Short answer: the best time to visit Cuba is November to April, the drier, sunnier and less humid season, with highs of about 26–29 °C (78–83 °F) in Havana; March and April are the driest months of all. Mid-December to April is also peak season, busiest at Christmas, New Year and Easter, while May to October is hot and rainy and September and October are the peak of hurricane season, with the lowest prices and the fewest visitors.
Cuba is warm enough for the beach in every month, so choosing when to go is mostly about rain, storms, winter cold fronts, crowds and what is on. This page goes through the weather, events and regions month by month, as of October 2026. For the electronic tourist visa, the D’Viajeros arrival form, money, internet and getting around, see our Cuba travel guide, and plan your days with our AI trip planner.
Best time to visit Cuba at a glance
| Goal | Best months | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best weather overall | November–April | The drier season: sunny, less humid, with about 3–6 rainy days a month in Havana |
| Driest months | March–April | Havana averages 46–54 mm (1.8–2.1 in) of rain and 3 rainy days a month |
| Beaches and calm seas | March–May | Warm, sunny and past the winter cold fronts that bring waves to the north coast |
| Walking Havana and Trinidad | December–February | The coolest months, with highs around 26 °C (79 °F) |
| Hiking | November–April | Firm, dry trails in Viñales, the Escambray and the Sierra Maestra |
| Tobacco harvest in Viñales | January–March | Leaves are picked and hung in the drying barns |
| Lowest prices, fewest crowds | May–June, September–October | Low season; September and October are the stormiest months |
| Festivals | January–February, July, December | Jazz Plaza (late January), Carnival in Santiago de Cuba (July), the Havana Film Festival and the Parrandas (December) |
Cuba weather month by month
Weather month by month
The table shows average daily highs and lows, monthly rain and the number of days with at least 1 mm of rain in Havana, from the long-term (1961–1990) climate normals for the Casa Blanca station that Cuba’s Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) supplies to the World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather Information Service. Temperatures change little: highs go from about 26 °C (78 °F) in January to 31.6 °C (89 °F) in August, and nights from about 19 °C (65 °F) to 24 °C (75 °F). Rain is the real season marker. March is the driest month, with about 46 mm (1.8 in) on three days; June, with 182 mm (7.2 in), and October, with 181 mm (7.1 in) on eleven days, are the wettest. Havana gets about 1,190 mm (47 in) a year, mostly in short, heavy afternoon showers. The east around Santiago de Cuba is hotter, and the mountains are cooler and wetter. The sea is about 25 °C (77 °F) in winter and 29–30 °C (84–86 °F) in late summer.
Cuba month by month
January
One of the coolest months, with highs around 26 °C (78 °F), lows near 19 °C (65 °F) and about five rainy days in Havana. Cold fronts from the north bring a few cool, windy days, rough seas on the north coast and waves over the Malecón in Havana. It is high season, with the Jazz Plaza festival usually in late January (the 2026 edition ran from 25 January to 1 February in Havana, Santiago de Cuba, Santa Clara and Holguín), and the tobacco harvest is under way in Viñales. 1 January is a public holiday.
February
Dry and sunny, with highs around 26 °C (79 °F) and the coolest sea of the year, about 25 °C (77 °F). Havana’s International Book Fair and the Habanos cigar festival are traditionally held in February, but in 2026 the book fair moved to August and the cigar festival was not held, so check the 2027 dates before you plan around them. It is a good month for walking Old Havana and Trinidad.
March
The driest month, with about 46 mm (1.8 in) of rain on three days in Havana and highs near 28 °C (82 °F). The cold fronts fade, the seas calm down and the beaches at Varadero are at their best. In 2027, Holy Week falls in late March (Good Friday is 26 March, a public holiday), so expect busier resorts that week.
April
Still dry, with about 54 mm (2.1 in) of rain on three days and highs around 29 °C (83 °F). After Easter, crowds and prices ease, which makes late April one of the best-value months of the dry season. Tobacco leaves are drying in the barns in Viñales, and it is a fine month for the Viñales Valley, caves and the western cays.
May
The rainy season starts: rain doubles to about 98 mm (3.9 in), usually in afternoon storms, and highs reach 30 °C (86 °F). Hurricane season has not begun, the sea is warm and calm, and prices are low, so May is a good month for beaches and diving if you don’t mind the heat. 1 May is a public holiday.
June
The wettest month in Havana, with about 182 mm (7.2 in) of rain on ten days, and humid, with highs around 31 °C (87 °F). The Atlantic hurricane season begins on 1 June, although early-season storms are less common. It is low season, and the countryside turns deep green.
