Climate of Cesar

The department of Cesar has a predominantly warm and dry climate, framed between the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to the west, the Serranía del Perijá to the east and the Cesar river valley in the center. Valledupar, its capital and birthplace of vallenato music, is one of the hottest cities in Colombia, with temperatures ranging between 30 and 38 °C. The breeze that comes down from the Sierra Nevada in the afternoons is the most characteristic natural relief of the Cesar capital. To the south, in the Magdalena Medio area (Aguachica), the climate is equally warm but more humid. The Serranía del Perijá on the border with Venezuela has cooler areas above 1,500 meters.

THERMAL FLOORS OF CESAR

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

Thermal Floor	Altitude	Temperature	Municipalities
Warm semi-arid	100 – 500 m	28 – 38 °C	Valledupar, Aguachica, Bosconia, El Paso
Temperate highlands	500 – 2,000 m	17 – 24 °C	Manaure Balcón del Cesar, Río de Oro

RAINY AND DRY SEASONS IN CESAR

Bimodal regime: rainy April–June and August–October, dry November–March and July. Valledupar receives 1,200–1,500 mm annually. December to March are the coolest months thanks to the trade winds and the Sierra Nevada breeze. The Vallenato Legend Festival takes place in April–May, at the start of the rains.

TEMPERATURE BY MUNICIPALITY IN CESAR

Average annual temperatures of the main municipalities of Cesar:

Municipality	Average Temperature
Valledupar	33 °C
Aguachica	30 °C
Bosconia	31 °C
El Copey	30 °C
La Jagua de Ibirico	32 °C
San Alberto	30 °C
Manaure	20 °C
Curumaní	31 °C

BEST TIME TO VISIT CESAR

December to March: dry season, Sierra Nevada breeze, cooler weather to explore Valledupar. Holy Week and December are times of great activity. Vallenato Legend Festival (April–May) although rainy is the most emblematic celebration of the department.