General Info

money

Currency: Convertible Pesos (equivalent to the dollar). Other currency only for the locals : Cuban pesos with a value 24 times lower than the Convertible

sun

Seasons and temperatures
- Winter-Spring:from December to April
- Summer and Autumn : from May to November

temp

Air: In winter, temperatures vary widely but is unlikely to go below 15 degrees(Celsius) and getting to 30. In summer, from 28 to 38 degrees with very high humidity.

water

Water: Summer 30 degrees Winter 24 degrees (medium data)

Clothing: Tropical clothing. But always bring with you a waterproof jacket, a sweater and.... spray against mosquitoes.

phone

Mobile Phones: signal is active almost all over the island but very expensive calls in both incoming/outgoing.

taxi

Driving: it is simple, rent a car is more expensive than average, we recommend careful on the roads at night due to lack of lighting and bad roads.

locals

Locals: Very friendly and hospitable. But do not give too much confidence :-)

seguridad

Safety: Crime is almost absent. As usually happens around the world: pay more attention in big cities.

cloud

Wind Statistics:

Wind is predominantly from ENE (East North East) during the year. So the coast of Cuba where you can kite with frequency is the north. In spring and autumn, with high pressure from the Atlantic, the wind is spread all over the island and can last several days, even a few weeks with intensity from 12 to 25 knots.

In Winter in conjunction with the frost from the United States, the wind blows strongly from the north by lowering the temperature usually on the first day of the cold front, creating waves that are maintained for a few days until wind gradually turn to the NNE to ENE. This especially in the West (Havana and vicinity).

In midsummer (July and August) the thermal wind blows in the early afternoon. In west of the island with little intensity in the center and east of the island and several cays (Coco, Guillermo, Santa Maria) frequently reaches 15 knots or more.

Winds from the South are rare. Only a few days in spring with high winds. With winds from the south on the north coast the only place where you can safely kite is Varadero because the peninsula allows you to kite with onshore winds in the inner lagoon.

lycra

Clothing in water:
- Lycra long sleeves most of the year (also for UVA sunlight).
- Short suit in winter.
- For the few days of cold in late December-January-February to 3 mm long suit.

tables

Kite equipment to take with you:
- In Winter: 12 to 7 meters. Better two sizes and also in case surfboard.
- In Summer from 13 to 11 meters.

Spot

Varadero

White huge beach about 25km long and 10km wide. White and soft sand, no corals or grass.Enough space to launch and land. Many Hotels beaches so do not launch directly in front of them where it is apcked the most. From the beach closed the Barcelo Marina Palace Hotel (the end of Varadero Peninsula) you can launch and kitesurf with noth-est wind and hit superb flat water sections on the next small island or you can enjoy 25 km downwind until the end of the Peninsula.

Our school is located in one of the best places, with a wide beach and near the town of Varadero.

varadero

PLAYAS DE L’ESTE / SANTA MARIA. (LA HABANA )

Playa de L'este / Santa Maria. Sandy white huge beaches at 20 min from the centre of the city. The wind is side on to the beach, coming from East. Sea usually with waves from 1 to 2-2,5 mt or more, depending by the strenth of the wind. Wind often present above 10-12 knts, best months october, november (watchout for hurricanes) and april but all the winter is normally windy. In Playa del Este you can easily reach the eastern part of the bay and come back with a 7 km beach-only down wind. Very safe and for everyone. Kites : 12-14 in Summer - 7-12 in the winter, depending from the weight of the surfer. Problems: in Summer, lot of people on the beach.

PLAYAS DE L’ESTE/SANTA MARIA.(LA HABANA )

Where stay in Playas del Este / Santa María /(La Habana):

CAYO GUILLERMO

In Ciego de Avila there are some of the most beautiful places for kiting. Endless laggons with hot and shallow flat waters allow the navigation between the small keys. Perfect for freestyle. From all the keys, Cayo Guillermo is the must suitable for kiting, full of lagoons with flat and calm water, but with an onshore wind incoming.

cayo guillermo

CAYO COCO

Less famous than Cayo Guillermo, but very closer to him, in the same road, is located Cayo Coco, with spacious beaches, specially near the Hotel Iberostar Mojito.

cayo coco

CAYO SANTA MARÍA

It is located in the province of Villa Clara, at a distance of 380 km from Havana. To reach it, you must travel through a 70 km causeway that crosses the lagoon. There its possible enter and explore in the mangroves with a very low water across the whole lagoon. With a few of adventure spirit you can cross from one side to the other.

CAYO SANTA MARÍA

LA HABANA CIUDAD

In the city of Havana there is no beach. The famous Malecon is just a road where to enter in the water is almost impossible. We strongly suggest to go to Playa Del Este. But if you don't want to go there, there is a little beach in the "Club Habana", a club just for Inscripted Clients where with a daily fee you could enter and stay for the day. The beach is little and you will have two jetty closing the little bay with 200 hundred meter of channel to exit. Not the best..., but last solution to stay in the City. With north winds you could find also medium waves at the exit of the bay

habana ciudad