Best Time to Visit Barranquilla

Dry season: December to March

This is the time to come. Days are sunny and hot, nights stay warm, and rain is rare. January and February are the driest, with barely a shower. A steady breeze off the Caribbean helps in the afternoon, which is when the heat feels heaviest.

It suits almost any trip. You can wander the old Barrio Abajo, walk the Malecón del Río along the Magdalena River, and eat butifarras (small spiced pork sausages) and arepa de huevo (a fried corn pocket with egg inside) at street stalls without watching the sky. It's also easy to add a day at the beaches near Puerto Colombia or Salgar. Barranquilla's beaches are not the main draw, but they're fine for a swim and a cold drink.

Carnaval: the big event

Carnaval de Barranquilla is the reason many people pick this city. It runs for four days before Ash Wednesday, so it lands in February or early March, depending on the year. Expect parades like the Batalla de Flores, big dance groups, loud music and a lot of cumbia, the local folk dance. UNESCO lists the carnival as a piece of world cultural heritage.

It's also the busiest and most expensive time of year. Hotels fill up and the city is packed. If you hate crowds, come the week before or after. You'll still get the same weather without the crush.

April to November: wet and sticky

April is a short in-between month. Showers start, but plenty of sunshine remains. From May the rain settles in, with wet days on most of the month. September and October are the heaviest, and October is the wettest at 236 mm. The sun shows up for only about three hours a day then.

Rain here often comes as sudden downpours, and streets can flood fast. Some low neighbourhoods get ankle-deep water in minutes. The upside is that hotels are cheaper and there are no crowds. If you're coming for work, football at Estadio Metropolitano or a stopover, it's manageable. For a holiday, it's a hard sell.

December is a good bridge. It's dry again, with Christmas lights and a festive feel, but it's warmer and a little more humid than January. Colombian school holidays run from December into January, so some visitors are domestic travellers, mostly heading to the coast.