Cuba Travel Guide

The climate in Cuba is tropical, determined by the northeast trade winds. The period from November to April is the dry season, while the rainy season occurs from May to October. From June to November tropical cyclones are to be expected, which often hits the economically weak Cuba significantly hard.

Cuba has created a highly functional disaster controil system in response to its cyclone season. Summer temperatures average between 25 to 30 degrees Celsius all year round. With about 200 days of sunshine, Cuba is definitely a year-round destination.

You will need a tourist card for a maximum stay of 30 days (this can be extended once for 30 days).

The tourist card must be purchased before entering the country and is available from Cuban embassies and from some airlines at the airport.

For a longer stay, you will need a visa, which is also issued by the Cuban Embassy. An invitation may be required for this. The processing time can take several weeks, so we recommend taking care of this in advance.

Cuba was an atheist state until 1992. It only became secular through a constitutional amendment, which now also allows believers to be politically active.

The most widely represented religions are Catholicism and Santería, a mixed religion of the traditional religion of the West African Yoruba and Christian elements.

In recent years, many Cuban Protestant congregations have been born. Jehovah's Witnesses are also strongly represented.

The island's national language is Spanish. Although it is different from the one spoken in Spain, it is similar to the one spoken in other Spanish-speaking countries in the Caribbean, e.g. the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and the Caribbean coasts of Colombia and Venezuela.

The traditional greeting in Cuba is to shake hands. The locals address each other as "compañero", but as a tourist you should say "señor" or "señora". All Cubans have two surnames, but if you address them by name, you only use the first.

The first inhabitants migrated to Cuba as early as 3500 BC and came from South America.

After Columbus discovered Cuba in 1492, the Spanish Crown conquered the island. Thousands of Indians died in wars with the Spaniards and due to the diseases brought by Europeans. The number of indigenous people dropped to about 5000. African slaves were therefore brought to the country to work on cattle ranches and in leather production.

In the 18th century, British troops occupied the island, bringing more forced labourers from Africa for the cultivation of sugar cane plantations. By 1820, Cuba was the largest sugar producer in the world.

Spain lost its dominance over Cuba in the war against the USA in 1898. Cuba gained its independence at the beginning of the 19th century, but was still subject to the USA military administration. The first president of the Republic of Cuba was Tomás Estrada Palma.

In 1940 Fulgencio Batista became president. The dictator obtained Cuba's complete independence from the USA. With an uprising, the revolutionary leader Fidel Castro took over the position of prime minister in 1959. A land and agrarian reform was introduced and private land ownership was thus nationalised. As a result, the USA imposed a trade embargo with Cuba. Despite significant aid from Russia, Cuba's economy was severaly damaged with the end of the Soviet Union.

Tourism became more and more important in Cuba. In 1998, Pope John Paul II visited the island. In 2008, President Fidel Castro, who had been in power since 1976, handed over his position to his brother Raúl Castro.

Cubans, unlike their neighbours in Latin America, adhere very strictly to laws and regulations for fear of sanctions, and tourists should do the same.

Lying "topless" on the beach is not appreciated by Cubans and should only be done on the beaches of the all-inclusive resorts.

Children are not allowed to beg in Cuba. However, many children like to hold out their hands when they see tourists. Avoid giving them money.

Say goodbye to the idea that the internet in Cuba works the same way as in most other countries. There is hardly any Wi-Fi in Cuba and to use it you need an internet card.