Cartagena · Month comparison

July vs February

February ranks #1 overall vs July at #6. The driest month with Carnaval — perfect Caribbean weather and Colombia's biggest street party.

Cartagena July — Castillo San Felipe de Barajas, the massive stone fortress overlooking the city, with palm trees along its base

July

#6 of 12 months

Best match

Brief mid-season dry spell (veranillo) — slightly better conditions and some summer holiday visitors.

  • ↑The veranillo (little dry spell) gives July slightly better conditions than June: more sunny mornings and a lower chance of prolonged afternoon rain
  • ↑Colombian summer holidays bring some domestic visitors, giving the walled city more life than June without dry-season crowds
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
FactorJulyFebruary
Weather score
6
9
Value score
8
5
Crowd score
8
4
Events score
4
7
Atmosphere
6
9
Avg high temp31°C31°C
Monthly rain100mm8mm
Daily sunshine7hrs8.5hrs

July trade-offs

  • ↓100mm of rain still makes this an unreliable month: the veranillo is real but not guaranteed, and heavy rain days still occur regularly
  • ↓Island boat trips remain weather-dependent: trips to Rosario Islands available but subject to cancellation on rough days
  • ↓Heat and humidity persist at 31°C/83%: the physical environment is demanding regardless of the rain improvement over June

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 →July in detail →February in detail →
Scores compare months within Cartagena. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →