Panama vs Cuba in November

[dimo79]

Looking for a destination in SA or Caribbean to travel with the family Nov 1 - Dec 15. Panama and Cuba are the front runners after my initial research. We have two young kids so comfy accommodation (preferably airbnb or apartment accommodation and not a hotel) is important. Also important is the proximity to the kite beach (aka no driving). Please let me know pros/cons of you have been to Panama or Cuba for kiting.

I mainly ride directional and want to get better on the foil. Wife is on a TT, getting ready for the foil.

Suggestions for other destinations in the region are welcome, except for Cabarette as we already have a trip booked there.

[Windigo1]

Most of the kiting spots in Cuba are in the Cayos and it's only all inclusive hotels. In Havana you might find something to rent but not AirBNB US companies can't do business in Cuba. The wind is never guaranteed in Cuba but November is usually good.

In Panama Punta Chame is your best bet nice spot but the wind is light in November.

If you want guaranteed wind and easy to find accommodation Brazil or Aruba/Bonnaire are places to consider.

[Havre]

How much kiting do you want to do? Are you OK with the occasional day over those 45 days - or would you kite every day if you could?

I never went to Cuba, but I have done a lot of research about kiting there as I used to go to the Caribbean every winter for some years. From what I could gather wind isn't fantastic in Cuba if you want to kite every day, but you should definitely get some.

Cumbuco. You can basically stay on the beach. Should have much better wind than most places in the Caribbean. Nice beach and should be easy to find an apartment. On the downside it is a bit sketchy at night I would imagine if you are going out with kids. If you are just planning to stay at home in the evening then I would say no problem.

I have also been to Martinique and Guadeloupe. Might be a bit too early? Both places should be fairly decent with kids I would imagine (in Martinique it is possible to basically stay at the kite spot in La Vauclin - not sure if they got apartments for rent there though - in Guadeloupe I'm not sure - for me it was a bit of a walk from where I stayed, but I guess there are more than one spot there), but similar to Cuba I don't think you get fantastic wind there day out and day in. I was there in February and the wind was OK. Quite similar to Cabarete I would say.

[Delta99]

As Windigo1 points out, wind is very light in Punta Chame in November. Not predictable before January.

[Eduardo]

I agree with the posts above: only go there if you're happy to kite only a couple days a week. if your main goal is kiting more like 6 days a week, then I suggest to start the search over and start with windy spots and then narrow it down from there based on budget, beach front, conditions, kid friendly, ... ikitesurf.com has statistics.

[dimo79]

Thanks everyone (sorry for the delay in response, life got in the way). I think I will move our trip to Cabarete to beginning of December and then research Brazil for after January. Not a big fan of all-inclusive for extended durations.

[Havre]

Thanks everyone (sorry for the delay in response, life got in the way). I think I will move our trip to Cabarete to beginning of December and then research Brazil for after January. Not a big fan of all-inclusive for extended durations.

Just be aware that the season in Brazil comes to an end as well - not sure exactly, but peak months are in the autumn (in the North at least).

[irwe]

Put Barbados on your list. You could get AirBnB type accomodation close to Silver Rocks. No need to rent a car (use Public ZR Vans). It is windy in Nov and Dec. High Speed Internet. Only downside is Food is expensive compared to North America. PM me if you want more info.

[alexeyga]

Anybody considering Punta Chame need to do their homework. Check the wind stats, check the WOO stats - this should be indicative enough of what to expect. In other words - this is primarily a "good vibes" spot for 100lbs chicks on 12m kites. If you happen to be any heavier - make sure to bring your 17m and a foil... and you better be very excited in general about foiling!

Given OP's "nice to have" list - Cuba is arguably their best bet. Any of the Cayo-s will do, just make sure to pick the hotel on the NE/NEE side. Not much to do there with a directional, but definitely bring a foil.

[Crissssssss]

Cuba from november to May is really good, best conditions are in los cayos ( cayo guillermo- cayo coco) but no locals allowed and just all inclusive resorts. My favorite spot is Varadero, i used to live there and now i visit every year, varadero gets a good variety of winds in november from 10-13 miles almost every afternoon which is perfect for foiling to more than 30 if you get a cold front. you can stay at an airbnb or resort and the kite community is pretty good.