I’ve been to Medellin twice at this point. Both at different times and with different itineraries. The first time I went there, I was just in wanderlust, and I had hosts who could show me the area. The second time, I hyped it up to a friend, and so we went to check it out as tourists. The second time was a little bit warmer, but the climate there isn’t that bad.
The best time to visit Medellin Colombia is dependent upon the purpose of the visit. July through August is the season to experience a notable flower festival; whereas November through January, a Christmas light experience can be had. Planning for an event is a more important consideration than the weather, as Medellin is known to have mild temperatures year-round. Because of this, it is aptly named the land of the eternal spring – eterna primavera.
I would suggest going choosing an event you may be interested in and go during that time. As I mentioned, the climate is pretty mild, so you can bring a light sweater, which may not even be necessary if you choose to go to see El Alumbrado – the Christmas Lighting in Medellin. Literally, the entire city and neighboring area is multi-colored. I would imagine if I were an astronaut in space, I would be able to see Medellin during this season.
El Alumbrado – The Christmas Lighting
When I went in December, I did the most amount of outside walking to view the Christmas lights.
This season starts around the end of November to the beginning of January. Talk about taking Christmas seriously.
It’s a traditional event where Christmas lights are decorated all over the city. Every night, locals seemed to show up everywhere to enjoy these lights.
As a tourist, it very much seemed that the locals had unity and were incredibly more social than the city stateside I was currently living in at the time.
My local guides showed me all their favorite places and favorite neighborhoods where these lights would be—some places where more crowded than others, and some louder than others. But the mood throughout was energetic, and I feed off that.
There were some places where you could walk through entire structures that were created to create hallways of light.
Of course, there were nativity scenes scattered throughout as well.
And you can’t forget the Christmas trees as well!
I also saw these glowing ornament balls that were on trees everywhere. The design was unique, each different color just hovering above the ground.
All the while, the climate remained true to the city. It really was the land of the eternal spring.
Eterna Primavera
I think it’s cool when the locals described to me that the weather in Medellin as the land of the eternal spring. It has kind of a magical ring to it.
I wore pants and a shirt there, even during the warmer months. It was fine. I was able to walk around and tour the city with suffering heat exhaustion.
If you Google, “average temperature in Medellin” you’ll see a snippet from NOAA where it shows a pretty steady temperature range, as well as rainfall. The screenshot is below:
80 degrees year long is pretty ideal. That’s spring weather for sure.
I should also note that walking around the city during the day didn’t have a humid feel for it. And I walked around, largely through the tour group I was with, as well as out of curiosity where to find the best eats. There was none of that sticky weather mess that you can sometimes get in a more humid climate.
At Night
Some cities have a larger nightlife vibe, which I tend to check out. It was fairly low key in Medellin.
I think it had a lot to do with my limited Spanish speaking skills. I did end up spending some time at a hostel event gathering. I chatted with some locals and other travelers in Spanglish over a round or two of beers.
Being out and about at night, whether it’s going from one venue to the next or having a snack by a mountainside, the weather remained constantly awesome!
Here’s a photo of a mountainside we drove to.
Here they offered local snacks; I don’t even remember the name. It had something to do with congealed cow’s blood? Or maybe it was pork? It was a mental barrier for me, but I ended up trying it.
When should you go?
Medellin has so many visually pleasing events year-round. I’m partial to El Alumbrado, because that’s what I was able to check out and really enjoyed it.
But do understand the season, it is very crowded during those times. At night at least. Make sure you’ve arranged a driver on Uber or Taxi Taxi. I would not advise hiring a rental car. Another thing you could do is take the local metro/subway, which can take you pretty close to the area of town you’re staying.
Other events you can check out are their flower festival. I’ve been told I need to go back during the annual flower festival. It takes in August and is one of the biggest festivals of the season. You’ll see flower arrangements all over the city, and people carrying these arrangements throughout parades.
They also host an Annual Poetry Festival if you’re into the spoken word type of lifestyle.
If you decide to go to Medellin and are wondering when you should visit, think more along the lines of what events you want to see. Everything is pretty steady as far as the climate goes year-round. But the festivals, the gatherings, the lighting comes more on an annual basis.
Regardless of when you go, the weather will remain constant for you. After all, it is located in a magical valley where it springtime is always in season.
