What to wear in Colombia – Our Colombia Packing List

Last updated on March 18th, 2024 at 07:06 am

What to wear in Colombia – Our Colombia packing list

Colombia is one of the top destinations in South America, and definitely one of the most sought out vacation places in the world. Think about exotic places, beautiful people, delicious food, parties, dancing, good weather, and just good and warm vibes! This is why we are excited to share to you what you need to prepare and pack before going to your Colombian trip.

Today we will share to you our complete Colombia packing list and what to pack for Colombia. The right time to travel and how to enjoy a trip in the beautiful Colombia, depends on what time of the year you are planning to visit this country. If you are headed on a holiday to Colombia, packing smart is something that we love to share. So here’s the post for you what to wear and pack in Colombia.

Read our top Colombia guides: Colombia Best Tourist Sim Card, Colombia vs Brazil, Colombia Itinerary, Best Food in Colombia and Colombian breakfast

WHERE TO STAY IN COLOMBIA

Accommodation prices can take you around $10-12 USD if you sleep in a dorm. For mid-budget accommodation starts at $40-60 USD and for more than $100 USD you will find luxury accommodation in Colombia.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION

BOOK YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE

You can read Heymondo Vs Safetwing cheapest travel Insurance. You can get for $135 USD your Heymondo Travel Insurance with Heymondo discount code valid for 90 days. Read our full Heymondo Travel Insurance Review

COLOMBIA PACKING LIST (WHAT TO PACK FOR COLOMBIA)

Let’s look at the weather details of our Colombia packing list and what to wear in Colombia.

WEATHER FOR COLOMBIA AND BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO VISIT

Colombia is considered good for a year round travel. The areas closer to the Caribbean coast enjoy a good temperature of around 33°C. Popular destinations like Medellín also gets a good weather for the whole year, with temperatures between 26°C and 28°C.

In general, December – March and June – September are considered the peak and best months of travel in Colombia. In these months, you can definitely expect a good amount of sunshine, something everyone loves to have when visiting Colombia. If you’re traveling in the highlands, expect the evenings to be chilly, so make sure to pack for that.

Less popular time to visit: April – June and August – October are the months that get the most rainfall in Colombia. The country is still beautiful to visit around these months and because it’s off season, you can expect much lower prices, which is good if you’re thinking to cut down a little bit on the travel budget.

Best time for beaches: December – March are the peak months of Colombia when the weather is just beautifully warm and hot. These are the months when beach resorts are expected to be packed, and of course, prices tend to be higher during this period. If you’re happy to get some sunshine, with chances of rainfall, July -August can be a good time to consider, too.

Best time for wildlife: June – December are considered the best months to visit the Colombian Amazon, with less rainfall. This should be helpful with navigating trails and seeing wildlife in the Amazon.

Best time to visit Cartagena: December – April is definitely the best time to visit the popular city of Cartagena.

For more information, you can click here to know more about the weather in Colombia!

WHAT TO WEAR IN COLOMBIA: CASUAL CLOTHING AND RESORT WEAR

What do you actually wear when packing and visiting the Colombia? Luckily, Colombia has dry and wet seasons only so smart layers are what you’ll need. You can always pack your swimsuits and bikinis, with your shorts, dresses and short sleeves when you’re traveling during the summer, while preparing waterproof jackets, and some added layer when traveling in the wet season, or visiting the highlands and mountains, when it can get chilly at night.

FOOTWEAR

A good pair of sandals or slippers will be enough for a travel packing for a trip to Colombia. Now there are also other activities to do in the island, like golfing, hiking, walks and other sight seeing, so having extra pairs of going out clothes that are not exactly bikinis and coverups, but thin and comfortable enough for the hot sunny weather will sure come in handy.

Make sure not to overpack these, because Colombia vibes will sure force you to stay lounging most of the time! However, if you’re expecting a few sit-down dinners, or maybe hitting a few clubs, or parties, you can pack extra shoes.

