When is a good time to visit Cuba and for that matter Guanabo. This a very difficult question as there are a number of factors and conditions that should be considered and weighed. For example, and depending on the individual, important criteria could include: getting away from the cold; or at the cheapest time; or being present when all Cubans are holidaying or partying; or if low cost dental work is required; even perhaps when the fresh and plentiful avocadoes are in season; or possibly anytime but hurricane season. The following section provides some insight along a number of these factors.

Weather:
For most Canadians, weather is the prime factor when deciding where and when to travel. Most just need a break from dark and cold Canadian winters. The graph below tracks the average monthly temperature around Havana over the course of a year. The graph illustrates how even in the lowest average temperatures months of January and February the daily averages around 25 degrees Celsius. And the August average peaks are around 32 degrees. It should be noted that daily temperature averages are slightly higher in the south eastern parts of Havana.

For others it’s not only the cold but the deep and depressing darkness of Canadian winters. These winter darkness blues are so deliberating, that a Cuban winter break should be considered a medical need. In Ottawa for example the average daylight is about 9 hours during December and January, whereas as illustrated below, in Havana it is almost 11 hours over the same months. And that additional 2 hours makes a very big difference.

The next seasonal or weather consideration is the Hurricane season which is largely during the rainy season of June to November (with tropical storms and hurricanes peaking in August and September). For some reason, or at least recently most of the harmful Cuban hurricanes (and there are not many of these) have occurred in eastern Cuba, in towns such as Santiago de Cuba and Guantanamo.

Seasonal Fruits
While delicious fresh and nutritious fruits grow year round, delicious big avocadoes and mangos are largely about an abundant in the summer and fall If the latter are your favorites you may wish to head down in late fall to both enjoy warmer weather and savour your favorite fruit and likely go down at one of the lowest cost times.

Lowest cost
Generally the most popular time of year for North American and European tourist is the January to March period and hence these are the most expensive of months. However, there are some good reasons to go in the off season.

During the summer, thousands upon thousands of Cubans from Havana descend upon Guanabo as it’s their holiday town. So it’s a great time to go, as everyone is really happy on the beach and celebrating the time off. Obviously flights, casas and non-Cuban hotels (such as the Islazul Chain) are cheaper.

Baseball:
If you love baseball, you definitely want to go to a Cuban game during the baseball season, The baseball season runs from approximately November to March. If you do go we recommend going to Matanza to see the Matanza Crocodillos as they have a great, cozy and very lively stadium and it’s easy to meet a lot of Cubans. Also, highly worthwhile is spending the night at the Hotel Canimao which is located just outside of Matanza on this beautiful, deep and luscious river. The hotel offers the visitor a very unique opportunity to meet the visiting professional major league Cuban players. These guys and the coaching staff are really friendly, down to earth and approachable. We of course can organize such a day and night outing. If interested make sure to plan it during the baseball season and when the Crocodillos are playing in Matanza. Also to be noted, is that the Havana Industrials play nearer to Guanabo, but its less interesting – I guess I am a Crocodillo at heart. For more information on the hotel and the baseball team take a look at the following links:

Hotel: http://www.cubahotelreservation.com/hotel.asp?hotel_code=SCTISLCanimao

Baseball Team: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matanzas_(baseball)

Baseball schedule: http://www.baseballdecuba.com/schedule.html?language=en

Major Holidays:
Another interesting time to visit Cuba, is during the time that Cubans celebrate their revolution. This may of particular interest to those are curious about Cuban history, culture and social life. During these events, students fill out of their schools and march and parade all over town. At least in Matanza and likely in all cities, towns and villages, families and bands come out to celebrate.

Date Weekday Holiday name Holiday type

Jan 1       Friday                         Liberation Day                          National holiday

Jan 2       Saturday                     New Year Day                         National holiday

Jan 28       Thursday                   José Martí´s Birthday               Observance

May 1       Sunday                     Labor Day / May Day               National holiday

Jul 25       Monday                     Revolution Anniversary             National holiday

Jul 26       Tuesday                    Day of the Rebellion                   National holiday

Jul 27      Wednesday                Revolution Anniversary               National holiday

Oct 10       Monday                  Beginning of Independence War     National holiday

Dec 25       Sunday                   Christmas Day                            National holiday

Dec 31       Saturday                 New Year's Eve                         National holiday