Flights to Cuba Information
Flights to Cuba are the best and safest way to reach the exotic island located in the northern Caribbean. There are around 30 airports in Cuba, out of which, the common airports serving the US are José Martí International Airport in Havana and Ignacio Agramonte International Airport in Camaguey.
Both of these airports have frequent flights to Cuba from the US. The other airports mainly serve the regional airlines, if you wish to fly domestically.
Cuba is one of the most popular destinations for US citizens. It saw around 4.28 million tourists in 2019 itself. It’s also the largest Caribbean Island in terms of size and population. It has many UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Cuban Island offers exciting things for everyone. The colorful and vivid streets, the sparkling blue beaches, the pristine heritage of Cuba, the cheerful people, the pleasant weather, and lastly, being away from the modern urbanization, makes Cuba the perfect country to visit if you want to get off the grid.
The best thing is you can find many airlines offering cheap flights to Cuba in certain seasons.
Airports of Cuba
As mentioned earlier, there are two major international airports, José Martí International Airport and Ignacio Agramonte International, located in the heart of Cuba. These two airports have the best flight availability with reduced airfare to Cuba.
- José Martí International Airport
José Martí International Airport is the main international airport. The airport code is HAV and it is located in the Boyeros Municipality, in Havana. Havana is the capital and one of the most-visited cities by tourists in Cuba. ECASA operates all the major airlines flying to this international airport, along with the airport itself.
José Martí International Airport received around 5,713,859 passengers in 2017 and is the busiest airport in Cuba.
The best airlines that fly from the US to Cuba through this airport are American Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. Other airlines that fly to José Martí International Airport from the US are JetBlue Fly and IBC Airways.
This airport is also a major hub for domestic airlines like Cubana de Aviación and Aerogaviota.
José Martí International Airport is located just 17 km or 10 miles away from Havana city. This airport has all the major amenities like - facilities for disabled passengers, ATMs if you wish to withdraw cash, comfortable smoking lounges, and public phones. You can also get a wheelchair from the airport as it has wheelchair rental services too.
Other facilities include medical provisions in case of any emergency. This airport has a children's play area too to keep your children entertained. If you’ve lost any of your belongings, there’s a lost and found area where you can search for it.
Terminal 3 has many restaurants, cafes, and duty-free shops, too, where you can spend your time. However, there’s no free WiFi, and you will have to pay for internet access.
There are many transport facilities available from the airport, like taxi and car rentals.
- Ignacio Agramonte International Airport
Ignacio Agramonte International Airport is the second international airport in Cuba. The airport code is CMW. This airport is located in Camaguey, Cuba, and also serves Santa Lucia, a resort village in Cuba.
ECASA operates Ignacio Agramonte International Airport too. Ignacio Agramonte International Airport receives many passengers traveling to the resort village, Santa Lucia, every year.
The main airlines that fly to Ignacio Agramonte International Airport are JetBlue Airways, American Airlines, Sunwing Airlines, American Eagle, and Cubana de Aviacion, etc. However, these airlines do not offer direct services, and you might have to go for connecting flights.
It’s a compact airport with two terminals - domestic and international. This airport has many facilities as well, to offer its passengers. It has facilities for disabled people, currency exchange booths, public phones, smoking lounge, help desks for tourists, VIP lounge, etc. There’s also a comfortable seating lounge for all the passengers.
There are restaurants, cafes, and duty-free shops where you can buy souvenirs, national products, and other stuff.
You can go from this airport to the Camaguey downtown or to Santa Lucia Resort using a chartered shuttle bus, taxis, public buses, or by renting a car. Camaguey downtown is around 10 minutes away from the airport whereas Santa Lucia takes around 75 minutes or 1 hr 15 minutes.
However, there are certain facilities not available here, like free or paid internet services, special rooms for mothers or baby-changing facilities, play areas for children, and luggage lockers.
Pre-Booking Tips for Cuba
Some of the booking tips before you plan your trip to Cuba are:
- Book your plane tickets to Cuba two weeks before the departure date.
- You can get cheap airline tickets to Cuba in September.
- Some of the airlines like American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, and Delta Flights offer direct flights to Cuba.
- If your stay is in Havana, José Martí International Airport is the best option, whereas for Santa Lucia, Ignacio Agramonte International Airport is recommended.
