Cartagena weather in April
April in Cartagena: sweltering, a little rain, with muggy air — fine if you can take 39°C afternoons.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#5 of 12 months in Cartagena · #349 of 1413 destinations to visit in April · comfort 85/100 (tier A)
- Days
- 32°C
- Nights
- 26°C
- Wet days
- 14
- Sun
- 10.9 h
- Humidity
- 79%
- Daylight
- 12 h

What April is like in Cartagena
The transition month: less wind, more humidity, and the first rains at the very end.
shoulder
confidence: high
Traveller notes on Cartagena in April
Other months in Cartagena
Regulars are specific this marks the start of the region's dry season, hot and sunny weather becoming the norm, though the sea itself tends to turn genuinely rough by afternoon even on an otherwise calm-looking day, calmest early in the morning. Our row backs that hot, still-humid read, 32.1C reading as a brutal 38C, over 24.6C nights, with 31.3mm of rain across 8.3 days and humidity at 82 percent. Regulars are consistent this counts as genuine high season locally, with Colombians themselves traveling for the holidays, driving up prices and traffic noticeably beyond the rest of the year. The sea sits at a warm 29.4C for anyone timing a swim around the calmer morning hours. The record: 10.3 hours of sun, a 20.8 kph wind and AQI 46.
Cartagena-forum threads on May weather confirm the wet season is properly underway, hot, muggy days broken up by frequent, often heavy showers that posters consistently describe as short bursts rather than an all-day soak, sun and high humidity typically returning within an hour or two of a storm passing. Regulars are clear this isn't a reason to avoid the month - the old walled city and its rooftop bars stay fully in swing regardless, and a passing downpour is treated as routine rather than trip-altering. Santa Marta up the coast is repeatedly named a notably less wet alternative for anyone wanting more guaranteed beach time on the same trip. The standing local advice is light, breathable clothing over rain gear, since the heat makes anything heavier miserable between showers. The record: 32.4C days feeling like a punishing 39C, 26.2C nights, an extraordinarily high 176mm across nearly 25 days, a 29.4C sea and 85 percent humidity.
Cartagena-forum threads on September weather are direct that it's hot and very humid, temperatures reliably above 90 Fahrenheit with humidity to match, part of the region's rainy season. Posters are consistent the pattern is heavy bursts rather than all-day rain, showers typically striking hard in the late afternoon or early evening and clearing after a few hours rather than settling in for the whole day. It doesn't rain every single day even in this wetter stretch, sun still showing up regularly between the downpours. September also marks the low season for tourism here, translating into noticeably cheaper accommodation and thinner crowds at the walled city's main sights. Regulars say the trade-off is entirely reasonable for anyone willing to duck into museums or covered arcades when a shower rolls through. The record: 32.3C days feeling like a punishing 40C, 25.7C nights, a notably high 194mm across 28.1 days, 87 percent humidity, a 30.7C sea and 9.4 hours of sun.
The Cartagena forum has a standing answer to every weather question, which is that the city is hot and humid all year - 85 to 95F every day, and enough sun even inside the rainy season. March is the good version of that: the end of the December-to-April dry season, which our row gives as 12.8mm across 3.5 days. The detail worth planning the day around is the breeze. Mornings are very warm and still; by around noon the wind comes up off the sea and gives real relief, which our row carries as 26.1 kph. Until then, shade. The record: 32.1C days that feel like 37C, 24.7C nights, humidity 73 percent, 11.2 hours of sun and a 27.7C sea.
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Cartagena climate normals — April
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Cartagena in April
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Busybetween the peaks, Semana Santa, Cruise season
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Cartagena's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherCartagena's weather peaks January–March.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Cartagena in April
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Holiday
Semana Santa
20 Mar – 25 Apr · usuallyEaster & Holy WeekCrowdedClosuresColombia's biggest domestic travel week lands on the coast: flights from Bogotá double, the beaches at Bocagrande are shoulder to shoulder and Thursday and Friday shut most businesses. Source ↗
- Season
Cruise season
1 Nov – 15 Apr · usuallyCrowdedThe dry months are also the ship months, and on a two-ship morning the walled city and the Castillo San Felipe belong to guided groups until about four in the afternoon. Source ↗
- Season
Trade wind season
15 Dec – 15 Apr · usuallyCrowdedA steady breeze off the sea holds the humidity down and makes the walled town walkable in the middle of the day. It also chops the water up, which the boats out to the Rosario islands feel.
Where is Cartagena?
Cartagena in April — FAQ
- Is April a good time to visit Cartagena?
- April in Cartagena: sweltering, a little rain, with muggy air — fine if you can take 39°C afternoons. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Cartagena on SeasonMap's comfort score (85/100).
- What is the weather like in Cartagena in April?
- In April, Cartagena averages a daily high of 32.3°C and a low of 25.7°C, with about 70.1 mm of rain over roughly 14.3 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Cartagena in April?
- Cartagena has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 57 in April.