But make sure they are comfortable enough and know whether you’ll be walking on the sand with them, or just walking in the resort or clubs. We have our favorite footwear that can double up as underwater wear, so these might be good to have too!

WHAT TO WEAR IN COLOMBIA: CLOTHES FOR ACTIVITIES

Now there are also other activities to do in the island, like golfing, hiking, walks and other sightseeing, so having extra pairs of going out clothes that are not exactly bikinis and coverups, but thin and comfortable enough for the hot sunny weather will sure come in handy. Make sure not to overpack these Colombian vibes will sure force you to stay lounging most of the time!

SKIN PROTECTION FROM HEAT AND THE SUN

In addition to proper summer outfits and clothes, packing for protecting your skin will be imperative. A sunblock with protection for UVA and UVB (for the best brands, choose a sunblock with triple +++) is very important. You’ll have to re-apply your sunblock every 20-30 minutes, especially if you’ll be staying under the sun for a long time, so make sure you pack enough for your trip.

The sun will most likely affect your hair too, so best if you pack hair products and conditioners that will be good for protecting your hair. For your makeup, make sure that you have the right sunscreen and foundation for your skin. Don’t forget your moisturizers and lotions, because skin can get dry pretty easy in this weather. If you choose to bring makeup in this trip, choose lip balms, lipsticks and chapsticks that are light colors or good for very sunny weather.

These will likely be lighter than darker. Just like your skin and body, your face will most likely need to stay hydrated, so mist sprays can be very helpful to keep your face refreshed all day long.

If you have hair dye or hair color, make sure you bring the appropriate products or consult your stylist on what products to bring to prepare your hair for the weather! Heat protectants will be very important especially if you will use a lot of blow dryers or iron in the trip, or even just for extra lounging time under the sun!

WATER BOTTLES

Keep your body hydrated! Instead of expecting to buy multiple water bottles for the duration of your trip, try to have a water bottle handy with you at all times so you can keep yourself hydrated and also be mindful of waste!

ACCESSORIES

What to wear in Colombia unless you’re looking to attend high-end parties where it’s important to be bringing a lot of bling and jewelry, best to keep accessories at a minimum on your Colombian holiday. Most of what you’ll need will be sunglasses, and hats and caps to protect your face and to add to your outfit during your stay.

A day bag will also be good to have, to bring with you on some activities on the island. In any trip, we suggest keeping your valuables – money, credit cards, passports, identification cards, and other valuables in secure containers to avoid any theft — a general rule for any travel.

OUR FAVORITE BACKPACK

The Nomatic Navigator backpack is designed for travelers and commuters and features multiple compartments and pockets for organization and storage. Navigator Travel Backpack has a laptop compartment and a built-in USB charging port. Read our Nomatic Navigator Travel Backpack Review

Read Here Best Luggage for Digital Nomads

BAGS, CONTAINERS, LUGGAGE

What to wear in Colombia talking about bags and luggage, depending on how long you’re planning to stay in Colombia, small hand luggage or a small suitcase should be enough. This, day bag, packing cubes, and waterproof protectors are all you’ll need.

What are packing cubes you say? One of the biggest packing hack that we swear by is dividing your luggage in packing cubes so you can go from packing to unpacking, to packing again in no time. The organization will be a breeze, and you will minimize stress when you’re trying to look for your things on a holiday.

Usually, what we do is have a bigger packing cube for clothes, and casual outerwear. A separate one for underwear and swimwear. A separate packing cube for gadgets and devices (make sure that these are actually in waterproof containers), and a separate packing cube for toiletries and makeup.

PRE-TRAVEL PREPARATION

Ahh, the struggles of being a woman! Now, there are definitely a lot of ways for you to prepare, but since you can expect that you’ll spend a lot of time in bikinis and short wears, have your waxing appointments ready before your trip. If you shave yourself, or you have your own shaving kits, make sure you bring these, with your creams to not have the stress later on during your trip.

You want to be swim ready at any moment! If you need some nail work done, brows, lashes, make sure you have these prepared too before your trip!

