Climate of Tolima

The department of Tolima stretches between the Central and Eastern mountain ranges, with altitudes ranging from sea level to 5,365 meters at the Nevado del Tolima. Ibagué, its capital and "musical city of Colombia," is at 1,285 meters above sea level in the foothills of the Central mountain range and has a pleasant temperature of 23 °C. The Magdalena Valley, which crosses the department from south to north, is warm and arid: Armero-Guayabal and Honda exceed 30 °C. Southern Tolima, in the Huila-Tolima area, has cooler climates, and the Sumapaz páramo on the border with Cundinamarca and Huila completes the climatic range. Tolima is home to Los Nevados National Natural Park, shared with Risaralda, Quindío and Caldas.

THERMAL FLOORS OF TOLIMA

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

Thermal Floor	Altitude	Temperature	Municipalities
Warm	300 – 1,000 m	24 – 34 °C	Honda, Mariquita, Venadillo, Ambalema
Temperate	1,000 – 2,000 m	17 – 24 °C	Ibagué, Espinal, Chaparral, Líbano
Cold	2,000 – 3,000 m	12 – 17 °C	Murillo, Villahermosa, Santa Isabel
Páramo and snowy	> 3,000 m	< 12 °C	Nevado del Tolima (5,365 m), Sumapaz Páramo

RAINY AND DRY SEASONS IN TOLIMA

Bimodal regime: rainy March–May and September–November, dry December–February and June–August. Ibagué receives 1,300–1,700 mm annually. The Magdalena valley is much drier (700–1,000 mm). The Colombian Folk Festival of Ibagué takes place in June, in relatively dry season.

TEMPERATURE BY MUNICIPALITY IN TOLIMA

Average annual temperatures of the main municipalities of Tolima:

Municipality	Average Temperature
Ibagué	23 °C
Espinal	28 °C
Honda	31 °C
Chaparral	22 °C
Líbano	18 °C
Mariquita	28 °C
Melgar	28 °C
Murillo	12 °C

BEST TIME TO VISIT TOLIMA

June–August: dry season throughout the department, Folk Festival in June in Ibagué. December–February also dry. For the Nevado del Tolima: July–August. Melgar and Espinal (hot springs, pools): best in dry season December–February and June–August.