July
Hot, around 31 °C (88 °F), with a short lull in the rain (about 106 mm, or 4.2 in, in Havana). Cuban families head for the beaches during the school holidays, and Santiago de Cuba holds its Carnival in the last week of July, the country’s biggest street festival, with music, dance troupes and parades. 25, 26 and 27 July are public holidays, so transport and beach hotels are busy.
August
The hottest month, with highs of about 31.6 °C (89 °F), nights near 24 °C (75 °F) and the warmest sea, 29–30 °C (84–86 °F). Afternoon storms are frequent, and from mid-August the hurricane season enters its busiest stretch, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. Beaches stay busy with Cuban families until the end of the month.
September
Hot and wet, with about 144 mm (5.7 in) of rain on ten days, and at the heart of hurricane season. It is the quietest and cheapest month for visitors; some hotels close or reduce services for a few weeks. If you travel now, keep your plans flexible.
October
The rainiest month by number of days, eleven, with about 181 mm (7.1 in) in Havana, and still in the peak storm window; Cuba often gets October storms, such as Hurricane Melissa, which came ashore in Santiago de Cuba province on 29 October 2025. Highs ease to about 29 °C (85 °F). 10 October is a public holiday.
November
The dry season returns: rain halves to about 88 mm (3.5 in) on six days, highs are a comfortable 28 °C (82 °F) and the humidity drops. Storms are still possible early in the month (Hurricane Rafael made landfall west of Havana on 6 November 2024), and the season ends on 30 November. Before mid-December, it is one of the best-value months of the year.
December
Dry and pleasant, with about 58 mm (2.3 in) of rain on five days and highs near 26.5 °C (80 °F). The Havana Film Festival (the International Festival of New Latin American Cinema) runs from 3 to 13 December 2026, and on 24 December the town of Remedios, near Santa Clara, holds its Parrandas, the best known of central Cuba’s neighborhood fireworks-and-float festivals. High season starts in mid-December; Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks, and 25 December is a public holiday.
Best time to visit by region
Havana
Havana is best from November to April, when it is drier and you can walk Old Havana, the Malecón and Vedado without the summer heat. December to February is the coolest time; occasional cold fronts bring windy days and send waves over the Malecón. Summer is hot and humid with afternoon storms, so plan museums and indoor visits for the afternoons.
Viñales and the west
Viñales is best from November to April, when trails between the mogotes are firm and mornings are often misty; January to March is tobacco harvest time. Being inland among the hills, it is a little cooler at night and wetter than Havana, and summer rain makes trails muddy. Western Cuba is often in the path of autumn hurricanes, as with Rafael in November 2024.
Trinidad and the center
Trinidad is best from December to April, when it is drier and cooler for its cobbled streets, the Valley of the Sugar Mills and the beach at Playa Ancón. On the south coast, it is a little warmer and more sheltered from winter cold fronts than Havana. The waterfalls at Topes de Collantes in the Escambray are fullest after the summer rains, when the mountain roads can also flood.
Varadero and the northern cays
Varadero, Cayo Santa María and the Jardines del Rey (Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo) are at their best from December to April, the driest months; March to May has the calmest, sunniest beach days. In winter, cold fronts can bring cool days, waves and red flags on these north-facing beaches. Late summer has the warmest sea and the lowest rates.
Santiago de Cuba and the east
The east is the hottest part of Cuba, so the cooler months from December to March suit city walks in Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa and Holguín, and the hike up Pico Turquino in the Sierra Maestra. Come in late July for Santiago’s Carnival. Parts of the east are still recovering from Hurricane Melissa (October 2025), so confirm transport and accommodation before you go.
Best time for beaches, diving, hiking and festivals
Beaches
March to May is the sweet spot: dry, sunny and calm, with the sea warming from about 25 °C to 27 °C (77–81 °F). Winter is sunny too, but cold fronts can stir up the north coast for a few days at a time. Summer has the warmest water and is when Cuban families go to the beach. See our beaches guide.
Diving and snorkeling
Diving runs all year at the Bay of Pigs and Playa Girón, María la Gorda in the far west, the Jardines de la Reina and Isla de la Juventud. The south coast is sheltered from winter fronts, and spring and early summer usually bring the calmest seas; boats stay in port when storms threaten. See diving and snorkeling.
Hiking
November to April, when trails are dry and days are cooler: the Viñales Valley, Las Terrazas, Topes de Collantes in the Escambray, and Pico Turquino, Cuba’s highest peak at 1,974 m (6,476 feet). National-park trails require a licensed guide. See our hiking guide.
Festivals and music
Late January for Jazz Plaza; February, traditionally, for the Book Fair and the Habanos cigar festival (both moved or not held in 2026); the last week of July for Carnival in Santiago de Cuba; December for the Havana Film Festival (3–13 December 2026) and the Parrandas of central Cuba, which UNESCO lists as intangible cultural heritage, peaking in Remedios on 24 December. Live son, salsa and rumba play all year in Havana and Trinidad.