MEDICINE KITS AND OTHER EXTRAS

In addition to sunblocks, lotions, moisturizers, heat protectants, and tanning products, emergency supplies will always come in handy. Have some mosquito repellent and bug spray ready, in case the places you’ll stay at have these in the cooler evenings and your clothes make you more exposed to them. Medicines, vitamins, and essentials are always good to have in any trips too.

WHAT TO PACK FOR COLOMBIA IF YOU’RE A CONTENT CREATOR

Waterproof bags are definitely a must. You may want to bring your phones and camera gear near the water, or even in the water during this trip, so bring the appropriate waterproof day bags, and waterproof cases for your gear. Even if you’re not a content creator, it is now very usual to bring your phones out with you in the water, so having protective cases and covers are a must!

Don’t forget your underwater or waterproof cameras if you’re planning to do a lot of shooting in the water! A snorkeling mask is always a great idea to enjoy. Bring yours from home and you will have available all the time to see the underwater life in Colombia.

You should know they use the American adapter. A few places make it possible to fit your European adapter in the plug. If you are coming from European countries, we recommend you to bring an American adapter to be able to charge everywhere.

I´m bringing my camera and phone with their respective chargers and powerbank

I´m bringing my laptop and charger and a universal adaptor

I´m bringing my passport, and Travel Insurance with Safetywing

PROTECTION FOR GADGETS AND FOR THEFT

Anti-theft bags, locks for luggage, keeping important numbers and identifications with you, and spare money are all necessities in any travel. It will always be in handy to have these ready with you when you travel, even in a holiday destination like Colombia.

INSURANCE AND GENERAL THINGS TO HAVE WHEN TRAVELING

Insurance is very important to have when you travel. For us, if you’re traveling a lot in places that expose you to water, in a destination like Colombia, having insurance for important gear is good too. Double check that you are protected the best way you can.

Read here Best Travel Insurance Compared!

BASICS AND TOILETRIES

Colombia packing list like your personal toiletries are good to have when packing for a trip. When you are staying in high-end resorts you will most likely have the best toiletries available, but just prepare any special products and knick-knacks that you always want to have with you. Have your perfumes, deodorizers.

For the women, since a lot of the time will be spent in water, and lighter and thinner clothing, check if the trip will come during your time of the month. You don’t want to not be ready or to be stressed of having the special products you want to have during your special week, so have your feminine products with you.

If you haven’t tried menstrual cups, you might want to try or have these with you, if you are expecting to have your period and will still want to be in your cute, scrimpy bikinis all day long!

A COMPLETE COLOMBIA PACKING LIST FOR YOUR HOLIDAY

Want to see a complete Colombia packing list of things what to wear in Colombia. Here you go:

Airport Wear (can be work for both flights to and from Colombia, and can double as lounge wear on cooler evenings)

2 pairs of Casual Wear – Light enough that can be worn on daytime activities and can double as evening for evening casuals or drinks

2-3 pairs of bikinis and bathing suits or swimming trunks and shorts (depending on how long your trip will be)

4-5 pairs of underwear

One cover up, something you can wear on top of your swimwear or bikini or a short sleeve shirt for men (light colored and light fabric, to help with sun protection

Toiletries (ones you’ll need)

Waterproof bags and packing cubes

Medicine, vitamin kit, sunscreen, lotions and other skin products

A pair of sunglasses and a hat or cap

A pair of sandals and slippers, and an extra footwear for daytime activities (hiking or sport); extra special one if there are any special event or parties

Refilled Water bottle for bringing all the time!

WHERE TO STAY IN COLOMBIA

There are numerous hotels and B&B that you can choose from. Accommodation prices can take you around $10-12 USD if you sleep in a dorm. For mid-budget accommodation starts at $40-60 USD and for more than $100 USD you will find luxury accommodation in Colombia.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR ACCOMMODATION IN COLOMBIA

Hope you loved our Colombia packing list blog post guide! And can’t wait to hear about what to pack for Colombia and if we forgot anything what to wear in Colombia.

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Happy Travels!