Geographical location
According to COUNTRYAAH, Colombia is located in South America and borders both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.
Around 48 million people live in an area of around 1.14 million square kilometers. That results in a population density of 42 inhabitants per square kilometer.
On the mainland there are borders with the neighboring countries Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil and Venezuela. Bogota is the economic center of the republic and at the same time the capital of Colombia.
The Andes run in western Colombia with the Nevado del Huila volcano as the highest point. The highest coastal mountain range on earth, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Maria, rises at 5775 meters on the northern Caribbean coast.
From Frankfurt, Bogota can be reached in around 12 hours by plane.
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Colombia.
Climate in Colombia
The equator runs through Colombia, which means that the South American country has a strongly tropical climate. This experiences different regional characteristics due to the different altitudes. In flat areas you will find average temperatures of around 24 degrees.
In middle mountain areas between 1000 and 2000 meters, the temperatures range between 17 and 24 ° C. At altitudes of up to 3000 meters, it can cool down to 12 degrees. In even higher areas, alpine conditions prevail, which often fall below the zero degree limit.
In Pasto, to the south-west, temperatures of 24 to 25 degrees dominate over the course of the year. This example makes the two rainy seasons particularly clear, which are common in Colombia almost throughout the country: Most rain falls between April and mid- June and in the autumn months of October and November.
The dry season lies in between, it runs from mid-June to late September and from early December to late March. Statistically speaking, the driest month in Colombia is usually July, it is also the month with the most hours of sunshine on average.
When to go to Colombia
A best travel time for Colombia is difficult to generalize. For most regions of the country, the drier months are particularly recommended as a pleasant travel time, especially January to March and June to August allow you to have fantastic experiences in optimal conditions.
If you would also like to visit the Caribbean coast, for example the Cartagena region, the months December to April are recommended, as well as July as the best travel time in Colombia. These months trump with temperatures of up to 32 ° C and very little rainfall.
Optimal travel time for the regions
In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Colombia).
| Place | Best travel time |
| Bogotá | January, February, March, July, August and December |
| Pasto | January, February, July, August and September |
| Cartagena | January, February, March, April and December |
| Cali | January, February, March, July, August and December |
Temperatures, precipitation, sunshine in Bogotá (Colombia)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 20 ° C | 20 ° C | 20 ° C | 20 ° C | 19 ° C | 19 ° C | 18 ° C | 18 ° C | 19 ° C | 19 ° C | 19 ° C | 21 ° C |
| Night temperature | 5 ° C | 6 ° C | 7 ° C | 8 ° C | 8 ° C | 7 ° C | 7 ° C | 7 ° C | 6 ° C | 7 ° C | 7 ° C | 6 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 33 | 43 | 66 | 111 | 94 | 57 | 41 | 49 | 83 | 115 | 88 | 54 |
| Rainy days | 4 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 12 | 7 |
| Hours of sunshine | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
| Sunrise | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:05 | 5:50 | 5:45 | 5:45 | 5:50 | 5:55 | 5:45 | 5:40 | 5:45 | 5:55 |
| Sunset | 18:00 | 18:10 | 18:10 | 18:05 | 18:05 | 18:10 | 18:15 | 18:10 | 17:55 | 17:40 | 17:40 | 17:45 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Bogota is 13 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is April (13.7 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 12.4 ° C.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 834 mm on 120 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. There is no rainy season, i.e. months with more than 175 mm of precipitation. In January snowfall is possible.
Sunshine
As our climate table shows, January is the sunniest month with an average of 6.1 hours of sunshine per day. On average over the year, the sun shines for 4.5 hours a day. For comparison: In Munich and Berlin, the sun shines an average of 4.7 hours per day throughout the year.
Cities nearby
The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Cundinamarca, Soacha, Zipaquirá and Facatativá.
Highlights and attractions
On a trip to Colombia, the capital Bogota must of course not be ignored. With the Mueso Botero and the Museo del Oro, it offers two top-class cultural highlights, and the old town of La Candelaria is definitely worth a visit.
The region’s landscape impresses with Mount Monserrate and the Laguna de Guatavita. Cartagena on the Caribbean coast is considered the colonial pearl of Colombia and should not be missing on any tour. The coffee zone, the Tatacoa desert and San Agustin as well as the fabulous beaches in the Tayrona National Park are also a must.