- We suggest that you go to Ignacio Agramonte International Airport as Camaguey lies in the middle of Cuba and you can fly to any place from there.
Favorite Tourist Destinations
Cuba is one of those countries that create a special place in your heart. The streets are full of houses of vivid colors that give a wonderful look to Cuba. The beaches have sparkling blue water with the bright sun shining in the gleaming waters.
It has a diverse marine life with beautiful coral reefs. The stunning scenery, the history and culture, and the quaint and tiny towns of Cuba teleport you from the concrete jungles to a warm and homely place where only happiness and bliss exist.
Cuba is home to many magnificent beaches with beautiful coastlines. Playa Paraiso, also known as Paradise Beach, does justice to its name. The beach is famous for its white sand and shining turquoise waters that are bound to leave you speechless.
If you’re interested in diving and other water sports, Varadero beach is a great choice. This beach offers around 30 diving sites and other water-sports like snorkeling, water scooter, boat rides, sailing, etc. However, this beach has a lot of tourists and is not for you if you prefer a quiet and calm beach.
Do you like flamingos? Well, Playa Pilar beach sees around 12,000 flamingos each year. This beach also offers fishing and diving opportunities for you.
There are many other beautiful beaches you can visit in Cuba like Playa Los Flamencos, Cayo Las Brujas, Cayo Santa Maria, Cayo Sabinal, etc.
For a more historical outlook on Cuba, the Museum of the Revolution in Havana has an antique collection and many Cuban stories you’d enjoy. You can also tour old Havana and marvel at the beautiful Neoclassical buildings painted with pastel colors, or walk on the cobbled streets. Old Havana is the best spot for taking spectacular pictures.
Trinidad is another UNESCO World Heritage Site, after Old Havana, where you can tour some of the best ancient architecture in Cuba. Cuba is a tropical island with a glorious history and breathtaking architecture.
There are many other attractions you can visit in Cuba like - Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes or the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Spanish fortress - Castillo del Morro, Peninsula de Zapata, Che Guevara Mausoleum, etc..
You can also discover your favorite spot by strolling around the picturesque streets and drown away all your blues in the sparkling water of Cuba!
Getting Around Cuba
The best way to get around Cuba is by using the Viazul Bus facility, which is used by many tourists. For a more adventurous road trip, you can rent a car and visit remote locations too.
Taxis are another way of getting around Cuba. An inexpensive alternative to taxis would be Collectivos - also known as the group taxis.
Best Season to Visit Cuba
Cuba offers some of the best sites to visit. However, the airfare to Cuba is expensive during peak seasons. As it is a tropical island, it has warm temperatures all around the year, yet you should avoid the rainy and hurricane season.
January-February: The best time to visit Cuba is during January and February. These winter months have the best temperature. It is warm enough to enjoy the beaches and cool enough for sightseeing. There’s almost no rain in this season.
However, this is the peak season, so you might want to book all your flights and hotels beforehand to get cheap Cuba flights and hotel deals.
Some of the events are:
- Havana International Bookfair (in February)
- Habanos Festival (in February and March)
March-June: The months between March and June have extreme temperatures. March is the time of the dry season, and you can still visit Cuba this season. However, the prices may be high.
The months of April, May, and June have higher chances of rain and can ruin all your beach and sightseeing plans. The best part is that during this season, the inflow of tourists, the airfare to Cuba, and the hotel rates, are very less compared to other seasons. So, if you want to enjoy the luxurious resorts, this time is the best season for that.
Some of the events are:
- International Electroacoustic Music Festival
- Havana World Music Festival
July-August: In these months, the famous Cuban carnival takes place, due to which the city is bustling with festivities and joy. The hotel and airfare rates are also high in this season with increased temperatures, but if you wish to see Cuba like never before, this is the perfect time.
Some of the events are:
- 26th July Celebrations (in July)
- Carnival (in July)
- Havana Carnival (in August)
September-December: These months also see fewer travelers due to the hurricane season. However, the climate is pleasant in November and December, with reduced airfare to Cuba and fewer hotel charges.
Some of the events are:
- Havana International Ballet Festival (in October and November)
- Days of Cuban Culture (in October and November)
- Havana International Jazz Festival (in December)