Travel Blog What Should You Pack When Traveling to Colombia?

June 19, 2024, 10:30 am

First, you will want to consider the diversity of climates you will encounter during your trip. Will you be travelling only to one city or region, or will you be travelling to various regions and cities across Colombia? This will definitely affect how much you pack. Regarding clothing and accessories, keep in mind the following:

Bogota 

Bogotá generally has cool, often wet, weather with temperatures ranging from 5 to 20 degrees Celsius, often much cooler in the evenings than during the day. For time in Bogotá, you'll want to make sure you have a good coat or jacket, preferably waterproof, shoes that will keep your feet warm and dry, and generally warmer clothing you can layer. That being said, Bogotá is famous for going through all "four seasons" in 24 hours, due to the frequent changes in weather there. So, be prepared for anything and everything!

Medellin and the Coffee Region

These regions have warmer temperatures than Bogotá and generally receive less rain daily. You'll want to make sure you've packed pants for these areas, but you may feel it's warm enough to wear shorts here as well. Likewise, you may want to bring a light sweater or jacket for evenings out, but short-sleeved shirts will be fine during the day. And, whereas you'll probably see people in boots, sandals and tennis shoes are also good options for Medellin as you're feet aren't likely to freeze here!

Caribbean Coast

The Caribbean Coast is hot, hot, and hot. If you are planning to spend time in this region, you will want to bring summer attire—bathing suits, sandals, flip flops, shorts, tank tops, etc... You won't need jackets or sweatshirts, but you may want to bring a pair of jeans or two as that's the normal dress for nights out.

*Whatever you do, don't rely too much on the weather forecasts you find online, as I have learned they don't often coincide with reality and don't actually lend much help in planning your attire for the day.

More

Aside from clothing, you should also think about things that may be expensive or hard to find in Colombia, but that you will need during your trip. Some of these items may include:

• Travel size toiletries: while you can find these here, they are often expensive or hard to come by. If you want travel size items (shampoo, toothpaste, etc...), bring them from home.
• Lady's hygiene products: while the variety of brands and options is expanding rapidly, if you have a preferred brand, you may want to bring it with you as the most common brands are still Colombian brands, and they may be a bit more expensive than what you'd be used to paying for them back home.
• Waterproof travel belt or money holder: this may sound silly, but you won't want to leave your money or ID on the beach unguarded and these devices are hard to find here in Colombia, so bring one with you if you are headed to beach areas.
• Sunscreen: there is a growing variety of sunscreen brands here, but they are still pretty expensive.
• Mosquito repellent especially for the warmer areas or rainforest
• Prescription medicines: in Colombia, you don't need a prescription to buy "prescription" drugs, but there are some prescription medicines that you cannot find in Colombia, for whatever reason. On a positive note, though, if you get sick here, private consults are relatively cheap, and recommended prescription medicine purchases won't be a problem for you.

Hopefully, that's some helpful information on what to pack. 

Share with your traveller friends!