Weather, climate and travel time for Colombia < >
We distinguish between the best travel times for travellers from Europe and the most important travel times for locals.
The peak travel times for tourists in Colombia:
The optimal travel times for Colombia are between mid-December and early April and between late June and mid-October. However, even in Colombia there is no guarantee that the rainy or dry seasons will be adhered to in due time due to the current climate changes.
The main travel seasons of the local population
The peak travel season, during which Colombians like to travel in their own country, is of course Christmas, New Year and January. The next, important main travel season is over the Easter holidays as well as in the holiday months August and October.
Geography and Climate of Colombia
Colombia stretches from 12° north to 4° south. The climate shows clear tropical temperatures. The topography (two coasts of the sea and the passage of the Andes) is very different. The so-called hot zones lie at altitudes below 1,000 metres. Here the climate is tropical, the temperatures are warm to hot. Between a height of 1.000 m - 2.000 m one finds a more balanced climate. Over 2.000 m one gets then rather into the cooler areas. From a height of approximately 4.500 m in the regions of the Andes, one can expect snow.
Along the Pacific coast as well as in the middle of the western Andes there is a higher precipitation, but it often occurs at night.
The coastal areas of the Caribbean are much drier. The dry season here runs from December to March. But the closer you get to the border to Venezuela, the drier the region becomes.
In the mountainous inland with the Andes the altitudes rise to over 5,500 m. Due to the differences in altitude, there are large temperature differences. Precipitation at altitudes above 4,500 m often turns into snow. The probability of rain in the mountains is usually higher than in the lowlands.
Around the Bogotá area this zone is called "Tierra Fria, cold land". The nights are always cool. Frost or sleet showers are rare. During the day it is also pleasantly warm in the sun.
The main rainy season for most of Colombia is in April/May and from October to the beginning of December. In the tropical rainforest there is normally a rainy season from November to March. However, at these times it does not rain the whole day, but often at night or only a few hours a day. It should be noted that in the rainy season, often smaller but also larger roads can be blocked by slope slides (Derumbe) and travel restrictions can result. The best time to travel by land during the rainy season is still at the beginning of the rainy season.