Seasonal· Cartagena· Other Caribbean
Christmas Winds & Winter Trade-Wind Surge (Colombian Coast)
10° 24.0′ N · 75° 37.2′ W · approximate
From December to April the NE trades strengthen along Colombia's Caribbean coast, and the stretch from the Guajira to Cartagena becomes one of the roughest non-hurricane passages in the Caribbean - 25–35 knots and 12–15 ft seas are common offshore in January–March.
Practical
Coordinate approximate (offshore of Cartagena). Noonsite/David Jones advisory: chance of 25–40 kn winds with 3–5 m seas is 10–30% in December, 30–40% January–March, 20–30% April–May, 10–20% June–July and about 10% August–November; winds are strongest from midday to the early hours, and January–March has about a 40% chance of 35-kn winds with 12–15 ft seas. Causes: the Andes compress the trade wind along the coast, frequent lows over Venezuela, a 700-nm fetch, and wind-against-current when the coastal counter-current runs NE. Lighter conditions usually October to early December and April to October. The national guide: the strongest gusts November–February, and December–March trades up to 30 kn. In the islands, anchor on the south side of the Rosarios when the trades blow from the north (December–April). Cartagena's inner bay stays sheltered.
Best for
Timing passages to and from Cartagena
Season
Dec–Apr strongest; peak Jan–Mar
Nearby
- Bancos de Salmedina Dive Sites2.9 NM away
- Tierra Bomba Village Landing3 NM away
- Cartagena Dive Operators (El Laguito & Bocagrande)3.5 NM away
- Bocagrande Beach3.8 NM away
- Medihelp & Hospital Bocagrande (Castillogrande) – Clinics & Boat-Call Doctors3.8 NM away
- Café del Mar (Baluarte de Santo Domingo)4.2 NM away
- Hospital Naval de Cartagena (Bocagrande) – Recompression Chamber4.2 NM away
- Walk the Walls (Cartagena Ramparts Loop)4.2 NM away