Climate of Caldas
Temperature, thermal floors, rainy seasons and best time to visit Caldas. Complete climate data by municipality.
The department of Caldas is part of the heart of the Colombian Coffee Axis and its climate reflects the extraordinary diversity of thermal floors of the Central mountain range. Manizales, its capital located at 2,150 meters above sea level, has an average temperature of 17 °C, with frequent fog and rainfall distributed throughout the year. At the opposite extreme, La Dorada, in the Magdalena valley, reaches 30 °C with a warm and dry climate. This variety in just 7,888 km² makes Caldas one of the most interesting departments for nature tourism. Coffee plantations are cultivated between 1,200 and 1,800 meters above sea level, in the humid temperate belt that characterizes the coffee identity of the department.
THERMAL FLOORS OF CALDAS
Temperature in Caldas varies by altitude. These are the department's thermal floors:
| Thermal Floor | Altitude | Temperature | Municipalities |
| Warm | 0 – 1,000 m | 24 – 32 °C | La Dorada, Victoria, Norcasia, Samaná |
| Temperate | 1,000 – 2,000 m | 17 – 24 °C | Chinchiná, Anserma, Riosucio, Viterbo |
| Cold | 2,000 – 3,000 m | 12 – 17 °C | Manizales, Villamaría, Salamina, Aguadas |
| Páramo | > 3,000 m | 7 – 12 °C | Nevado del Ruiz Volcano (5,321 m) |
RAINY AND DRY SEASONS IN CALDAS
Bimodal regime: rainy seasons in March–May and September–November. The June–August dry season is the most used for tourism in Manizales. La Dorada has a more arid pattern with rains concentrated from April to November. Manizales receives 1,800–2,200 mm annually.
TEMPERATURE BY MUNICIPALITY IN CALDAS
Average annual temperatures of the main municipalities of Caldas:
| Municipality | Average Temperature |
| Manizales | 17 °C |
| La Dorada | 30 °C |
| Chinchiná | 21 °C |
| Riosucio | 22 °C |
| Salamina | 17 °C |
| Aguadas | 17 °C |
| Anserma | 21 °C |
| Villamaría | 17 °C |
| Palestina | 19 °C |
| Manzanares | 19 °C |
BEST TIME TO VISIT CALDAS
June to August: dry season, Manizales Fair in January. December to February also dry. For viewing the Nevado del Ruiz volcano, July and August offer greater visibility. For the main coffee harvest (October–December), rainy weather is part of the experience.