What's on in Palomino, Colombia through the year

Peak crowds — Dry season, Christmas and New Year peak

• Hazard

  Strong currents at the beach

  1 Jan – 31 DecRip currents & big surf

  Palomino ranks among the most dangerous beaches on the Colombian Caribbean: the river mouth makes whirlpools and rips, and tourists drown here most years. Swim only where locals do, and never near the river outflow. Source ↗

Still on: Dry season (15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually)), Christmas and New Year peak (20 Dec – 15 Jan)

Busy — Dry season, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Dry season (15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Semana Santa, Dry season

• Holiday

  Semana Santa

  20 Mar – 25 Apr · usuallyEaster & Holy WeekCrowded

  Colombia's second travel peak: families drive the coast road from Santa Marta and Barranquilla, and the beach at the river mouth is at its fullest. The lifeguard presence does not scale with the crowd. Source ↗

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Dry season (15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Semana Santa, Dry season

Nothing new starts in April.

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Semana Santa (20 Mar – 25 Apr (usually)), Dry season (15 Dec – 15 Apr (usually))

Quiet — one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Busy — Mid-year recess in Colombia, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in June.

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Busy — Mid-year recess in Colombia, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Shoulder season — an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Busy — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

• Season

  Rainy season

  1 Sep – 15 Nov · usuallyMonsoon

  The wettest stretch of the year on this coast. Rain in the sierra can raise the river within hours, so tubing operators call off trips after storms upstream, and heavy seas have eaten into the beach in recent years. Source ↗

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec)

Busy — October recess week in Colombia

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Rainy season (1 Sep – 15 Nov (usually))

Busy — Year-end holidays in Colombia

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec), Rainy season (1 Sep – 15 Nov (usually))

Peak crowds — Dry season, Christmas and New Year peak

• Season

  Dry season

  15 Dec – 15 Apr · usuallyCrowded

  Clear early mornings are when the snow peaks of the Sierra Nevada show from the bridge over the river. The river runs lower and gentler, which makes the tubing float slower and calmer.

• Holiday

  Christmas and New Year peak

  20 Dec – 15 JanChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook early

  The village's hostels and eco-lodges fill for the holiday fortnight, the busiest weeks of the year. River tubing groups leave in convoys and rooms need booking well ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Strong currents at the beach (1 Jan – 31 Dec)