Good Time to Visit

Weather

The weather in Colombia is hot and humid on the coast and in the north, with a rainy season from May-November. It is cooler in the uplands and cold in the mountains. Bogota enjoys spring-like weather all year round, with cool days and crisp nights.

Visitors are advised to bring lightweight clothes with waterproofs during the rainy season in coastal and northern areas. Warmer clothing is needed for upland and mountainous areas.

To find out more about the Colombian weather, check out Climate in Colombia.

Festivals

• The Carnival of Blacks and Whites is held from January 4 to January 6 in Pasto. Its origins date back to the Spanish rule times when slaves were allowed to celebrate on 5th and their masters showed their approval on 6th by painting their faces black.
• The Manizales Fair is celebrated in the city of Manizales during the first weeks of the year. Costume groups in fancy dress take over the city, a congeniality coffee queen is elected and bullfighting takes place.
• Bogota has a biennial celebration in April for the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro, the biggest theatre festival in the world.
• The Vallenato Legend Festival held in Valledupar, Cesar, in April or May is a celebration of vallenato music and includes a competition to find the best accordionist of the year and to select the Vallenato King among hundreds of participants from all over the country.
• Carnaval de Bogotá is held on August 6 for the city's centenary of Hispanic foundation, includes masquerades, krewes and dances parades. Barranquilla's Carnival, with a century long recorded history it holds the second largest carnival parades in the world after Rio de Janeiro's.
• The Flowers Fair is held during August in the city of Medellín with its flowers parade and the main attraction called the Desfile de Silleteros.
• Rock at the Park, held in Bogota in October, is the second largest rock festival in Latinamerica, with both local and international bands participating.
• Quimbaya, Quindío hosts the Candles and Lanterns Festival on December 7 and 8. Each of the barrios in the township compete to produce the most spectacular lighting arrangements.
• The Cali Fair is held from December 25 to New Year's Eve. It is famous for its Salsa marathon concerts attended by renowned Salsa bands. There are horse riding parades, masquerades and dance groups.

Public Holidays

The following table shows the public holidays celebrated in Colombia: