Colombia
Cartagena in May
🌧️ Rainy seasonWarm, humid and often rainy.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why May scores 7.6What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.5
- ✓Warm (30.5°C highs / 27.7°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 25.1°C)
- !Wet: ~171 mm rain, ~4 heavy-rain days
- Air quality9.4
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~9 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline5.0
- ·High caution
| May | Jan | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.6 Very good | 8.5 Excellent |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 31° / 28° | 30° / 26° |
| Rain | 171 mm | 11 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 25° | dew pt 23° |
| PM2.5 | 9 µg/m³ | 7 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Ascension Day 8–10 May · 3 days off in a row
- Corpus Christi 29–31 May · 3 days off in a row
Other public holidays: Labor Day (1 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore CartagenaEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA Caribbean port city in Colombia with a colourful walled colonial centre, Spanish fortifications and nearby islands.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Independence festivitiesDate variesAround 11 November
Parades and celebrations of Cartagena's 1811 declaration of independence.
Why go: Streets are lively and crowded.
Where: Citywide
Hay Festival CartagenaDate variesUsually late January
A literature and ideas festival with writers from Latin America and beyond.
Why go: Many events are in Spanish; some have translation.
Where: Walled City
Cartagena International Film Festival (FICCI)Date variesUsually March or April
Latin America's oldest film festival.
Why go: Many screenings are free.
Where: Walled City
Walled City
A UNESCO-listed old town of colonial houses, balconies, plazas and churches.
Castillo San Felipe de Barajas
A large Spanish fortress overlooking the city.
💡 Visit early; there is little shade.
Getsemaní
A neighbourhood just outside the walls known for street art and nightlife.
City walls
Stone ramparts you can walk along, popular at sunset.
Rosario Islands
A group of islands with beaches and reefs, reached by boat.
Palace of the Inquisition
A colonial building now a museum of the city's history.
Arepa de huevo
A fried corn arepa with an egg cooked inside.
💡 Street stalls
Fried fish with coconut rice
Whole fried fish served with coconut rice and fried plantain.
Posta negra cartagenera
Beef slow-cooked in a dark, sweet sauce.
Cocadas
Coconut sweets sold by street vendors.
Fresh tropical fruit
Cut fruit sold by palenqueras in colourful dress.
Sombrero vueltiao
The woven hat that is a national symbol of Colombia.
💡 Las Bóvedas
Wayuu mochila bags
Colourful woven bags made by Wayuu women.
💡 Craft shops and Las Bóvedas
Colombian coffee
Beans from Colombia's coffee regions.
💡 Supermarkets and coffee shops