Country guide
Colombia
Cartagena's walled city, coffee-country haciendas, Medellin's comeback and Caribbean islands, spring-like in the Andes year-round.
Currency
COP
Language
Spanish
English
Limited
Payment
Cash preferred
Power
Type A / B
110 V, 60 Hz
Dialing
+57
Destinations
Cartagena
The best-preserved walled city in the Americas, and the Caribbean at its most operatic - ramparts, cathedral bells and champeta on the corner after dark.
✓ best Dec-AprMedellin
The city of eternal spring, and the most remarkable urban turnaround in the Americas - ridden up the hillsides by cable car.
✓ best Jan-FebThe sweet-spot windows
Good weather, thinner crowds, better prices: the windows worth aiming for.
| Where | When | Why it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Andes | Dec-Feb, Jul-Aug | The two drier windows. Bogota/Medellin mild year-round | Apr-May, Oct-Nov wet |
| Caribbean | Dec-Apr | Dry season: calm clear sea, sunny. Cartagena at its best | Oct wettest |
Climate zones, month by month
Colombia has 2 distinct climate zones. The right month depends on where in the country you're going.
Cartagena Caribbean Coast →
✓ Best Dec-Apr · ✗ Avoid Oct
Conditions Jan Dry & sunny · Feb-Mar Dry · Apr Warming, wet · May Wet starts · Jun Wet · Jul Brief showers · Aug-Sep Wet · Oct Wettest · Nov Wet easing · Dec Dry returns
Watch for Jun-Nov cyclones & hurricanes risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Medellin Antioquia →
✓ Best Jan-Feb
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions