When to Travel to Colombia?
Climate, Seasons & Major Events

Best Time to Visit by Region & Ecosystem

Caribbean Coast (Cartagena, Santa Marta, Tayrona)

Best: December-April | Climate: Hot year-round (28-32°C)
Dry season offers perfect beach weather and calm seas. Avoid September-November when rains are heaviest and seas roughest.

Coffee Region (Salento, Manizales, Filandia)

Best: December-March & July-August | Climate: Mild (18-24°C)
Dry periods ideal for hiking coffee trails and outdoor activities. Landscapes stay green year-round but trails can be muddy during rains (April-June, September-November).

Andean Cities (Bogotá, Villa de Leyva, Medellín)

Best: Year-round with variations | Climate: Cool to mild
Bogotá: December-March for less rain (8-19°C, bring layers)
Medellín: Pleasant year-round (15-28°C), « City of Eternal Spring »
Villa de Leyva: December-March for clearest skies and festivals

Amazon Rainforest (Leticia)

Best: July-September | Climate: Hot and humid (25-32°C)
« Drier » months with lower river levels make wildlife spotting easier. Expect rain any time—it’s the rainforest. December-May brings highest rainfall and swollen rivers.

Pacific Coast (Nuquí, Bahía Solano)

Best: July-October (whale season) OR December-March | Climate: Hot and extremely wet
One of Earth’s rainiest regions (6,000mm+ annually). July-October combines whale watching with relatively drier conditions. December-March offers least rain but no whales.

Los Llanos (Eastern Plains)

Best: December-March | Climate: Hot (25-35°C)
Dry season concentrates wildlife around water sources, making safaris spectacular. Wet season (April-November) floods plains, limiting access.

Caño Cristales (La Macarena)

Best: July-October (peak: July-August) | Climate: Hot
The « Liquid Rainbow » only appears when water levels allow Macarenia clavigera plants to bloom. Park closed December-May when colors disappear completely.

High-Altitude Páramos (Cocuy, Chingaza)

Best: December-March | Climate: Cold (0-15°C)
Dry season offers clearest mountain views and safest trekking conditions. Wet season brings fog and treacherous trails.

Key principle: Colombia’s diverse geography means you can find good weather somewhere year-round by choosing the right ecosystem for the season.

Colombia’s Major Festivals & Events 2026

Planning your trip around Colombia’s spectacular festivals offers the chance to experience authentic Colombian culture at its most vibrant. Here are the country’s most important celebrations:

January-February

Blacks and Whites Carnival (Carnaval de Negros y Blancos)

• Location: Pasto (southern Colombia)
• Dates 2026: January 2-6
• Highlight: January 5 (Day of Blacks) and January 6 (Day of Whites)
• What to expect: UNESCO-recognized festival celebrating cultural diversity. On January 5, participants paint their faces black; on January 6, everyone covers each other in white talcum powder and foam, symbolizing equality and unity. Massive parades with elaborate floats.
• Plan ahead: Book accommodation months in advance—hotels fill up completely.

Barranquilla Carnival

• Location: Barranquilla (Caribbean coast)
• Dates 2026: February 14-17 (four days before Ash Wednesday)
• Pre-carnival events: Begin mid-January with rehearsals, La Guacherna (nighttime parade), and Queen’s coronation
• Main events:
  • Saturday, Feb 14: Battle of Flowers (Batalla de Flores)—the grand opening parade led by the Carnival Queen
  • Sunday, Feb 15: Grand Parade of Tradition and Folklore
  • Monday, Feb 16: Grand Parade of Comparsas (dance troupes)
  • Tuesday, Feb 17: Death of Joselito Carnaval (symbolic funeral marking the end)
• What to expect: The world’s second-largest carnival (after Rio). UNESCO Masterpiece of Oral and Intangible Heritage. Four days of nonstop cumbia, vallenato, and mapalé music, elaborate costumes, and street dancing.
• Practical tips:
  • Buy palco (grandstand) tickets in advance for best views
  • Book hotels 3-6 months ahead
  • Expect prices to double during carnival
  • The motto: « Quien lo vive, es quien lo goza » (He who lives it, enjoys it)

March

Cartagena International Film Festival (FICCI)

• Location: Cartagena
• Dates: Usually early-mid March (specific 2026 dates TBA)
• What to expect: Latin America’s oldest film festival. Screenings in historic colonial courtyards and open-air venues. Focus on Latin American and Caribbean cinema.

April

Vallenato Legend Festival

• Location: Valledupar (northern Colombia)
• Dates: Usually late April (4-day event)
• What to expect: Celebration of vallenato music—a traditional accordion-based genre. Competitions to crown the year’s vallenato king. Street parties and concerts.
• Best for: Music lovers wanting to experience authentic Colombian musical traditions.

June-July

Caño Cristales Viewing Season

• Location: La Macarena, Meta department
• Season: Late June through November (peak: July-October)
• What to see: « River of Five Colors »—aquatic plants turn the river bed red, yellow, green, blue, and black in a rare natural phenomenon
• Requirements: Must book through authorized tour operators. Park access is limited and requires advance permission.
• Important: Check if the park is open before planning—it occasionally closes for environmental protection.

August

Medellín Flower Festival (Feria de las Flores)

• Location: Medellín
• Dates 2026: August 1-10 (10-day festival)
• Main event: August 9—Silleteros Parade (Desfile de Silleteros), where over 500 flower farmers carry elaborate floral arrangements weighing up to 70kg on their backs
• Other highlights:
  • Classic and antique car parade
  • Horse cavalcade (Cabalgata)
  • Orchid, bird, and flower exhibitions
  • Bicycle parade
  • Free concerts throughout the city
  • Tablados (neighborhood music stages)
• What to expect: Medellín transforms into a garden city. The Silleteros tradition honors rural flower farmers and commemorates the end of slavery (when people carried the wealthy on their backs; now they proudly carry flowers).
• Practical tips:
  • All events are free and public
  • Hotels book up quickly—reserve 2-3 months ahead
  • Best viewing spots for the Silleteros Parade require arriving early
  • Festival generates over $50 million USD for the local economy

September-October

Whale Watching Season – Pacific Coast

• Location: Bahía Solano, Nuquí, Gorgona Island (Pacific coast)
• Season: July-October (peak: August-September)
• What to see: Humpback whales migrating from Antarctica to Colombia’s warm Pacific waters to breed and give birth
• Best time: August-September for highest whale concentrations
• Where to stay: Eco-lodges in Bahía Solano or Nuquí
• What to expect: One of the world’s best whale-watching destinations. See mothers with calves, breaching, tail slapping. Combine with jungle treks and pristine beaches.

Coffee Harvest Season

• Location: Coffee Triangle (Salento, Manizales, Pereira)
• Main harvest: September-December
• Secondary harvest: April-May
• What to experience: Visit working coffee farms (fincas), participate in coffee picking, learn the entire coffee production process from cherry to cup
• Best time: October-November when coffee trees are in full bloom and harvest is underway
• Note: Colombia produces coffee year-round thanks to varied microclimates, so you can always see some stage of coffee production.

December-January

Cali Fair (Feria de Cali)

• Location: Cali (Valle del Cauca)
• Dates: December 25-30 (typically)
• What to expect: The world’s capital of salsa celebrates with five days of nonstop dancing, concerts, parades, and competitions. Street parties throughout the city.
• Highlights:
  • Salsa dancing competitions
  • Bullfights (controversial—avoid if opposed)
  • Cabalgata (horse parade)
  • Concerts by top salsa orchestras
• Best for: Salsa enthusiasts and anyone wanting to experience Caleño party culture.

Day of the Little Candles (Día de las Velitas) – Villa de Leyva

• Date: December 7 (nationwide, but spectacular in Villa de Leyva)
• What to expect: Marks the unofficial start of Christmas season. Colombians light candles and lanterns outside their homes. Villa de Leyva hosts a massive fireworks competition that illuminates its colonial plaza.
• Plan ahead: Villa de Leyva is a small town—book accommodation well in advance.

Christmas & New Year

• Dates: December 16-January 9
• What to expect: Colombia goes all-out for Christmas. Cities are decorated with millions of lights (especially Medellín’s Alumbrados display). Expect higher prices, fully booked hotels, and many businesses closed December 24-January 2.
• Practical advice: Book everything months in advance or avoid this period entirely if you want lower prices and fewer crowds.

Best Destinations for Whale Watching

1. Nuquí (Chocó Department)

• Why go: Most popular destination, excellent infrastructure for tourists
• What makes it special: Pristine black-sand beaches where waterfalls cascade directly onto the sand, lush rainforest, natural hot springs (Termales)

2. Bahía Solano & El Valle (Chocó Department)

• Why go: More affordable than Nuquí, equally beautiful, gateway to Utría National Park
• What makes it special: Direct access to Utría National Park, family-run eco-lodges, strong community tourism

3. Utría National Natural Park

• Why go: A marine sanctuary where whales come to breed, one of the most protected viewing areas
• Special experience: Sometimes whales can be spotted directly from shore without needing a boat

4. Bahía Málaga (Near Buenaventura)

• Why go: One of the main whale breeding hotspots, around 800 whales counted annually
• What makes it special: Part of Uramba National Park, excellent for kayaking among whales, cave exploration

