Cartagena · Month comparison

December vs February

February ranks #1 overall vs December at #5. The driest month with Carnaval — perfect Caribbean weather and Colombia's biggest street party.

Cartagena December — the Torre del Reloj yellow clock tower gateway seen from below at the entrance to the walled city

December

#5 of 12 months

Best match

High season begins — Christmas and New Year in the walled city, festive and expensive.

  • ↑Dry season fully underway from mid-December: the brilliantly painted old city streets in Caribbean sunshine are the image people travel from across the world to see
  • ↑Christmas and New Year celebrations throughout the walled city and Getsemaní: open-air parties, live music, and the Cartagena Film Festival in mid-November carrying into December energy
Cartagena February — a row of brilliantly painted colonial houses with flower-covered balconies in the old walled city

February

#1 of 12 months

Best match

The driest month with Carnaval — perfect Caribbean weather and Colombia's biggest street party.

  • ↑Carnaval de Barranquilla (80km north, early February): Colombia's most famous carnival is accessible by bus or driver, and Cartagena runs its own parallel festivities
  • ↑8mm of rain: February is statistically the driest month on the Caribbean coast — Angélica María weather, as Colombians say
FactorDecemberFebruary
Weather score
8
9
Value score
4
5
Crowd score
4
4
Events score
7
7
Atmosphere
9
9
Avg high temp31°C31°C
Monthly rain25mm8mm
Daily sunshine8hrs8.5hrs

December trade-offs

  • ↓December accommodation prices surge: Christmas week and New Year in the walled city command the highest rates of the year, often double November
  • ↓The walled city floods with international visitors and Colombian holiday crowds: colonial streets packed, restaurants fully booked weeks ahead
  • ↓New Year in Cartagena is spectacular but extremely busy — spontaneous access to the best events and restaurants requires planning well in advance

February trade-offs

  • ↓Carnaval week brings additional visitors to the region: accommodation fills rapidly and prices rise accordingly
  • ↓Heat can feel more intense in February without the sea breeze of January: midday in the walled city requires shade
  • ↓Carnaval de Barranquilla itself is 1.5 hours from Cartagena — access requires planning and transport, not a walk out the hotel door
See all 12 months for Cartagena →December in detail →February in detail →
Scores compare months within Cartagena. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →