VITAL STATISTICS

Capital: Havana Population: 11.5 million Language(s): Spanish Time: GMT - 5 (summer GMT - 4) International dialling code: +53 Visas: UK nationals need a tourist card, valid for 30 days. Virgin Atlantic sells them for £15 from Gatwick. The cheapest online provider is http://www.cubavisas. com. The Cuba Consulate charges £39: http://misiones.minrex.gob.cu/en/ united-kingdom/ Money: Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC), around £0.74 to UK£. Cuban Peso (CUP), around 25 CUP to CUC$1 [or 30p]. USD are accepted by airport taxis at USD$0.87 to the CUC. Lines for airport exchange bureaus can be soul destroying.

When to go

■ High season & dry season. A light sweater is often needed in the Dec-jan evenings in (27-31°C). May is the green season before the rains arrive.

■ Hurricane season. Temperatures begin to rise in June, and the heat and humidity in July and August can be insufferable (30-33°C). Downpours are heavy but dry up quickly. The heat begin to subside in late September to 31-32°C.

Health & safety

Standard vaccinations are required; take insect repellent and medical insurance is compulsory.

Further reading & information

The Span¡shd!ct and Galileo Map apps work off-line and are indispensable [free]. Easyguide to Cuba (Frommer’s, 2015) by the author is a good guide. LATA.COM – the Latin America Travel Association.