Cartagena · Month comparison

October vs February

February ranks #1 overall vs October at #11. The driest month with Carnaval — perfect Caribbean weather and Colombia's biggest street party.

Cartagena October — vivid blue, yellow and orange Getsemaní building facades with a red-flowering tree overhanging wooden balconies

October

#11 of 12 months

Strong option

Wettest month and highest hurricane risk — the lowest prices coincide with the worst conditions.

  • ↑The cheapest accommodation month of the year: boutique walled-city hotels at their absolute minimum rates
  • ↑Cartagena at its emptiest: the UNESCO old town without tour groups or cruise passengers is a different city entirely
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
FactorOctoberFebruary
Weather score
4
9
Value score
9
5
Crowd score
9
4
Events score
3
7
Atmosphere
4
9
Avg high temp31°C31°C
Monthly rain145mm8mm
Daily sunshine5.5hrs8.5hrs

October trade-offs

  • ↓145mm of rain — the single wettest month: persistent heavy downpours are the dominant feature of any October itinerary
  • ↓Hurricane risk peaks: while the city itself has strong infrastructure, approaching storms cancel flights and create multi-day disruption windows
  • ↓Humidity at 86%: the ambient air is heavy and warm regardless of whether it is currently raining, making comfortable outdoor time very limited

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