Practical Tips for Spending Christmas in Cartagena, Colombia

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Are considering spending Christmas in Cartagena, Colombia?

The year round beach weather doesn’t exactly make it a winter wonderland, but the historic charm makes it a beautiful place to spend the holidays and that warm weather does make it a great escape from the winter weather in other places.

However, there are some important considerations to keep in mind if you are planning on visiting Cartagena in December, from the larger crowds to special events for the holidays.

In this post, I’ll use my knowledge and experience living in the city for over a decade to share some practical tips on what to keep in mind if you want to travel to Cartagena for Christmas.

Christmas in Cartagena, Colombia Overview and Quick Tips

Wondering if you should travel to Cartagena in December or for the Christmas holiday?

My answer to that is, it depends.

On the plus side, Cartagena is absolutely lovely at Christmas time!

The combination of Christmas lights and the historic charm of the city’s colonial architecture in the Cartagena Walled City and neighboring Getsemaní is really neat.

Plus, the Caribbean weather means you can enjoy beach weather in Cartagena in December.

That’s perfect if sipping piña coladas and making sand castles sounds better than sipping hot cocoa and making snowmen.

On the downside, the Christmas and New Years season is the busiest time of year for tourism to the city.

Children are out of school and many people have time off.

In addition to foreign travelers, many Colombians also spend the December in Cartagena.

However, these aren’t really good reasons to avoid Cartagena at Christmas time. The same is going to be true of just about any destination this time of year, after all.

You just need to be aware that there will be larger crowds and be sure to make hotel reservations well in advance if you plan on visiting Cartagena in December.

Check out my guide to the best areas to stay in Cartagena or my picks for the best hotels in Cartagena to help with that, by the way.

You should also make sure to book tours, activities, and excursions especially to the must see Rosario Islands, and make reservations at the best Cartagena restaurants, farther in advance than is necessary at other times of the year.

So, if this is the best time for you to travel, keep those tips in mind, and read on for more details for what to expect during your Cartagena, Colombia Christmas trip, including the Cartagena weather in December and special things to do in Cartagena in December.

Cartagena, Colombia Weather in December

I would say the Cartagena, Colombia weather in December is probably the biggest reason why you might consider spending Christmas time here.

Cartagena’s Caribbean location means there is very warm to hot weather all year. Weather in Cartagena in December is much the same, although I actually think it’s some of the best weather of the year.

Does it Rain Much in December?

December is usually not very rainy.

Technically the rainy season in Cartagena runs from May to November, with October traditionally being by far the rainiest month. You can check some historic weather data here, by the way.

Some years, early December does still see some rain.

However, I can think of only one year in my 11 years living in Cartagena, all the way back in December 2011, at the end of my first year living there, that there was still somewhat frequent rain around Christmas time in Cartagena.

Usually by the second half of December, if not before, the rains have all but dried up and the clouds have moved on and it’s mostly sunny.

What’s the Temperature Like in December?

Despite it being mostly sunny, it usually is a tad cooler (we are speaking relatively here, of course!) than the hottest part of the year.

There is often a good breeze for most of December too.

If you read my guide to the best time to visit Cartagena, you’ll notice I actually recommend the period just after the holidays from about mid-January to two weeks before Easter as the best time to visit since that’s usually the breeziest time of year, you have low chances of rain, and there are fewer crowds.

So, if you’re flexible on dates, you might want to consider that time to get the best of all worlds.

However, you should have very good odds of having pleasant Cartagena weather in December, especially around the holidays.

When Can You See the Cartagena Christmas Lights?

Cartagena’s Christmas lights are usually turned on sometime around December 7th, usually either on the 7th itself or the weekend before.

December 7th is, by the way a really neat tradition in Colombia known as Noche de las Velitas, or Night of the Little Candles, when people light candles on their balconies and on the sidewalks all around Colombia, including in Cartagena.

December 8 is also a national holiday, so this is often a night where people go out to enjoy the Cartagena nightlife, have fun, and often rock new outfits for the holidays. It is basically the kick off of the holiday season.

The Christmas lights in Cartagena are usually up from around December 7th to Three Kings Day on January 6th, perhaps a few days more.

Where to See Christmas Lights in Cartagena

Light displays vary year to year, but there are some locations that always have neat arrangements.

On the plazas on either side of the Clocktower, you’ll always find lots of elaborate displays.

You’ll find more in the Plaza de la Aduana as well as the Parque de la Marina nearby.

In 2024, there was a giant nativity scene set up on the bay just beside the tourist docks that I suspect might become a yearly tradition.

