Colombia: Weather and best time to visit

The best time to visit Colombia will depend on the regions you wish to visit and what you are going to be doing.

Generally speaking it rains less between December and March.

Due to its proximity to the equator Colombia’s climate is warm pretty much all-year round. This makes it the ideal holiday choice at any time of year.

Temperatures are around  24°C/75°F along the coast and 7–17°C/45–63°F as you move inland and head into higher altitude areas.

In general, temperatures decrease around 6°C for every 1,000m/3,300ft increase in altitude.

You may also want to take into account how many other people are likely to visiting when planning your trip. There are peak and quieter holiday periods, so if you like to get away from the crowds bear that in mind.

Bogota

Best time to visit Colombia

The best time to visit the country, as a whole, is between December and March. During these months, it rains the least, which is especially important if you are going to be visiting the Andean mountainous regions.

Bear in mind that December to March is Colombia’s peak tourist season and while the weather is great, accommodation, flight and general prices can rise.

Having said that, it’s advisable to pack for all weather conditions, whenever you go. It is warm year-round on the coast but you might want a sweater at night, and a rain jacket is always handy wherever you are.

Bogota sits at 2,700m/8,860ft, and can be chilly at night time!

Looking to Providencia

The Andes

The rainy season in the Andes of Colombia is usually between May-July and then again October-December. Showers can be heavy and are often followed by strong and bright sunshine.

The dry season and best time to hike will be December to March/April and July-August. In the Paramo, at higher altitudes, temperatures average around 5ºC and drop below freezing at night so do take warm clothing.

Our 5-day Cocora trek in the coffee region will take you from the warm cloud forest valleys up to the misty highlands.

Heading off on the Cocora Trek

The coast

Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, for example, averages around 325 days of sunshine a year, even during its ‘winter’. It rains most in September and October, but it is a good place to visit all year round.

Idyllic islands, such as Providencia, show the Colombia coast at its best; enjoy sunshine, music, rum and wonderful dips in the Caribbean sea in this paradise.

Cartagena

The Amazon

Being tropical there is little variation in the climate from month to month; it is hot, humid and there is always a possibility of rain, sometimes very heavy and sometimes short sharp storms.

Remember

Whenever you travel to Colombia there is always the chance of cool days and nights and rain in between long, uninterrupted spells of warm, sunny weather.

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