Our Cuba Travel Guide

Currently, there is only one currency in Cuba: the Cuban peso (CUP). The CUP is supposed to trade at a rate of 24 pesos to the US dollar. However, some travelers have reported not needing pesos at all during their visits. Previously, there were two currencies in Cuba: the CUP and the Cuban convertible peso (CUC). The CUP was mainly used by tourists for street food, while the CUC, also known as the "Cuban tourist currency," was used for daily expenses such as accommodation, transportation, tours, and food.

Cubans speak a variation of Castilian Spanish that was brought to the island by immigrants from the Canary Islands in the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, Spanish and Haitian Creole are the two most widely spoken languages in Cuba.

Cuba has a warm, tropical climate with an average annual temperature of 25.2°C (77.3°F). The island receives an average of eight hours of sunshine per day throughout the year, with little variation in temperature. In January, the average temperature is 22°C (71.6°F), while in July, the average temperature is 27.2°C (81°F). Humidity tends to be higher in the summer months.

In Cuba, the power plugs and sockets are of type A, which follows the American model with two prongs. The standard voltage is 110V/60Hz, although some hotels may have 220V and round prong sockets for European plugs (type C) in certain areas, such as bathrooms. It is recommended to ask about the voltage and plug types at your hotel before arriving to determine if you need an adapter.

The current population of Cuba is 11,309,996 as of Wednesday, November 30, 2022, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data.

In addition to the main island, Cuba also consists of four smaller groups of islands located to the north and south of the main island. In total, Cuba comprises more than 4,000 islands and cays, with a total area of 40,852 square miles (105,806 km2). That makes it nearly 10 times larger than Jamaica, which has an area of 4,320 square miles (11,230 km2).