Hi Simone

Three to four weeks in Cuba sounds like a magnificent opportunity, and what a time to go. July is practically brimming with festival fever and the Santiago Carnival is said to be unmissable, as is the ‘Fiesta de Fuego’ (Festival of Fire) earlier in the month!

The climate in Cuba at this time of year is officially known as the wet season, but don’t let this put you off - heavy downpours of rain are usually brief, often clearing the heavy skies and freshening up the warm summer air.

Depending upon your interests and budgets, one month will soon pass, and we have many suggestions of what to do and see in our Cuba Travel Guide. Western Cuba has some fantastic scuba diving around Maria la Gorda, there is great cycling to be done in the Vinales area of Pinar del Rio, which also offers great walking and caves to be explored.

Beach lovers tend to stay in Varadero – Cuba’s main package holiday destination – but many of the Caribbean Cayes and Isles that surround Cuba are equally spectacular. A week could easily be spent in Havana, a charming and enticing city to wander around and soak up the atmosphere.

Colonial Trinidad in Central Cuba is a highlight that deserves at least several days and Eastern Cuba - the Oriente – is home to the Sierra Maestra Mountains and Cuba’s liveliest city, Santiago. Most of these places are pretty easy to travel to by public transport, though you may need to be a bit more creative to get far off the beaten track.

Read some of the other forums on addictedtotravel.com for a few more ideas, particularly the one entitled “Cuba.... ‘not to miss places’?” which has some great ideas. In here you will read a bit more about travelling on a budget and staying in local’s homes, the “Casas Particulares”.

I don’t know if you speak Spanish, but if not I strongly recommend you learn some basics before you go - chatting with the local Cuban people will transform your visit.

Happy travel planning!
Stuart

while we're still on the subject; what are the festivities like for the celebration for the national day of rebellion on the 25-27th of July; similar to the carnivals earlier in the month? Is this a fairly local, Cuban festival and are tourists welcome? Is this worth staying longer for to see or will the carnivals be enough fiestas for one month?!