When to Visit Havana

Cold-front days can feel almost crisp. Bring a light jacket for evening salsa shows on the roof of the Fábrica de Arte. Hotels run 60-70 % occupancy, so you can still wing it without bookings.

Much like January, only a touch wetter. Habaneros break out quilted jackets when it drops below 20 °C; you'll probably eat ice-cream on the Prado regardless. International Book Fair takes over the San Carlos fort - plan an extra hour for security lines.

The first real "beach weekend" for locals; Guanabo and Santa María del Mar buzz on Saturdays. Rainfall is the year's lowest, so rooftop bars keep their sofas outside all night.

Temperature and humidity climb one gentle notch. Easter week can sell out accommodation. But outside that window you still find space and decent room rates.

The wet season gate-crashes mid-month: expect thunder at 4pm that clears by 6pm, leaving perfect sunset light for photos of the Malecón. Prices haven't jumped yet.

Rain doubles from May, often arriving as 30-minute cloudbursts that drench streets into reflective mirrors. School groups arrive on subsidised flights - museums queue out the door.

Technically mid-range rainfall. Yet humidity makes the city feel like a sauna. Carnival parades along the Malecón mean booming drums until 2am - book a room with sea-view if you need sleep.

Hottest and most humid. Sweat starts the moment you leave air-con. Many restaurants close for staff holidays. But the salsa scene moves to outdoor "fiestas de barrio" in Cayo Hueso.

Peak hurricane corridor. Flights sometimes re-route. If you chance it, you'll have the Museums of the Revolution virtually to yourself and the sea still bath-warm.

Rain reaches its annual maximum, flooding low intersections for an hour at a time. Hotel lobbies smell of wet concrete. But deals are excellent and the ballet season opens.

The wet season backs off. Mornings turn golden and less sticky. This is cigar-harvest time - you can ride a day-trip to Pinar del Río and watch rollers in action without a tour bus in sight.

Pleasantly dry and a notch cooler; Habaneros put up Christmas lights that look oddly tropical against royal-palm silhouettes. New Year's Eve fills hotels and casas, so lock in ahead.