The best time to visit Colombia

Colombia's equatorial position means temperatures fluctuate by altitude, not the time of year, so with the country's diversity of landscapes, almost any time can be a good time to visit. These changes in altitude also mean Colombia has many microclimates and brief dry and wet seasons to factor in, although most places experience little temperature variation between seasons. Once you know where you’d like to go in Colombia, spend some time researching the weather in the area.

From whale watching on the Pacific coast to festivals in Cartagena, here’s our seasonal guide to the best times to visit Colombia for superb experiences whatever the weather.

December to February is best for clear skies

Weather in Colombia in the dry season: December to February is a fantastic time to travel through Colombia, because it’s dry everywhere except the Amazon. In the Andes, expect sunny skies and warmish days – perfect for hiking in the country’s clutch of outstanding national parks, while the Caribbean coast is at its most gorgeous – and busiest.

It's a popular time to visit (including for domestic travelers), so prices are at their highest throughout the entire country. Advance bookings for hotels and flights are essential, particularly along the northern coast.

January is the perfect month for hiking in Colombia, with trail conditions typically dry and the sky clear, ensuring excellent views from the top of many of the country’s lofty peaks. If you dislike crowds, head to Bogotá, which is deserted thanks to residents hitting the coast for their vacations, or go to a secluded eco-lodge along the Pacific coast.

The end of January is also ideal for exploring the Caribbean coast as the holiday crowds dissipate, but the festivals and parties carry on. Low humidity levels and warm temperatures make sunbathing and swimming an appealing prospect. Cartagena and Santa Marta are extremely busy in the first few weeks of January. Surfers will enjoy the big swells that bring waves to the beaches close to Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Cartagena, and Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona.

March to September is the best time for whale watching and festivals

Weather in Colombia in March to September: Check the weather carefully before booking a trip between March and September, because the temperature and rainfall have massive regional variations. Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali suffer a secondary rainy season in April and May, while Cartagena shines through April, with hard rains beginning in May. July through August is another short dry season, although you can expect brief tropical showers in highland cities. Colombia’s Caribbean islands, San Andrés and Providencia, remain dry until May, so shoulder season is an opportunity to explore their glorious beaches and remarkable coral reefs.  

For animal lovers, the best time for to see humpback whales on the Pacific coast is July to October when some of the world's largest and most majestic mammals can be viewed in their own habitat. Some give birth during these months before migrating once again toward the frigid shores of southern Chile, where food is more plentiful. The 25-ton mammals can be spotted from the beach, but many local tour operators also offer whale-watching trips that allow you to see them up close.

Festivals around Easter are also a spectacle worth seeing. Semana Santa (Easter) is big in Colombia. Whether it falls in March or April, the country is seriously tuned in, with celebrations taking place in all of the main cities. However, crowds flock to those held in the handsome, colonial-era town of Popayán, where thousands spill out onto the cobbled streets and plazas to join solemn religious processions and costumed parades that have taken place every year since 1566. Mompox, Pamplona and Tunja also hold colorful celebrations for Holy Week. If you want to be there, book your visit well in advance.

High water levels in March and into April mean the white-water rafting in adventure capital San Gil is at its most thrilling. Here, the Río Fonce provides a gentle introduction for novices while the powerfule Río Suárez and Río Chicamocha turn up the excitement to maximum. Conditions are typically good at this time for other adrenaline-fueled activities too, including paragliding and caving.

October to November is best for wildlife-spotting in the Amazon

Weather in Colombia in this wet season: ​October and November are Colombia's rainiest months, and Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, and Cartagena are all at the mercy of the weather, with rainfall mostly hitting in the afternoon, so pack an umbrella and get out early to avoid the worst of the downpours. 

Across the country, prices are at their lowest, and it’s a wonderful time to visit the Amazon, where low water levels mean excellent hiking and wildlife spotting, white-sand beaches and fewer mosquitoes. Elsewhere, however, flash floods often wash out roads in the Andean region, and Medellín, Cartagena, and the Caribbean coast are disproportionately wet in October.

Parque Nacional Natural Tayrona uses this period of peace and quiet to close for a period. So if you want pristine nature, head instead to the Amazonas Department to the peaceful town of Puerto Nariño or busier Leticia for a thrilling jungle tour, where water levels remain low and wildlife-spotting chances high.

Although November is wet, wet, wet throughout Colombia, head for the much warmer Caribbean coast. The attractions here are the parties, parades and other festivities that abound in Cartagena on the 11th of the month (book well in advance), when it celebrates the day it declared independence from Spain. Expect to get deals on hotel prices and airfares in November too.