Climate of Magdalena
Temperature, thermal floors, rainy seasons and best time to visit Magdalena. Complete climate data by municipality.
The department of Magdalena offers one of the most spectacular climatic contrasts in Colombia: a few kilometers from the warm dry Caribbean of Santa Marta rise the snow-capped peaks of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, the highest coastal massif in the world (5,775 meters above sea level). Santa Marta, its capital, is the oldest still-inhabited city in South America, with temperatures of 27 to 33 °C and permanent sea breeze. Tayrona National Park, on the northern coast of the department, combines tropical rainforest and Caribbean beaches with a microclimate of 28 °C and fresh breezes. The south of the department, in El Banco and Plato, is warm and floodable by the Magdalena River.
THERMAL FLOORS OF MAGDALENA
Temperature in Magdalena varies by altitude. These are the department's thermal floors:
| Thermal Floor | Altitude | Temperature | Municipalities |
| Warm coastal | 0 – 200 m | 27 – 33 °C | Santa Marta, Ciénaga, Zona Bananera |
| Temperate Sierra Nevada | 200 – 2,000 m | 18 – 26 °C | Minca, San Sebastián de Rábago |
| Cold Sierra Nevada | 2,000 – 4,000 m | 8 – 18 °C | Ciudad Perdida (Teyuna) |
| Snowy Sierra Nevada | > 4,500 m | < 4 °C | Picos Simón Bolívar and Cristóbal Colón |
RAINY AND DRY SEASONS IN MAGDALENA
Unimodal regime on the coast: dry December–April, rainy May–November. Santa Marta receives 500–700 mm annually, one of the lowest in the Caribbean. Tayrona closes in February (Nature Day) and is recommended to visit December–January or June–July. The Sierra Nevada has its own bimodal dynamics.
TEMPERATURE BY MUNICIPALITY IN MAGDALENA
Average annual temperatures of the main municipalities of Magdalena:
| Municipality | Average Temperature |
| Santa Marta | 29 °C |
| Ciénaga | 29 °C |
| El Banco | 31 °C |
| Plato | 32 °C |
| Fundación | 30 °C |
| Pivijay | 31 °C |
| Minca | 24 °C |
| Aracataca | 30 °C |
BEST TIME TO VISIT MAGDALENA
December to March: dry season, fresh breeze, ideal for Tayrona and Santa Marta beaches. June–August: dry spell, second option. For the Sierra Nevada and Ciudad Perdida: December–March (drier trail). Minca, at 600 meters above sea level, is pleasant all year round.