View of the Guatapé Reservoir in Medellín. Photo © Daniel Alvarez/123rf.
Colombia
Because Colombia straddles the equator, the temperatures and length of days are nearly constant year-round. There are, however, distinct dry and rainy seasons. Throughout most of the country, December through February and July through August are considered verano (dry season). Invierno (rainy season) is usually between April and May and again between September and November.In San Andrés and Providencia, June through November is rainy and from February through April it’s drier. In the Amazon the drier months are between June and September and the rainy season is December through May. It’s worth a visit during either season. In the Pacific coast region, it rains year-round.
High tourist seasons run from mid-December through mid-January, during Easter week (Semana Santa) and, to a lesser extent, school vacations from June to August. During high season, hotel rates and airline ticket prices soar. Colombians from the interior flock to the Caribbean coast during the New Year’s holidays, creating a party atmosphere. In contrast, Bogotá becomes a ghost town during the major holidays. Hotels and flights can also get booked up on the 10 or so puentes (long weekends) of the year.
Many of the major festivals and celebrations take place between December and February: the Feria de Cali, the Carnaval de Negros y Blancos in Pasto, Hay Festival in Cartagena, and the Carnaval de Barranquilla. Easter week celebrations are big in colonial cities such as Popayán, Mompóx, Pamplona, and Tunja, while during that time every two years Bogotá puts on the Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro. Humpback whales make their appearance off the Pacific coast from July to October.
Excerpted from the First Edition of Moon Colombia.
