What is the weather like in Cartagena, Colombia? What is the best season to visit Cartagena? Does it rain a lot? What’s the temperature like? When is there the best chance of sunshine?
In this post, we take a closer look at the weather in Cartagena de Indias, and the weather to expect during a stay in Cartagena, located on the Caribbean coast in the north of the country.
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Cartagena weather in Colombia
- weather classification: hot and arid*
- Rainfall: bimodal (two dry seasons and two wet seasons)
- Average temperature: 28° C
- Precipitation: 100 days/year
- Average humidity: 80%
- Average sunshine: 7h/day
- Altitude: 50m
- Region: Caribbean
- Department: Bolivar
*Classification Caldas – Lang
Disclaimer: we apologize in advance for any grammatical or syntactic errors, as our native language is not English (we're a Colombian-French couple), so we hope you'll forgive us and still enjoy the information we share with you! Please note that all the information on our blog is based on our own experience, and is checked and updated regularly.
Weather in Cartagena, Colombia
Best time to visit Cartagena
Cartagena’s weather is defined as hot and arid, which may seem surprising given that the humidity can sometimes be quite high. But this is due to the relatively low annual rainfall
As elsewhere in Colombia, the weather has two dry seasons (verano) and two wet seasons (invierno). In Spanish, “verano” means summer, and “invierno” means winter, but here in Colombia these notions are totally different:
- Verano: drier season
- Invierno: wetter season
| Season | Climate | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Verano | drier | December, January, February, March, April, July, August |
| Invierno | rainiest | May, June, September, October, November |
The weather in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, has four periods: an equatorial “bimodal” regime with two drier seasons and two rainier seasons.
- December to April is the main dry season in Cartagena. It is characterized by a steady north-easterly wind and little or no rainfall.
- Between May and June is the short rainy season. During this period, the wind dies down and rainfall is moderate.
- Between July and August is the short dry season. It is characterized by irregular rainfall and winds that vary not only in intensity but also in direction. It’s a bit indecisive.
- September to November is the rainy season in Cartagena. This is a period when the proportion of precipitation is higher (around 1 day in 3)
What’s the weather like in Cartagena?
Best time to visit Cartagena de indias
What is the weather like in Cartagena, Colombia, month by month? This table gives you the average weather data for each month:
- Minimum and maximum temperatures
- Daily sunshine duration
- Percentage of humidity
- Rainfall amounts
| Month | Season | Temperature (°C) | Sunshine(h/d) | Humidity (%) | Precipitation (mm/d) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Verano | 25°-32° | 9h | 80% | 2mm |
| February | Verano | 25°-32° | 8h | 80% | 0mm |
| March | Verano | 25°-32° | 8h | 80% | 2mm |
| April | Verano | 25°-32° | 7h | 80% | 22mm |
| May | Intermediate | 25°-32° | 6h | 80% | 120mm |
| June | Intermediate | 25°-32° | 6h | 80% | 100mm |
| July | Intermediate | 25°-32° | 6h | 80% | 119mm |
| August | Intermediate | 25°-32° | 6h | 80% | 128mm |
| September | Invierno | 25°-32° | 6h | 80% | 145mm |
| October | Invierno | 25°-32° | 5h | 80% | 240mm |
| November | Invierno | 25°-32° | 6h | 80% | 155mm |
| December | Verano | 25°-32° | 8h | 80% | 50mm |
Rain in Cartagena
Best time to visit Cartagena de indias
It rains around 100 days a year in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, a figure that’s in the lower middle range for the country.
It really doesn’t rain much in Cartagena compared with other parts of Colombia. In the dry season it hardly ever rains, and even in the wet season it’s not much.
But when it does rain, it rains well! The average total annual rainfall in Cartagena de Indias is around 1000 mm.
| Season | Number of rainy days per month in Cartagena (average) |
|---|---|
| Verano | 5 days per month |
| Invierno | 12 days per month |
| Year | 100 days per month |
By contrast, relative humidity in Cartagena remains almost constant at around 80%.
Temperature in Cartagena
Best time to visit Cartagena de indias
It’s hot in Cartagena. With an average year-round temperature of 28°C, Cartagena is one of the hottest regions in Colombia.
The temperature varies very little throughout the year in Cartagena.
| Average temperatures in Cartagena | 28°c |
|---|---|
| Average maximum temperature | 32°c |
| Average minimum temperature | 24°C |
At night, the temperature doesn’t drop much, but depending on the season, the sea breeze can sometimes cool the heat, making for pleasant nights outside. Indoors, however, fans are a must!
Sunshine in Cartagena
Best time to visit Cartagena de indias
Cartagena is one of Colombia’s sunniest cities. It’s one of the regions with the most sunshine, especially during the dry season.
| Season | Average hours of sunshine in Cartagena |
|---|---|
| Verano | 8h of sunshine per day |
| Invierno | 6h of sunshine per day |
The sun shines for around 6 hours a day during the rainiest months, while in the drier months it shines for up to 8 hours a day.
As a reminder, in Colombia, the sun rises and sets every day at roughly the same time: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m., for a daylength of approximately 12 hours.
Best time to visit Cartagena
Weather in Cartagena de Indias
From our point of view, there isn ‘t really a “best season” to visit Cartagena de Indias.
It’s warm all year round, and these temperatures more than make up for the days when it might rain. What’s more, a little overcast is sometimes a good thing, because it’s so hot!
| Best months | Rainy months |
|---|---|
| All year round | September, October |
Best things to do in Cartagena
All year long
Cartagena is Colombia’s most visited city. It offers many possibilities for discovery. Here are our posts dedicated to things to do in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia.
Best Cartagena City Tours in english
All year long
We recommend a range of guided tours in english to discover the secrets of the Colombian capital and the history of Colombia in general at first hand.
Practical info
For all practical information, visit our general post and our dedicated posts:
