Let’s suppose that you’re like me and you’re researching your next travel destination. Your top pick for your next trip is out because flight prices are crazy expensive. Then you notice there are cheap flights to Colombia, so you purchase the plane tickets. After they are booked, you notice that you will be traveling to Colombia in the rainy season. Did you just make a mistake?
If you didn’t already guess, this is what happened to me. I booked my trip to Colombia and then realized that it would technically be during rainy season. I often travel during shoulder season, so I’m used to not having perfect weather. Personally, I’d rather have fewer tourists than perfect weather. However, my shoulder season travel was more restricted to Europe although I did visit Chile during October, which was definitely shoulder season (although the weather in Puerto Varas was phenomenal).
But Colombia felt different. I couldn’t help but wonder if the traveling during the Colombia rainy season would mean that I’d be guaranteed bad weather and therefore an unenjoyable trip.
So let’s talk about it. In this guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about Colombia’s rainy season so you can make your own decision about whether or not you should travel during this time.
When is the Colombian Rainy Season?
First things first. When is the Colombia rainy season? Unlike many countries, Colombia has just two seasons: dry season and rainy season. So rainy season is whenever it’s not dry season.
Typically dry season will run from December through February or March. Then there’s another period of dryness from June until August. These time frames are typically more popular with visitors, which makes sense. If you have the choice, why wouldn’t you visit Colombia when you have the best chance for good weather? No one wants rain on their vacation.
This means that April (and sometimes even March) to May and September to November is the traditional Colombian rainy season. Showers are more likely, although they aren’t 100% guaranteed. Tourist numbers can be lower simply because people wait until there’s better weather. The good news is that you might find some good deals on hotels and activities. The bad news is that some of your outdoor activities may not be as fun in the rain.
Should You Visit Colombia in the Rainy Season?
Ultimately, I think it depends on the person, but I think for most travelers, it’s fine to travel to Colombia in the rainy season. The biggest thing to be aware of is that you need to be prepared for rain at any moment. It will not rain all day, every day. However there is a good chance that it will rain at least a little bit every day. There’s no guarantee for when that rain might occur, so you need to be prepared for it to happen at any point during the day.
I traveled to Colombia in November, which is toward the end of rainy season. I had debated whether or not to travel during this time, but ultimately ended up going for it. Though if I’m being honest, I saw exactly one source that said rainy season ended in October while every single other source said rainy season ended in November. When I booked my flights, I decided to only listen to that one source that told me rainy season ended in October. While it did work out for me in the end, I will fully admit that it wasn’t my smartest decision making.
I expected to see a lot more rain in Colombia than I actually saw. Make no mistake, it did rain every single day of my trip. However, it hardly ever impacted my activities. The rain was typically limited to the afternoon and evening, meaning I usually had the mornings to get outside and do whatever activities I wanted. That said, there was one morning in Bogotá that was a bit rainy. But outside of that one rainy morning, I saw the sun almost every day.
So, in the end, I think you shouldn’t be worried about traveling to Colombia in the rainy season. Yes, it is possible that it will rain every single day of your trip. But you’re also likely to get some good weather during your travels. As long as you’re prepared and have some back up plans, I don’t see any reason why you shouldn’t travel to Colombia in the rainy season. That said, if you have the option to go during dry season, absolutely travel during dry season.
Tips for Your Visit
So, you’ve decided to visit Colombia during the rainy season. What are my top tips (from someone who traveled to Colombia in the rainy season)?
Ignore the Weather Apps
In general I like using weather apps to have a guide of what to expect. While the apps did give me a decent idea of what the temperature would be, the rain forecast was a mess. I don’t think it was accurate for any day on my visit to Colombia.
Often, the app would tell me it was raining while outside actually had clear and sunny skies. Likewise, it would be raining and my phone would just say that it’s cloudy. I learned very quickly that I could not trust these apps for rain predictions (temperature wise, it was a decent estimate). The weather in Colombia would do whatever it wanted and we just have to deal with it.
Always Bring an Umbrella
Since the weather apps can’t be trusted, it’s best to be prepared for rain at all times. This means always having an umbrella (or rain protection) on you and easily accessible.
This was a lesson that I learned the hard way. Learn from my mistakes. On my very first evening in Colombia, I left my hostel to go to the supermarket for a few snacks. I had just walked outside and realized that I forgot to grab my umbrella. I debated turning back, but decided that since I was only going to be gone for fifteen or twenty minutes, I would be fine.
I was not fine. During that time, it not just started raining, but it started pouring. Thankfully I was wearing a rain jacket (more for warmth than rain) and the supermarket was only a two minute walk from my hostel. Still, I got soaked and it was not pleasant. Needless to say that I learned my lesson. I always carried an umbrella with me for the rest of my trip. It didn’t matter how long I would be out or what the forecast said, I had an umbrella with me that I could pull out at any moment (although thankfully I never got caught in that kind of rain again).
Side note, I also got rained on while eating lunch in Villa de Leyva. I was at a rooftop restaurant with an umbrella, but with the wind, I was still getting wet. I had to carry my whole plate of food and move to a drier table. Be ready for rain at any moment.
Typically it’s better weather in the morning
While it’s a good idea to be prepared for rain at any point, in general, you’ll have better luck in the morning. This is no guarantee, but in general, I had much better weather earlier in the day. It often rained in the late afternoon or at night, which meant my mornings were the time when I packed in as much outdoor exploring as I could.
This is not a guarantee though. When I took my day trip to Guatavita Lagoon and Zipaquirá Salt Cathedral, we had rain in the morning. That was a bummer because our morning activity was the lagoon and that involved being outside. It was a bummer that we couldn’t experience the natural beauty in great weather (the cloudy skies definitely dulled its majesty), but it’s a reality of traveling during the rainy season.
Different Regions of the Country Will Have Different Weather
The general rule of thumb is that rainy season is during April, May, September, October, and November. However, Colombia is a large country and therefore the weather can be diverse. While it may be raining in Bogotá, it can be an excellent time to head to the coast. It’s absolutely worth looking into what the weather looks like for the specific destinations you are visiting.
As mentioned, I visited in November, but Bogotá was the only city that really felt rainy. I experience the most rain in Bogotá, saw a bit in Villa de Leyva, and saw hardly any when I visited San Gil. Keep this in mind when you’re planning out your itinerary.
Final Thoughts
I went into my trip expecting rain every single day. While that did happen, it didn’t affect much of my sightseeing. So, you could say that it worked out well for me. That’s no guarantee that it will be the same for you. But I think as long as you’re prepared, rainy season in Colombia is a fine to travel (although if you have the opportunity to go in dry season, absolutely go then!).
Continue Your Adventure
Colombia: Start planning your trip with my Colombia Travel Guide and learn about my top Colombia safety tips. Plus don’t my my realistic Colombia Travel Budget.
Colombia Destinations: Learn how to spend one day in Bogotá or day trip from Bogotá to Guatavita and Zipaquirá. To the northeast is the colonial town of Villa de Leyva. From San Gil, day trip to Barichara.