Again and again I am asked what the best months to visit Colombia are. Well, you will surely find many sources that offer similar information, almost all of which come to the conclusion  you can travel during the whole year and that December to March is the best time for many. But with this new post I want familiarize with all the different factors that affect travel in Colombia, such as weather and number of tourists, and in that way help you to decide what is best for you. Anyway, it is worth remembering that it is only a guide and that the weather is increasingly unpredictable.

With this graph I show what the best time to visit Colombia is, to give you a fast and compact overview. The Holy Week is part of the high season, but is not shown in the graph, since its dates are always different. Nevertheless, I recommend you keep reading the rest of the blog as I am sure the information will be helpful for your trip.

A normal year goes usually like this:

Caribbean (Cartagena, Santa Marta, Barranquilla)

In the Caribbean area there is no rain from December to March, this time is considered by us locals as the most pleasant in the year. Some yearn nostalgically for the so-called "Brisas decembrinas", the breeze that December brings with it. Wind is sometimes very strong, especially at night and near the coast, the high humidity falls to "only" 70% and at night temperatures fall to around 25 °C. Due to these low temperatures, you can see people outside wearing cuddly sweaters. At the end of this long dry season the landscape is very sparse, and the air sometimes gets very hazy, so you can only see the peaks of the Sierra Nevada at dawn. Surfers can look forward to a strong swell (except for the coastline that is protected by coral reefs) and thanks to the almost guaranteed sunshine you can also find the turquoise waters that you expect from a Caribbean beach. In Mompox and generally in the region of Magdalena, the water levels are low in February and March, which is why some river trips are not highly encouraged. April and May bring rain, but the shorter of the two rainy seasons does not bring heavy rains. A good guideline is rain twice per week, with thunderstorms that build up about midday. It often rains in the early afternoon for an hour or two, then the sun appears as it did in the morning. The breeze disappears in early April and the moisture increases. From June to August we have the "little summer" also known as "Veranillo de San Juan". There’s almost no rain, the maximum daily temperatures rise up to 33°C and the humidity stays at over 80%, perfect weather for anyone who has always wanted to try an open air sauna.

During this season, I would recommend you do outside activities like a city tour in Cartagena or Santa Marta in the afternoon, since at 10 o’clock the temperature already exceeds 30 ° C. Sometimes in September it begins to thunder, however October and November are considered the strong rainy season; it rains an average of 4 times a week. Also at that time, the storms build up at noon and in the afternoon it rains for an hour or two, this time mostly monsoon-like and with lightning. In the mornings and after the rain the sun shines and the sky is light blue. The humidity is generally up to 90% during these months, but he rains bring some cooling air. It is also possible to find 2 or 3 cloudy days when it remains rainy, but it is rather the exception. This rainy season brings out the lush green to the landscape, the air gets clear and clean, and when the sun shines again after the rain, the color contrasts are even more beautiful than at any other time of year. The same applies to sunrise and sunset. Personally, I look forward to this time of the year, since most of the snowy peaks of the Sierra Nevada of nearly 6,000 meters above sea level can be seen from almost 200 km away from the beach near Palomino or Don Diego. For me, a trip to the Caribbean region is not be less enjoyable because of the rains in October and November, it is rather the other way round.

La Guajira (Cabo de la Vela, Riohacha)

The semi-desert in the Guajira Peninsula is an exception. Here it is generally much drier. During the day, temperatures often exceed 40 ° C and the rainy months are not that rainy in this area. In the Sierra Nevada it may rain on any day of the year, but the usually is similar to the rest of the Caribbean.  With the exception of La Guajira and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, all roads during the rainy season are in good condition. But for the mentioned destinations even in the dry season you need a good SUV. In October and November floods are possible around Mompox.

Amazonas (Leticia, Puerto Nariño, Yopal)

The Oriniquia region, also known as Llanos Orientales, and the Amazon are humid all year around. The further south you go, the more humid it gets. A few years ago in north Orinoquia, there was an unusually long precipitation free period in the dry season, which partly caused a mass extinction of animals. In the south of the Guaviare river the Amazon jungle begins. Here it usually rains during the whole year. In July and August, the amount of rain is about 130mm a month, making it the driest time of the year. The water levels in the amazon can change up to 4 meters between seasons, the lowest level is in September, where the soil get hard and it is possible to walk in the jungle with normal boots. In the rest of the year the water levels are quite high and most trails are only walkable with rubber boots, sometimes it is only possible by canoe. For me the whole Amazon region is simply impressive during the time of high water level. In the vast Amazon region there are many places with a microclimate  which makes it unique.

Andes (Bogota, Medellin, Pereira, Salento, San Agustin)

In the Andean region there are also 2 dry periods (December-March, July-August) and 2 rainy seasons (April-May, October-November) In September, you have a bit of both. Unlike the Caribbean Region, during April and May in the Andes this local saying is correct: "Abril, Lluvia mil" (April, 1000 times the rain). However, this does not mean that it rains constantly for days. The rainy season usually brings sun and rain. In general we can say that in the Andes there is more rain than in the Caribbean area, especially in the western part. The Tatacoa Desert in the Magdalena valley and the Candelaria-semi-desert near Villa de Leyva are exceptions, in these areas the amount of rainfall is significantly lower. On the mountains roads, including major pathways in some cases, landslides can cause impairments. So far, I have only been in traffic jams caused by landslides 3 times, fortunately these only lasted a few hours. If you want to be on the road in the Andes "off-track" you need a good SUV or a brave horse. Hikers who take the National Park Los Nevados or El Cocuy , should avoid the months of April, October and November. At these altitudes, the chances of clear skies and good visibility are still very low in these months.

San Andres and Providencia

For the islands San Andrés and Providencia, the same as the Caribbean region in the mainland applies.