Seasons to plan around
- Hurricane season, 1 June to 30 November: most Atlantic activity falls between mid-August and mid-October, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, and Cuba often sees storms in October and November: Hurricane Rafael made landfall in Artemisa province, west of Havana, on 6 November 2024, and Hurricane Melissa came ashore in Santiago de Cuba province on 29 October 2025. As of 4 October 2026, the 2026 season had produced eight tropical storms and no hurricanes, and none had affected Cuba. If you travel in this season, buy insurance that covers weather delays, follow the NHC and INSMET forecasts, and keep plans flexible.
- Rainy season, May to October: rain usually comes in heavy afternoon showers, with June and October the wettest months in Havana. Mountain roads and rural trails can flood after storms.
- Winter cold fronts, about November to March: a few days at a time of cooler, windy weather, rough seas and waves over Havana’s Malecón; pack a light sweater.
- Sargassum: the brown seaweed affects Cuba less than the eastern Caribbean, but 2026 was one of the largest sargassum years on record across the region, according to the University of South Florida, so some beaches can see it, mostly from spring to late summer.
- Busy dates: Christmas to New Year, Holy Week (21–28 March 2027) and the July and August school holidays, with public holidays on 1 January, Good Friday, 1 May, 25–27 July, 10 October and 25 December.
How long to stay
Five days covers Havana and Viñales; eight to ten days adds Trinidad and a beach at Varadero or Playa Ancón; two weeks lets you loop through Cienfuegos, Santa Clara and Camagüey or reach the east. Travel between cities takes longer than the map suggests, so leave spare time between stops. Our Cuba travel guide has sample 5-day, 8–10-day and two-week itineraries.
Whenever you go, Cuba’s own entry steps are the same: an electronic tourist visa (the e-visa that replaced the paper tourist card) from the official portal evisacuba.cu at least 72 hours before arrival, the free D’Viajeros form within seven days before travel, and travel medical insurance valid in Cuba. Bring enough cash in US dollars or euros in clean notes, since card machines and ATMs are unreliable, and expect slow Wi-Fi; a local ETECSA SIM or eSIM helps. Airline schedules changed often in 2026, so check your flight close to departure.
Best time to visit Cuba: FAQ
What is the best month to visit Cuba?
March: it is the driest month, with about three rainy days in Havana, the winter cold fronts are fading and the seas are calm. April is just as dry and gets quieter after Easter.
What is the cheapest time to go to Cuba?
September and October, the low season, but they are also the peak of hurricane season and among the wettest months. May, June and November before mid-December are a better balance of price and weather.
When is hurricane season in Cuba?
From 1 June to 30 November, with the greatest risk from mid-August to mid-October, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. Cuba often gets storms in October and early November too.
What is the rainiest month in Cuba?
In Havana, June has the most rain, about 182 mm (7.2 in), and October the most rainy days, eleven, with almost as much rain. March is the driest month, with about 46 mm (1.8 in).
Is December a good time to visit Cuba?
Yes. It is dry and pleasant, with highs around 26 °C (80 °F), the hurricane season is over, and the Havana Film Festival and the Parrandas of Remedios add to the fun. Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks, so book early.
Is it cold in Cuba in winter?
Not really. Havana’s January highs average about 26 °C (78 °F) and lows about 19 °C (65 °F), but cold fronts can bring a few cooler, windy days, and air-conditioned buses are chilly, so bring a light sweater.
Is summer a good time to visit Cuba?
It can be, if you like heat and lively beaches: the sea is at its warmest, Santiago’s Carnival is in late July and prices outside the school holidays are low. Expect humid days of 31–32 °C (88–89 °F) and afternoon storms, and keep plans flexible from August.
Sources · last reviewed 9 Oct 2026
Researched and last reviewed by TravelerCenter on 8 October 2026. Temperatures, rain and rainy days come from the 1961–1990 climate normals for Havana (Casa Blanca) that Cuba’s Institute of Meteorology (INSMET) supplies to the WMO World Weather Information Service; hurricane season and Hurricanes Rafael and Melissa from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center; sargassum from the University of South Florida’s Sargassum Watch; the Parrandas from UNESCO’s intangible heritage list; the e-visa and D’Viajeros from Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Festival dates come from organizers’ announcements as reported by Prensa Latina and the Cuban press, and sea temperatures, cold fronts, the tobacco season and seasonal crowds are general references. Check official sites before you travel.
Also: INSMET normals 1961–1990, Havana (Casa Blanca) (WMO World Weather Information Service) (climate)
Data: Wikidata (CC0)