Cartagena · Month comparison

November vs February

February ranks #1 overall vs November at #8. The driest month with Carnaval — perfect Caribbean weather and Colombia's biggest street party.

Cartagena November — a Getsemaní street with hundreds of colourful paper flags strung overhead and painted street murals on the walls

November

#8 of 12 months

Strong option

Rain easing — the city reawakens as the dry season approaches; still affordable.

  • ↑Rain dropping sharply from October's peak: the transition to dry season means morning windows expand and afternoon storms become shorter and less frequent
  • ↑Accommodation prices still moderate — 20–30% below dry-season peak with good availability for the approaching high season
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
FactorNovemberFebruary
Weather score
6
9
Value score
8
5
Crowd score
8
4
Events score
3
7
Atmosphere
6
9
Avg high temp31°C31°C
Monthly rain80mm8mm
Daily sunshine7hrs8.5hrs

November trade-offs

  • ↓Early November still wet: the transition from rainy to dry season is gradual and rain remains likely throughout, particularly in the first two weeks
  • ↓The city not yet at its December best: some restaurants and beach clubs are still running reduced wet-season service
  • ↓Tourism starting to build toward December: the old city's comfortable quiet of October will be gone by December

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