Sections of Cartagena’s walls usually have sparkling and flashing lights, which I always really enjoyed zooming by when taking a taxi along the waterfront.

There is usually a giant Christmas tree set up in the open field by the corner of the wall between Centro and El Cabrero too.

You’ll also usually find displays set up in the Plaza de la Trinidad in Getsemani, as well as in the other plazas around Cartagena’s Walled City.

The exact themes and things depicted tend to vary year to year.

You will, of course, see some Christmas trees, presents, ornaments, and other things commonly associated with Christmas time.

There are also usually some unique and even quirky Cartagena Christmas lights displays too.

One year there were neat multicolored light tunnels you could walk through.

Another year there was a giant Avianca airplane set up in the Parque Marina. I’m guessing they must have sponsored that.

I personally enjoyed the old timey ships that were set up in some of the plazas one year, a nice homage to the interesting history of Cartagena.

Susana and I always enjoyed walking around and taking in the lights this time of year, so be sure to set aside at least a bit of time one evening during your visit to Cartagena December trip to just stroll and enjoy them yourself.

I’d recommend a street snow cone (raspao) or even an icy cold cerveza over hot chocolate or cider though!

Are There Any Special Cartagena Christmas Events or Traditions?

Sort of. There are some unique things to do in Cartagena in December, some directly related to Christmas time.

Noche de Velitas

As I said above, the night of December 7th is a big tradition where people light candles and lots of people go out on the town.

If you happen to be in Cartagena (or elsewhere in Colombia) on December 7, read more about the Night of the Little Candles here.

The city does sometimes organize an event or ceremony for this and/or the inauguration of the Christmas lights.

I’d suggest keeping an eye out on the IPCC’s Instagram (this is the city’s cultural organization) and the Mayor’s Instagram to see if they announce any official events, as they are often announced on short notice.

There may be some other cultural events organized by the city closer to Christmas too, and those accounts would be the best places to keep an eye out.

Festival del Pastel

This is an annual event often held in the week or weeks leading up to Christmas in Cartagena.

The word pastel in Cartagena is used to refer to a meal that consists of rice and meats cooked together and wrapped in a banana or plantain leaf. Chicken or pork with a handful of vegetables is most common filling, but you also see some that have a mix of different meats.

It’s similar to a tamal, which uses cornmeal instead of rice and is very common in other regions of Colombia this time of year (the Colombian tamal is sort of similar to Mexican tamales but usually larger and wider).

The exact dates and location of this festival vary year to year, but it’s often set up near the Clocktower with the Parque Centenario and the Parque de la Marina being locations used in previous years.

There’ll be tables set up where local cooks sell their pasteles.

It’s a neat way to try something unique and traditionally associated with Christmas time in Cartagena.

Special Christmas Eve Dinners

Many restaurants and hotels organize special dinners for Christmas Eve.

Traditionally, the Christmas Eve dinner in Cartagena and Colombia is called the Cena Navideña or Cena de Nochebuena.

In Cartagena, it’s very common that roasted pork (pernil de cerdo) is served along with coconut rice with raisins, or sometimes white rice cooked with herbs.

While it’s often served at midnight in homes, restaurants’ serving times may vary.

While it isn’t quite as popular or difficult to get a table as the Cena San Silvestre on New Years’ Eve, if you want to make sure you have a special dinner for Christmas Eve, it’s worth making reservations ahead of time.

I don’t have a consistent list of places that do these dinners. I’d suggest looking at the Instagram’s and reaching out via Whatsapp to any restaurants that you are interested in. They will be your best source on whether they are operating as normal, will have a special menu, and how to make reservations.

You can see my picks for the best restaurants in Cartagena here, though.

Other Christmas Foods to Try

Two other common foods associated with Christmas in Cartagena and Colombia are buñuelos and natilla.

Buñuelos in Colombia are fried balls of dough and cheese. The best ones have a crunchy crust on the outer layer but are soft and fluffy on the inside. They always kind of reminded me of a more salty and savory donut.

You can find them in fry stands and bakeries around town, and some restaurants may include them as a special item on the menu this time of year.

If you do a special Christmas Eve dinner, they will most likely serve some.

Natilla is a custard like dessert made from corn starch and milk.

It is almost like a flan but doesn’t have egg and usually has panela (unrefined sugarcane) with some recipes also having cinnamon, caramel, coconut, and/or other fruits and flavors.

Restaurants that are open on Chrismtas Eve may have natilla on the menu, and those restaurants doing special Christmas Eve dinners will almost certainly serve it as part of the dinner. You may also be able to find it at some stands around town.

If you want to learn about other fun traditions this time of year, check out my post on Colombian Christmas traditions and Colombian New Years traditions.

Practical Suggestions for Christmas in Cartagena

I alluded to many of these in the introduction, but they’re worth reiterating and going into a bit more detail.

Will Places Be Closed on Christmas in Cartagena?

Cartagena is a tourist town, and this is the busiest tourist season.

So, most tourist attractions and as well as many restaurants and the like catering to tourists will be open and operating, including on Christmas Eve and, in many cases, Christmas Day.

However, some may have special hours, such as opening later on Christmas Day, or be operating with fewer employees or at more limited capacity. Some smaller mom and pop type places might be closed as well, and there are even some larger restaurants and shops that do close on Christmas.

It’s best to verify this with individual places, as it’s hard to give catchall advice.

However, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem finding somewhere to eat on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in Cartagena.

Get Those Hotel Reservations Early!

Unless you’re particularly picky, you can usually find plenty of decent hotel options in Cartagena up until a few weeks before your dates.

However, for the holiday season, I really suggest getting your hotel reservations a few months early. Hotels do get booked out this time of year, and if you wait until too close to Christmas to book, you might only find slim pickings.

I’ll never forget sleeping on the floor in a hostel in Cartagena around Christmas time in 2011, when my volunteer year in Barú was over and I needed a place to stay for a couple nights.

There were no beds at any of the Cartagena hostels, and even cheap hotels wanted double or more than their normal rates, a hard ask after a year of being a volunteer teacher!

So, I’d strongly encourage you to get reservations early, especially if you want a particular place or price level.

Book Popular Tours and Excursions In Advance Too!

Like for hotels, it usually isn’t all that necessary to book tours and excursions all that far ahead, but I’d recommend it for this time of year.

The most important thing you’ll want to book early is any boat tours or day passes and overnight stays at hotels in the Rosario Islands. The most popular Rosario Islands day tours can sell out and hotels are often booked out in advance too.

Even the beach clubs and hotels on Tierra Bomba often sell out this time of year.

You can probably get away with booking something a few weeks before your dates for most of December, but if you want something right around Christmas in Cartagena, say December 20-January 5, I’d strongly suggest booking even farther in advance, especially if you’re dead set on one place in the islands or don’t have flexibility on the day you go.

You can see read my post on my picks for the best tours and excursions in Cartagena for more ideas on things you might want to book.

Most things are a lot less likely to sell out than the islands, but I would definitely prioritize booking your islands visit ahead of time if you’re visiting Cartagena during Christmas time and maybe secure any other activities you consider must dos ahead of time too, just to be on the safe side.

Expect Crowds

This is, of course, why I recommend getting your hotel and islands trip booked up early.

You should expect larger crowds at attractions like the San Felipe Castle and the Cartagena museums.

There will also be increased foot traffic and congestion in the Walled City and Getsemaní, including large crowds in the evenings, especially around the Clocktower.

Expect possible longer waits at popular restaurants, and I’d suggest making advance reservations if you can for any places where you definitely want to eat.

Also, expect longer lines and possibly higher cover charges at nightclubs.

Finally, expect crowds on the beaches, especially the main beaches of Bocagrande and at Playa Blanca.

You Might Pay Higher Prices (for at least some things)

It’s not uncommon for prices to be higher for hotels and excursions during December in Cartagena. Again, this is the peak holiday season.

This is another good reason to book in advance, by the way, as some operators will raise prices as the holidays approach and there are fewer and fewer options that aren’t sold out.

Ditto for things like food and drinks on the beach (which you should always, always verify the price of, by the way).

Taxis, which often try overcharge the official taxi prices in Cartagena during normal times, also often will charge a bit more this time of year.

This is good old supply and demand, the fact it’ll take longer than normal due to traffic, and them charging “next year’s” prices a bit early. If you click that link, you can see the official prices, but I’d expect to pay a bit more around Christmas time in Cartagena.

You can, of course, also use Uber in Cartagena and other ride share apps too.

Ready to Spend Christmas in Cartagena?

If you are planning to spend Christmas in Cartagena, I hope this post was useful and helped you get an idea of what to expect and be aware of if you travel to Cartagena, Colombia in December.

While you’ll likely have crowds and possibly spend a bit more, it really is a neat time of year to visit, and I hope you have a very wonderful time.

I hope you’ll check out all the other content on the site to help you plan your trip too!

Cheers and Happy Merry Exploring!