Canada warns to avoid travel to popular spots in Cuba

Catching a flight to Cuba? The aftermath of several natural disasters might affect your itinerary.

The Canadian government issued a travel advisory recently, warning Canadians to “exercise a high degree of caution” in Cuba due to shortages of basic necessities including food, medicine, and fuel.

Parts of the island experienced two hurricanes over the past few weeks. Hurricane Oscar made landfall in mid-October as the country grappled with a nationwide power outage.

Category 3 Hurricane Rafael slammed into Western Cuba last Wednesday, causing another major blackout.

And on Sunday, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the coast of eastern Cuba, causing damage in several regions.

Canada advises travellers to “avoid non-essential travel” to Guantanamo due to the impacts of Hurricane Oscar.

Popular tourist spots in Western Cuba are also included in this travel advisory due to the impacts of Hurricane Rafael. The government says to “avoid non-essential travel” in the following provinces:

• Pinar del Rio
• Artemisa
• La Habana
• Mayabeque
• Matanzas
• The Isle of Youth

“Cuba is currently experiencing a nationwide power outage. There is no confirmation on when electricity services will be restored,” reads the travel advisory.

It also warns Canadians of the country’s chronic and severe shortage of basic necessities, including:

• food
• bottled water
• public water supply
• medication
• fuel
• hard-currency

The government advises tourists to plan accordingly and bring basic necessities like toiletries, medication, and water.

Not all of Cuba is affected by the travel advisory.

Popular beach destinations in the archipelago of Jardines del Rey, including Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo, Cayo Paredon Grande, and Caro Santa Maria, are under “normal security precautions.”

The same goes for the following resort areas:

• Marea del Portillo
• Playa Ancon
• Playa Santa Lucia
• Guardalavaca

The Canadian government also recently issued a travel advisory for a popular tourist region in Mexico due to “violent clashes.” Read this to learn more.