Climate of Cundinamarca

The department of Cundinamarca surrounds Bogotá and presents one of the greatest climatic diversities in Colombia in a relatively compact territory. The Bogotá savanna, at 2,600 meters above sea level, has temperatures between 7 and 19 °C, with an average of 14 °C. Descending west through the Magdalena canyon, in just 80 km the temperature rises to 34 °C in Girardot, one of the most visited sun and inland beach tourist destinations in Colombia. To the north, in Ubaté and Chiquinquirá, the climate is cold high plateau. To the east, the plains foothill presents temperate climates. Fusagasugá, to the south, with 18 °C and abundant vegetation, is known as "the garden city of Colombia."

THERMAL FLOORS OF CUNDINAMARCA

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

Thermal Floor	Altitude	Temperature	Municipalities
Warm	300 – 1,000 m	24 – 35 °C	Girardot, Ricaurte, Agua de Dios, La Mesa
Temperate	1,000 – 2,000 m	17 – 24 °C	Fusagasugá, San Francisco, Viotá, Arbeláez
Cold (Savanna)	2,500 – 3,000 m	7 – 17 °C	Bogotá (capital), Zipaquirá, Chía, Mosquera
Páramo	> 3,000 m	4 – 10 °C	Chingaza, Guasca, Gachalá, Sumapaz

RAINY AND DRY SEASONS IN CUNDINAMARCA

Bimodal regime: rainy April–May and October–November; dry December–February and June–August. Bogotá receives 800–1,000 mm annually, Girardot barely 1,000 mm but concentrated. The savanna is notoriously cold in the mornings and nights of the dry season (December–January), when frosts occur in páramo areas.

TEMPERATURE BY MUNICIPALITY IN CUNDINAMARCA

Average annual temperatures of the main municipalities of Cundinamarca:

Municipality	Average Temperature
Bogotá (national capital)	14 °C
Zipaquirá	13 °C
Girardot	34 °C
Fusagasugá	18 °C
Chía	13 °C
Soacha	13 °C
Facatativá	13 °C
La Mesa	22 °C
Villeta	26 °C
Ubaté	12 °C

BEST TIME TO VISIT CUNDINAMARCA

December–January and July–August: dry seasons, clear skies on the savanna. Girardot is a year-end dry season destination. For Chingaza and páramos: July–August are the best months for hiking. Bogotá is visitable all year round.