Indeed, it is.
Cuba is one of the safest countries not only in the Caribbean, but in the entire Western Hemisphere. As a matter of fact, travelers are told to take normal security precautions when visiting the island. To many, clients are considered to be safer in Cuba that in their own homes.
However, there are always things to watch out for when traveling, such as being pickpocketed or getting involved in a currency scam. These petty crimes can be easily avoided by taking the same precautions you would when traveling to another foreign country or major city.
No, you don’t.
Although knowing a few basic Spanish phrases may be handy, you will find that most people will be able to at least communicate in English, French, Italian, German or even Russian.
While you can find a map in almost every travel handbook, we encourage you to utilize any navigation mobile app that allow you to download Cuban maps and work totally offline.
So far, our top recommendations will be MAPS.ME or OsmAnd. Both of them feature GPS support and offline routing, without incurring in any roaming charges when being abroad.
Although you may find diverse opinions on when it is best to travel to Cuba, every season has its pros and cons. Our advice to you is to chose the one that suits you the most and plan accordingly. You cannot go wrong.
That been said, most travelers prefer visiting the Island between mid-November and March. The weather at this time of year is not as hot and wet as it is in summer. Therefore, it represents the peak season for tourism and prices for accommodation, car rentals, and other services go up.
On the other hand, some other consider the time from April until June to be the most adequate for traveling around the country. Although this shoulder season is often recognized as a rainy period, any rainfall is usually just a 10-20-minute tropical downpour and then we are back to sunshine.
In contrast, July to October can be really hot and humid and that is thought as to be our hurricane season. Although there is a chance to be caught by a stormy weather between these months, this is the best time to get a magnificent tan at the lowest rates.
Cuba enjoys a rather tropical climate, moderated by northeasterly trade winds that blow year-round. From December through mid-April is considered to be the drier season, while a rainier season can be thought from May to October. Temperatures average 21 °C (69.8 °F) in January and 27 °C (80.6 °F) in July.
Cuba falls in the GMT-5 zone, which means that we are in the Eastern Time Zone. This is the same as Miami, New York, and the East Coast of the U.S.
Yet, during Daylight Saving Time, our time difference will be decreased to GMT-4.