Medellín · Month comparison

November vs December

December ranks #1 overall vs November at #11. Alumbrado season — Medellín's Christmas light festival transforms the valley into one of the world's most extraordinary illuminated cities.

Medellín November — the first Christmas lights installations appearing along the Medellín river esplanade

November

#11 of 12 months

Strong option

Rain easing slightly — the second wet season's end is in sight, and Christmas preparations beginning.

  • ↑134mm versus 158mm in October: a meaningful improvement as the second wet season begins to release its grip — windows of clear weather are longer and more frequent
  • ↑Alumbrado Christmas lights preview: the city begins installing its famous Christmas illuminations from the first week of November — by late November the city centre and the Medellín river esplanade are already lit
Medellín December — the Alumbrado Navideño Christmas lights reflecting on the Medellín river during the festival

December

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Alumbrado season — Medellín's Christmas light festival transforms the valley into one of the world's most extraordinary illuminated cities.

  • ↑Alumbrado Navideño (from 7 December): the Medellín Christmas lights festival is the largest illuminated Christmas event in Latin America and among the most spectacular in the world — 30km of riverfront esplanade, public parks, bridges, and comunas transformed by millions of lights, with a different theme every year
  • ↑Día de las Velitas (7 December): the night the lights turn on is the most festive evening of the Colombian calendar — the entire city turns out, candles are lit outside every home, and the atmosphere is extraordinary
FactorNovemberDecember
Weather score
4
8
Value score
8
5
Crowd score
8
5
Events score
5
9
Atmosphere
6
9
Avg high temp27°C28°C
Monthly rain134mm68mm
Daily sunshine5hrs6hrs

November trade-offs

  • ↓134mm is still heavy rain: November is not the dry season and sustained showers remain a daily feature — the improvement from October is real but moderate
  • ↓The Christmas lights are not fully lit until December 7 (Día de las Velitas): November visits catch the installation but not the full spectacle
  • ↓Humidity at 72%: still in uncomfortable wet-season territory, though the trend line is now clearly improving

December trade-offs

  • ↓Christmas tourism driving prices back up from the October–November lows: accommodation in El Poblado rises significantly through December as domestic Colombian tourism peaks for the holidays
  • ↓The Alumbrado main esplanade becomes crowded on weekend evenings, particularly around Parque Norte and the Estadio area — go on weeknights for a more relaxed experience
  • ↓Christmas week and New Year see domestic travel surges that make intercity transport (bus to Bogotá, Santa Fe de Antioquia) harder to book last-minute
See all 12 months for Medellín →November in detail →December in detail →
Scores compare months within Medellín. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →