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