Cartagena weather in August

August in Cartagena: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 28 rainy days.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Cartagena🇨🇴 Colombia · Caribbean Colombia & Venezuela · Beach74
  1. 91Jan
  2. 91Feb
  3. 89Mar
  4. 85Apr
  5. 76May
  6. 71Jun
  7. 78Jul
  8. 74Aug
  9. 72Sep
  10. 66Oct
  11. 71Nov
  12. 88Dec

#8 of 12 months in Cartagena · #835 of 1413 destinations to visit in August · comfort 74/100 (tier B)

Days
32°C
Nights
26°C
Wet days
28
Sun
9.7 h
Humidity
86%
Daylight
13 h
Cartagena, Colombia
Photo: Maria Paula Medina · Pexels

What August is like in Cartagena

Hot and humid, with the rain building again towards the end of the month.

monsoonlow season

confidence: high

Traveller notes on Cartagena in August

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.
DrySeasonStartsButSeasGetRoughAfternoons · December · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
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.
GetsemaniMayRegular · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
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.
GetsemaniSeptemberRegular · September · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
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.
TheNoonBreeze · March · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

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Cartagena climate normals — August

Daytime high32°C / 90°F🔥 sweltering
Nighttime low26°C / 78°F
Feels like (high)39°C / 102°F
Sea temperature30°C / 87°F♨️ bath-warm
Rainfall191 mm / 7.5 in⛈ soaked
Rainy days28 days
Humidity86%💦 very humid
Dew point25°C / 78°F
Sunshine9.7 h/day
Daylight12.5 h
Wind16 km/h / 10 mph
Air quality (US AQI)48🍃 good

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Cartagena in August

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.

Quietthe editor's quiet month

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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.

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Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Cartagena in August

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Season

    Rains and street flooding

    15 Aug – 15 Nov · usuallyMonsoonRisk

    The wettest stretch of the year comes in short violent afternoons, and the old city's streets turn into arroyos deep enough to strand a taxi for an hour before it drains away. Source ↗

What's on around the world in August →

Where is Cartagena?

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Cartagena in August — FAQ

Is August a good time to visit Cartagena?
August in Cartagena: sweltering, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 28 rainy days. It ranks #8 of 12 months for Cartagena on SeasonMap's comfort score (74/100).
What is the weather like in Cartagena in August?
In August, Cartagena averages a daily high of 32.3°C and a low of 25.6°C, with about 190.5 mm of rain over roughly 27.7 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Cartagena in August?
Cartagena has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 48 in August.