Colombia - Things to Do in Colombia in March

Things to Do in Colombia in March

March weather, activities, events & insider tips

Shoulder Season · Good Value

March Weather in Colombia

Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance

28°C (82°F) High Temp
18°C (64°F) Low Temp
150 mm (5.9 inches) Rainfall
70% Humidity

Is March Right for You?

Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking

Advantages
  • + March lands squarely between seasons, dry skies linger while April's rains wait in the wings. Coffee country stays green from recent showers. Yet every road stays open.
  • + Humpback whales peak along Colombia's Pacific coast, migrating north past Nuquí and Bahía Solano. Daily boat tours depart whenever the ocean cooperates.
  • + Holy Week turns Mompox and Popayán into living museums of colonial faith. Processions unchanged since the 1600s wind through candle-lit streets.
  • + Hotel rates fall 25-30% from February's peak, yet the sun still shines. Locals call March 'el secreto', the month to score bargains before Easter hordes.
Considerations
  • Afternoon storms sweep the Andes on schedule. Cartagena's humidity climbs to 85% by 3 PM, and strolling the walled city feels like pushing through wet wool.
  • Coffee harvest wrapped in February, so March visitors skip the scarlet-berry spectacle and the hand-picking demos that make finca visits special.
  • Water levels in Caño Cristales drop too low for the liquid rainbow. The river that flashes red, yellow and green will not bloom again until September.

Best Activities in March

Top things to do during your visit

Pacific Coast Whale Watching Boat Tours

March is the final window to watch humpback mothers coach calves to breach before the long swim north. The 30-minute ride from Nuquí glides past pods of 15-20 whales, close enough for their 20-minute songs to thrum through the hull. Morning departures at 7 AM dodge both crowds and the swells that roughen seas later.

Booking Tip: Reserve 3-4 days ahead through licensed operators in Nuquí town. Choose boats fitted with hydrophones, the songs travel 15 km (9.3 miles) through salt water.
Coffee Region Mountain Biking Routes

March's packed dirt makes cycling between fincas outside Armenia and Pereira a dream. You pedal beneath 2,000 m (6,560 ft) peaks through valleys scented with orange blossom and fresh-ground coffee. The 25 km (15.5 mile) stretch from Salento to Filandia rolls past five working farms where workers still hand-sort beans on wooden racks.

Booking Tip: Pick up bikes in Salento's main square. An 8 AM start dodges afternoon rain and the 2 PM cloud bank that cuts visibility to 50 m (164 ft).
Cartagena Sunset Sailing Excursions

March sits just after dry season, delivering 340 days of steady sailing. Trade winds that pummeled December tourists have settled. Yet the rains have not begun. Evening cruises cast off at 5 PM to watch the sun sink behind 400-year-old walls, turning them copper as pelicans dive for fish beside the hull.

Booking Tip: Sunset sails sell out first, book at the marina that morning. Insist on boats that pause at Playa Blanca's offshore reef for a swim in 27°C (81°F) water.
Bogotá Mountain Hiking to Monserrate

March's crisp dawns give the year's clearest views from 3,152 m (10,341 ft) Monserrate. On good days you can see 60 km (37 miles) across the sabana while the cathedral's stone glows gold at sunrise. The 2.5 km (1.6 mile) pilgrimage trail opens at 5 AM, when candle-bearing locals climb for dawn mass and the air carries eucalyptus and incense.

Booking Tip: Start the hike before 7 AM to beat afternoon storms and the cable-car line that snakes 200 people long by 9 AM. Pack layers, Bogotá falls to 10°C (50°F) at this height.
Mompox Holy Week Procession Viewing

This colonial river town stages Colombia's most genuine Semana Santa. Seventeenth-century statues of saints parade along cobblestones where the only sounds are footsteps and the Magdalena River's slow drift. March's gentle 24°C (75°F) evenings let you endure three-hour processions, April's heat makes them punishing.

Booking Tip: Processions roll every night from Palm Sunday through Easter. Arrive by 6 PM to claim a spot against the cathedral wall. Reserve rooms months ahead, Mompox's 12 colonial hotels sell out completely.

March Events & Festivals

What's happening during your visit

Mid March
Festival Iberoamericano de Teatro

For two weeks Bogotá becomes the Spanish-speaking world's theater capital. Four hundred performances invade fifty venues, from bullrings to subway cars. Street theater spills into La Candelaria's alleys where mime troupes play for coins tossed into guitar cases.

Easter week (dates vary)
Semana Santa in Popayán

The white city stages the continent's most elaborate Holy Week processions. Two thousand penitents in purple robes shoulder 400-year-old statues along streets lined with 30,000 white candles. Beeswax and incense drift beneath volcanic-stone arches.

Packing Checklist

Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits

Essential Tips

Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid

Insider Knowledge
Lock in domestic flights 6-8 weeks early, Avianca and LATAM release March seats in January at 40% below last-minute fares. March coffee tours spotlight roasting and cupping since harvest is over. Ask directly for tasting sessions where you slurp coffee from spoons like the pros. Download the 'TransMilenio' app for Bogotá buses. The rapid-transit network moves 2.4 million riders daily, and the app shows live crowding levels. Eat lunch the local way: main meal at 1 PM when restaurants dish out the 'corrientazo', soup, meat, rice and a drink for the price of a coffee back home.
Avoid These Mistakes
Avoid booking Pacific coast tours from Medellín, the 8-hour mountain drive tacks $150 onto any package versus flying straight to Nuquí. Skip shorts in Bogotá, locals in jackets will stare while you shiver at 10°C (50°F) and 2,640 m (8,660 ft). Don't change money at airports, the spread runs 300 pesos per dollar versus 50 pesos at city casas de cambio on 7th street in Bogotá.

Book Experiences in Colombia

Top-rated things to do in Colombia this March

Explore More Activities in Colombia

Didn't see anything interesting yet?

Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Colombia.

See All Colombia Tours on Viator