Climate of Arauca

The department of Arauca has the warm and seasonal climate of the Colombian Eastern Plains, with the particularity of being on the border with Venezuela and having part of its territory in the foothills of the Eastern mountain range. Arauca, its capital on the banks of the Arauca River (natural border with Venezuela), records temperatures of 28 to 34 °C throughout the year. The Araucan foothills, in municipalities like Tame and Fortul, have somewhat cooler temperatures (22–28 °C) and higher rainfall than the plains. The Araucan plains experience the same plains pattern of flooding in the rainy season: between July and October the Arauca, Casanare and Cravo Norte rivers overflow vast areas, and in the dry season (December–March) the landscape is arid and intensely hot.

THERMAL FLOORS OF ARAUCA

Temperature in Arauca varies by altitude. These are the department's thermal floors:

Thermal Floor	Altitude	Temperature	Municipalities
Temperate foothill	500 – 1,500 m	20 – 26 °C	Tame, Fortul, Saravena
Warm plains	100 – 500 m	28 – 35 °C	Arauca, Cravo Norte, Puerto Rondón

RAINY AND DRY SEASONS IN ARAUCA

Unimodal regime: rainy April–November (flooding in plains June–October), dry December–March. Arauca receives 1,800–2,200 mm annually. Saravena and Tame receive more rain (2,500–3,000 mm). The dry season is the best time to explore the plains and spot wildlife.

TEMPERATURE BY MUNICIPALITY IN ARAUCA

Average annual temperatures of the main municipalities of Arauca:

Municipality	Average Temperature
Arauca	31 °C
Saravena	26 °C
Tame	27 °C
Fortul	25 °C
Arauquita	30 °C
Cravo Norte	33 °C
Puerto Rondón	33 °C

BEST TIME TO VISIT ARAUCA

December–March: dry season, ideal for plains tourism, sport fishing, spotting capybaras, anacondas, birds. For flooded plains and aquatic fauna: July–August. The Araucan Plains Festivals take place in January during the dry season.