Climate of Cauca
Temperature, thermal floors, rainy seasons and best time to visit Cauca. Complete climate data by municipality.
The department of Cauca is one of the most diverse in Colombia, with climates ranging from cold Andean páramo to the warm humid Pacific. Popayán, its capital, known as "the white city of Colombia," is at 1,702 meters above sea level and has an average temperature of 19 °C, cool and with frequent rainfall. To the south, in the Colombian massif, the páramos of Sotará and Las Papas reach 3,500 meters. To the west, the Pacific coast in Guapi is one of the rainiest places on the planet, with over 6,000 mm annually. In the north, the Cauca river valley has a temperate coffee-growing climate. This extraordinary climatic diversity sustains the department's great biodiversity and the cultural richness of its indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities.
THERMAL FLOORS OF CAUCA
Temperature in Cauca varies by altitude. These are the department's thermal floors:
| Thermal Floor | Altitude | Temperature | Municipalities |
| Warm Pacific | 0 – 500 m | 26 – 30 °C | Guapi, López de Micay, Timbiquí |
| Temperate | 500 – 2,000 m | 17 – 24 °C | Popayán, Santander de Quilichao, Piendamó |
| Cold | 2,000 – 3,000 m | 12 – 17 °C | Silvia, La Vega, Almaguer, Santa Rosa |
| Páramo | > 3,000 m | 7 – 12 °C | Colombian Massif, Páramo de las Papas |
RAINY AND DRY SEASONS IN CAUCA
Bimodal regime in the Andean interior: rainy March–May and October–November, dry June–August and December–February. Popayán receives 1,900 mm annually. The Pacific region of Cauca has almost permanent rainfall (5,000–7,000 mm/year), with no defined dry season. Popayán's Holy Week takes place in relatively dry season.
TEMPERATURE BY MUNICIPALITY IN CAUCA
Average annual temperatures of the main municipalities of Cauca:
| Municipality | Average Temperature |
| Popayán | 19 °C |
| Santander de Quilichao | 23 °C |
| Puerto Tejada | 24 °C |
| Guapi | 28 °C |
| Silvia | 14 °C |
| La Vega | 16 °C |
| Timbío | 18 °C |
| Patía (El Bordo) | 26 °C |
BEST TIME TO VISIT CAUCA
July and August: drier in the Andean zone, Cali Fair in December is a regional reference. Holy Week in Popayán (World Heritage Site) occurs in relatively dry season. For the Pacific, there is no dry season but January–February are the months with less rain.