What to wear in Cartagena, Colombia, in December

In December, Cartagena, Colombia, is hot and mostly dry: highs around 31 °C (88 °F), nights around 25 °C (77 °F), and only about three rainy days in the month. Wear loose linen or cotton, a wide hat and sunscreen, sandals that grip old stone, and pack a swimsuit and a dry bag for the boat to the Rosario Islands.

The story

You step out of your guesthouse in the walled city at nine, and it’s already 28 °C. The streets are narrow on purpose: the balconies above throw shade, and you walk from one strip of it to the next. By eleven the stone is hot, the light bounces off the white walls, and the linen shirt you almost didn’t pack is the best thing you brought. Two palenqueras, the fruit sellers in long ruffled dresses, pass with bowls of mangoes on their heads.

At noon you give up and do what the city does: a cold juice, a fan, a long lunch indoors. You walk out again at four, up the stairs onto the city wall. The sea breeze picks up, and the walls fill with people waiting for the sunset. Your sandals have a rubber sole, which matters: the stone steps are worn smooth after centuries of feet.

In the evening you cross into Getsemaní, the neighborhood just outside the walls. It’s still 27 °C after dark, and nobody is wearing a jacket. Plazas fill with street food and music, and the restaurants are no more formal than a clean shirt and a summer dress. In the week before Christmas the streets are strung with lights, and every table seems taken: you’re glad you booked dinner, and the room, weeks ago.

The next morning a speedboat takes you from the city’s dock to the Rosario Islands, part of a national park about an hour away. The crossing is bumpy, and the spray soaks the people in the front rows. Your phone and your passport copy ride in a small dry bag; the family next to you holds theirs up in a plastic bag. On the island the water is clear and calm, you snorkel over the coral in a long-sleeved swim shirt, and at lunch you pay the beach vendors in cash. On the way back the boat stops at Playa Blanca on Barú, white sand, busy, and as hot as the city.

Cartagena in December is hot by day and warm at night, sunny, and almost dry after the rains of October and November. Pack light, loose clothes, real sun protection, sandals with grip, and what keeps your things dry on a boat.

What to pack for Cartagena in December

Pack for heat, sun and one or two boat days; you won’t need a jacket.

Clothes

Loose shirts, tops and dresses in linen or cotton: the shade helps, but the stone city holds the heat all day.
Shorts or light trousers, and a skirt or a summer dress for the evenings in Getsemaní.
One slightly smarter outfit for a nice dinner or a rooftop bar: a collared shirt, a light dress.
Two swimsuits, so one dries while you wear the other.
A cover-up or a sarong: swimwear stays at the beach, and people in the old city wear a shirt.
A light long-sleeved shirt for the air-conditioned restaurants and buses, and for mosquitoes at dusk.

Shoes

Sandals with a rubber sole: the stone steps of the walls and the old sidewalks are smooth and slippery.
Comfortable sneakers or walking shoes for the fortress of San Felipe and long days on foot.
Flip-flops or water shoes for the boat and the islands.

For the sun and the sea

High-SPF sunscreen, and a mineral one for swimming over the coral in the national park.
A wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses: the city has little shade in its plazas.
A long-sleeved swim shirt for snorkeling, so your back doesn’t burn in the water.
A small dry bag or a waterproof phone case for the boat.
A reusable water bottle: you’ll drink more than you think.
Insect repellent for the evenings on the islands and in the city.

Documents, money and tech

Your passport, and a copy on your phone.
The confirmation email from Check-MIG, if you filled it in (see Good to know).
Colombian pesos in cash for the boat day, the beach vendors and the street food; cards work in most hotels and restaurants.
A plug adapter if you come from outside the Americas, and a power bank for the long boat day.
An eSIM for Colombia, for maps and ride apps from the moment you land.

Good to know

Weather: December is the start of the dry season. By the 1991–2020 normals of IDEAM, Colombia’s weather and climate institute, for Rafael Núñez Airport, highs are around 31 °C (88 °F) and lows around 25 °C (77 °F), with about 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain and about three days with 1 mm or more. November, the end of the rainy season, brings about 178 mm (7 in) on about nine days.
December or January: January is almost completely dry, by the same normals.

Month	High	Low	Rain	Rainy days	What changes in the bag
December	31 °C (88 °F)	25 °C (77 °F)	45 mm (1.8 in)	about 3	A small umbrella, just in case
January	31 °C (88 °F)	24 °C (75 °F)	under 1 mm	almost none	Nothing for rain; more sunscreen

The holidays: the weeks around Christmas and New Year are the busiest of the year. Book rooms, boat trips and dinners early.
The islands: the Rosario Islands are part of the Corales del Rosario y San Bernardo National Natural Park. Boats leave from the city in the morning and come back in the afternoon; Playa Blanca on Barú can also be reached by road.
Getting around: the airport is a short drive from the walled city, and the old city and Getsemaní are best on foot. A pre-booked transfer or an official taxi gets you in from the airport; agree on the fare before you get into a taxi.
Plugs: types A and B, 110 V. Check that hair tools from 220 V countries work at 110 V.
Money: Colombian peso (COP).
Health: ask your doctor or a travel clinic about vaccines a few weeks before you go, yellow fever included: some countries ask travelers arriving from Colombia for its certificate.
Entry: check whether your passport needs a visa on Colombia’s Foreign Ministry page; visitors who don’t need one are generally given up to 90 days. Check-MIG, Migración Colombia’s online pre-registration, is free and not mandatory, and you can fill it in from 72 hours to one hour before your flight to speed up the passport check; use only the official site (checked October 19, 2026).
Another Caribbean trip: what to pack for Cancún and Mexico City. Going on to Peru? What to pack for Cusco and Machu Picchu.

Questions

Does it rain in Cartagena in December?

A little: December brings about 45 mm (1.8 in) of rain on about three days, and January is almost completely dry. The heavy rains are in October and November.

How hot is Cartagena in December?

Highs are around 31 °C (88 °F) and nights stay around 25 °C (77 °F), so it’s hot all day and warm after dark. You won’t need a jacket.

What should I wear in Cartagena, Colombia?

Loose linen or cotton, shorts or light trousers, and sandals with grip for the old stone. Add a wide hat, sunscreen, and one smarter outfit for dinner; keep swimwear for the beach.

What do I need for a day trip to the Rosario Islands?

A swimsuit, sunscreen, a hat, a long-sleeved swim shirt for snorkeling, a small dry bag for your phone, and cash for lunch and the beach vendors. The boat ride takes about an hour, and the front rows get wet.

Do I need anything to enter Colombia?

Your passport, and a visa if your nationality needs one; check on the Foreign Ministry’s page. Check-MIG, the online pre-registration, is free and optional, and can be filled in from 72 hours to one hour before your flight.