5. Gorgona Island (Cauca Department)

• Why go: The ONLY place where you can witness whales giving birth and newborn calves taking their first swims
• What makes it special: Former prison island turned pristine national park, exceptional biodiversity, most remote and exclusive whale-watching experience

When to Visit

July: Season begins, whales arriving, fewer crowds, colors just beginning
August-September: PEAK SEASON – Highest whale concentrations, most active behavior, best weather
October: Still excellent viewing, season winding down
November: Possible to see whales early in the month but numbers declining

What You’ll See

• Breaching: Whales launching their entire bodies out of the water (the most spectacular behavior)
• Tail slapping: Whales slapping their tails on the water surface
• Pec slapping: Slapping pectoral fins on the water
• Spy-hopping: Whales poking their heads vertically out of water to look around
• Mothers with calves: Newborns staying close to their mothers
• Singing: Males performing complex underwater songs (if boat has hydrophone)

Medellín Flower Festival (Feria de las Flores)

Dates 2026: August 1-10
Location: Medellín, Antioquia

The Flower Festival is Medellín‘s most iconic celebration, a 10-day extravaganza that transforms the « City of Eternal Spring » into a living garden.

The highlight is the Silleteros Parade (August 9), where over 500 flower farmers from Santa Elena carry massive floral arrangements on their backs through the city streets. These silletas (wooden frames) weigh up to 70 kilograms, measure up to 5 meters in diameter, and contain up to 25 different flower varieties in intricate designs. This tradition honors rural flower growers and commemorates when farmers once carried the wealthy on their backs—now they proudly carry flowers instead.

Beyond the parade, the festival features free concerts (including major Colombian artists like J Balvin and Carlos Vives), a classic car parade, the Cabalgata (horse parade with hundreds of riders), orchid exhibitions at the Botanical Garden, a massive bicycle parade, and neighborhood music stages (tablados) throughout the city. All events are completely free and open to the public. The festival generates over $50 million USD for Medellín’s economy and attracts visitors from around the world.

Main events: Saturday’s Batalla de Flores (Battle of Flowers) opens the festivities with a spectacular six-hour parade led by the Carnival Queen. Sunday features the Gran Parada de Tradición y Folclor showcasing traditional dance groups performing cumbia, mapalé, and congo dances. Monday brings the Gran Parada de Comparsas with elaborate costumes and contemporary choreography. Tuesday concludes with the humorous Muerte de Joselito Carnaval, a symbolic funeral marking the end of festivities. Purchase palco (grandstand) tickets in advance for the best parade views, and book hotels 3-6 months ahead as the city fills completely and prices double during carnival. Expect vibrant masks, traditional costumes, thundering drums, and four days of relentless celebration.

Holy Week in Popayán and Mompox (Semana Santa)

Dates 2026: March/April (dates vary annually based on Easter)
Locations: Popayán (Cauca) and Mompox (Bolívar)

Holy Week in Popayán and Mompox represents Colombia’s most solemn and traditional religious celebration, recognized as UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. These meticulously preserved colonial-era processions have been performed continuously since the 16th century, following strict traditions passed down through generations.

In Popayán, nightly processions from Tuesday through Saturday feature hooded cargueros (carriers) bearing massive wooden religious statues (pasos) through cobblestone streets illuminated only by candlelight, creating a haunting and deeply spiritual atmosphere. The city’s white colonial architecture provides a stunning backdrop for this centuries-old ritual.

Mompox, a beautifully preserved colonial river town, offers an equally powerful but more intimate experience with processions winding through narrow streets along the Magdalena River. Both destinations attract thousands of visitors who come to witness these living museums of Spanish colonial religious tradition. The solemnity, precision, and devotion of participants—many from families who have carried these roles for generations—make this one of Latin America’s most authentic cultural experiences. Book accommodation 2-3 months in advance as both small towns fill completely during Holy Week, with hotels often requiring minimum 3-4 night stays. Expect deeply reverent crowds, no photography during processions in some areas, and a unique window into Colombia’s colonial past and enduring Catholic traditions.

Colombian Public Holidays 2026

Colombia has 18 official public holidays—more than most countries. Many are moved to the following Monday under the « Emiliani Law » to create long weekends (puentes).

Impact on travelers:

• Banks, government offices, and many businesses close
• Colombians travel extensively during long weekends
• Prices increase significantly
• Hotels and transportation book up quickly
• Popular destinations become crowded

Key holidays to be aware of:

• Holy Week (Semana Santa): March/April (dates vary)—entire country shuts down
• Mid-year break: Late June/early July
• Christmas period: December 24-January 6

Tip: Avoid traveling during Colombian holidays if you want lower prices and fewer crowds. If you do travel during holidays, book everything well in advance.

Itinerary ideas in Colombia