The largest Antillean island, which benefits from a geographical location that turned Cuba into the so-called "Key to the Caribbean" many centuries ago, complements this characteristic with a tropical climate that makes a swim at the beach an almost indispensable activity.

Although Cuba's average temperature is 24.6 degrees Celsius (76.28 Fahrenheit), the arrival of summer is a detonator for a mass flow of national and foreign vacationers to the island's excellent, white-sanded beaches of crystal-clear waters.

Summertime is the favorite season for Cubans to enjoy their vacations, coinciding with school and labor holidays in most part of the country, and many local festivities.

July and August, the hottest months of the year in Cuba, are full of activities in the fields of sports, culture and social life in general. Even for those who prefer to stay at home, there are special TV programs.

However, most people prefer to be in direct contact with the environment, and many visitors escape from the high temperatures at any of Cuba's excellent beaches, spending the night in the most varied celebrations, in a country where music and dance are everywhere.

The traditional carnival festivities are held every summer in Havana, with parades, floaters and dance groups along the capital's Malecón (seafront), while party lovers prefer a good cold beer to quench their thirst under the effect of the Tropic.

But that kind of festivity goes beyond the Cuban capital, since in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, the so-called "Fiesta del Fuego" (Fire Festival) brings together the best exponents of Caribbean culture. Santiago also has its own version of the carnival.

In Camagüey, celebrations are held under the name of San Juan Festival, while in Remedios, people participate in the historic Parrandas. In Bejucal (in the province of Havana), these kinds of festivities are called Charangas. However, all these festivities are unique examples of Cuban culture.

Summer is also a period to make plans, meet friends and go to the cinema, the theater and night shows in first-class scenarios such as the world-famous Tropicana nightclub, or just walk Havana's main streets and enjoy the city's pleasant night life.

Many visitors prefer to take refuge in numerous centers devoted to the cult of Cuban and international gastronomy, where they can enjoy the most delicious dishes of Cuban cuisine.

For all this, thousands of foreign vacationers come to the largest Antillean island every summer, since they think it is a unique chance to learn about the most relevant celebrations in Cuban popular culture, in addition to feel in their own flesh the heat emanating from nature and the people from this Caribbean island.