Santa Marta weather by month & the best time to visit
Colombia · coastal city break · tropical — wet & dry seasons climate
The best time to visit Santa Marta is January — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 96/100), with February and March close behind. Santa Marta averages about 2,935 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 32°C / 90°F and roughly 2 mm of rain in January.
When is the best time to visit Santa Marta?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Santa Marta is January, then February and March. The dullest month is October (69/100, 175 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Santa Marta?
Santa Marta gets a lot of sun: around 2,935 hours a year. January (96/100) is noticeably better than October (69). Santa Marta is the sunniest of the 49 destinations tracked in Colombia. Rain has a clear season: the wettest stretch, around October, carries about 48% of the annual 848 mm.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 96 | 32° / 90°F | 25° / 77°F | 2 mm | 10 | 29° / 84°F |
| February | 96 | 32° / 90°F | 25° / 77°F | 2 mm | 11 | 29° / 84°F |
| March | 95 | 32° / 90°F | 26° / 79°F | 7 mm | 12 | 30° / 86°F |
| April | 91 | 32° / 90°F | 26° / 79°F | 30 mm | 11 | 30° / 86°F |
| May | 75 | 32° / 90°F | 27° / 81°F | 114 mm | 10 | 31° / 88°F |
| June | 81 | 32° / 90°F | 27° / 81°F | 83 mm | 10 | 31° / 88°F |
| July | 82 | 32° / 90°F | 27° / 81°F | 79 mm | 11 | 31° / 88°F |
| August | 79 | 32° / 90°F | 27° / 81°F | 96 mm | 11 | 31° / 88°F |
| September | 73 | 31° / 88°F | 27° / 81°F | 130 mm | 11 | 31° / 88°F |
| October | 69 | 30° / 86°F | 27° / 81°F | 175 mm | 10 | 31° / 88°F |
| November | 77 | 30° / 86°F | 26° / 79°F | 104 mm | 9 | 30° / 86°F |
| December | 92 | 31° / 88°F | 25° / 77°F | 26 mm | 9 | 30° / 86°F |
Sea temperature in Santa Marta by month
The sea off Santa Marta is warmest in May at around 31°C / 88°F, and coolest in January at 29°C / 84°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly all year round. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Santa Marta compares month by month: Santa Marta vs Barranquilla · Santa Marta vs Cartagena · Santa Marta vs Valledupar · Santa Marta vs Riohacha · all comparisons
Santa Marta: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Santa Marta?
Santa Marta is a coastal city break in Colombia with a tropical — wet & dry seasons climate — the sea reaches 31°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) year-round.
How many hours of sunshine does Santa Marta get a year?
Santa Marta gets about 2,935 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around January.
When is the best time to visit Santa Marta?
The sunniest time to visit Santa Marta is January, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 96/100 (with February and March close behind). Expect daytime highs around 32°C / 90°F.
What is the least sunny month in Santa Marta?
October is the least sunny month in Santa Marta, scoring 69/100 with about 175 mm of rain.
Is Santa Marta the sunniest place in Colombia?
Yes — with about 2,935 hours of sunshine a year, Santa Marta has the most annual sunshine of the 49 Colombia destinations tracked by Sunshine Atlas.
What is the sea temperature in Santa Marta?
The sea in Santa Marta ranges from about 29°C (January) to 31°C (May). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Santa Marta?
The typical midday UV index in Santa Marta peaks around 12 (extreme) in March, easing to about 9 (very high) in November. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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