What to pack for Colombia in March
We visited Colombia for two weeks, travelling north from Bogota to Salento, Medellin, Cartagena, and Tayrona National Park. It was one of my favourite holidays ever, and Colombia is definitely up there as one of my favourite countries.
It was March when we visited, which is at the end of one of Colombia’s dryer seasons. April-May and September-November are wetter, but the weather remains fairly mild all year round. We found that Bogota and Salento were coldest – although still around 19ºc during the day. Medellin was mid-20ºcs and the north coast was very humid and closer to 30ºc+. Even if you’re only visiting the Caribbean coast, you’ll still want long sleeves and trousers to protect against insects, and probably a light rain coat as well.
Because of these changing climates, we had to choose what pack for Colombia as if we were going on three different holidays! We had checked luggage, and since we had different kinds of activities planned in each area it wasn’t worth trying to pack light.
I also packed more toiletries than I would for a trip with less moving around. I couldn’t be sure that our accommodation would have shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, or even towels. So if you’re hopping from one place to the next it’s best to bring your own.
Here’s a full list of what I packed for two weeks in Colombia in March:
Layers
One waterproof jacket
One sweatshirt
One overshirt
One lighter shirt
On Top
Two sports bras
Five vest tops
Three t-shirts
One long-sleeved top
Three summer dresses
On the Bottom
Four pairs of shorts
Three pairs of light summer trousers
One pair of leggings for hikes
On My Feet
One pair of walking/running trainers
One pair of Converse
One pair of slip-on sandals (for the beach)
One pair of buckled sandals (for evenings and cities)
At the Beach
Three bikinis
A sarong/beach cover-up
A cap and a sun hat
Sunglasses
To Carry it All
A backpack
A tote bag
A beach bag
A small bag for evenings and smaller day trips
The Essentials
A microfibre towel
Type A plug adapters
E-Reader
Water bottle
Yellow Fever vaccine certificate
Passport
Toiletries
Roll-on and spray bug repellent
SPF and aftersun
Shower gel
Shampoo and conditioner
Tooth brush, paste, and floss
Deodorant
Facial cleanser
Day and night creams
A flannel/face pads
SPF lip balm
Body butter
Body spray/perfume
A scrunchie and hair brush
Find out more about our two week Colombia itinerary here.