Havana vs Mexico City

Havana

Havana has a tropical climate with a dry season (November-April) and a wet season (May-October). Temperatures are warm year-round. Hurricane season runs from June to November, with September and October being the highest-risk months.

Mexico City

Mexico City's high altitude gives it a mild, spring-like climate year-round. There are two main seasons: dry (November-April) and rainy (May-October). Temperatures are remarkably consistent, rarely exceeding 28°C or dropping below 5°C.

Havana

Havana's transport is a fascinating mix of vintage American cars, Chinese buses, coconut-shaped taxis, and horse-drawn carts. There's no ride-hailing app that works reliably. Getting around requires a mix of walking, negotiating with taxi drivers, and patience.

Walkability: Old Havana, Centro Habana, and the Malecon are all walkable, though sidewalks are uneven and sometimes missing. The 3-4 km walk from Habana Vieja to Vedado along the Malecon is one of the great urban walks. Beyond central areas, distances become too large for walking.

Mexico City

Mexico City has an enormous public transit network anchored by the Metro (12 lines), Metrobus (rapid transit buses), and regular buses. The Metro is incredibly cheap but crowded during rush hours. Uber and DiDi are widely used and affordable.

Walkability: Central neighborhoods like Roma, Condesa, Coyoacan, and Centro Historico are very walkable with wide sidewalks and pleasant tree-lined streets. Chapultepec and Polanco also reward walking. However, the city is vast — distances between neighborhoods often require transit. Sidewalks can be uneven, and traffic is aggressive at crossings.