Cuba in October: Peak Monsoon Travel Tips

The weather in Cuba in October is warm and wet. The Caribbean current brings warm waters down from the equator and provides year-round heat in the region. However, this is counterbalanced by pleasantly cool northerly winds during this month.

Cuba’s position astride the Tropic of Cancer means that the weather is consistent across the entire country, although the mountains in the north attract more rain. In Havana, you can expect a daily high of 30℃, which cools to around 22℃ at night. The sea around Cuba is still a tepid 29℃ in October and, even with an average of 13 rainy days, you will still have nine hours of sunshine and 12 hours of daylight between showers.

For a seasonal overview, check out our travel guide on the best time to visit Cuba.

It is a low season in Cuba in October, which means you will have the entire country virtually to yourself during this time! With the arrival of tourist crowds still two months away, accommodations across the country are also cheaper and you can make your travel budget go much further.

• Festivities: The beating heart of Cuba is its music, dance, and food. You can visit Santiago de Cuba to attend the Festival de Son which celebrates the exuberant local music known as ‘son’—a fusion of African and Spanish musical styles. The festival includes concerts, street parties, and dance competitions that showcase mambo, salsa, and cha-cha styles.
• Scuba-diving: Take advantage of the wet weather to go scuba diving! Under the water, it does not matter if it is raining and Cuba has some of the world’s best reef-diving locations, including the spectacular corals of Isla de la Juventud, the sea turtle habitat of Cayo Largo, and the eerie shipwrecks of the Bay of Pigs.
• Indoor Havana: Some of the best Havana tours in October will take you indoors to see art exhibitions, cigar-making factories, and concerts. Havana has a great selection of museums such as the Fine Arts Museum and Museo de la Revolution. The latter chronicles Cuba’s fascinating revolutionary history.
• Wild heart: The Viñales Valley, in western Cuba, is an adventurer’s playground. October rains keep visitor numbers to a minimum so the mountain-biking trails that criss-cross the valley are not crowded. Similarly, tours to Santo Tomas Cavern, Latin America’s largest cave system, are also easy to book during this time of year. Once inside, you will encounter bats, ancient cave art, and bottomless pools of crystal water.

Dress for the tropics with light, breathable fabrics that dry quickly after those inevitable Cuban rain showers. Bring a warm top for cooler evenings and comfortable shoes for exploring on foot. Insect repellents are a must after dark. Facemasks are still mandatory in many places in Cuba so bring a supply along with hand sanitizers which are hard to find.

Good to know: Cuban law requires that all tourists have travel insurance. You will also need to apply for a Cuba Tourist Card which can be bundled with your airfare or obtained from a Cuban embassy prior to your departure. Although Cuba is a safe country to travel in, avoid carrying lots of expensive equipment or jewelry as this could attract thieves. US currency is not accepted in Cuba due to government regulations. Euros are the most widely accepted currency.

October is the best time to visit Cuba, even though the weather can be wetter than during other months. Traveling to Cuba from the US is much cheaper and, once in the country, accommodations are plentiful. You can cover most parts of the country in a relatively short time and you will find plenty of small festivals where you can interact with the locals and get a more authentic feel for Cuban life.

If you need help with planning a customized trip to Cuba in October, you can always reach out to our local travel experts who can devise a tailor-made itinerary for you. For more information and instant inspiration, browse through our Cuba tours in October. 

Cuba in November