Rosario Islands beach forecast: weather, water & waves
Islas del Rosario, CO · Colombia Caribbean Coast, Colombia · 10.170, -75.760
Updated : low seaweed, beach grade B, sea 87°F.
Veabird's call
Tuesday is the go: B+ with little seaweed and 87°F water and only a 41% chance of rain.
February and March grade A-, with seaweed usually lowest in March for a calmer return.
Grades from Veabird's beach forecast; wording by AI (Muse Spark), checked against the forecast. Updated Nov 13, 01:00 UTC.
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Questions about Rosario Islands
Does Rosario Islands get sargassum (seaweed)?
Only a little in most years. At Rosario Islands the typical-year risk stays low, even around July, the usual peak (moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in an estimated 16% of weeks). Landings vary by year, wind and currents.
How warm is the water at Rosario Islands?
About 86°F in November. The sea is warmest in September (about 87°F) and coolest in February and March (about 83°F).
When is the best time to visit Rosario Islands?
For warm water and dry weather, aim for December through April. February is usually the quietest of those, with about 3 rainy days and a sea near 83°F.
When is hurricane season at Rosario Islands, and how often do storms hit?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs June through November and peaks around September. A tropical storm passed within 86 miles of Rosario Islands in 2 of the 55 seasons from 1971 to 2025, and a hurricane within 58 miles in 0. The riskiest stretch is around September 17, when the chance of a storm passing in any one week is about 1% or less; across all of September it is about 1%.
Sargassum season at Rosario Islands Lodges
Low sargassum risk year-round at Rosario Islands Lodges: even around July, the usual peak, Veabird estimates moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach in about 16% of weeks. Actual landings vary a lot by year, wind and currents; check the live conditions above.
Estimated share of weeks in each month with moderate or heavier seaweed on the beach. Veabird takes the landing season seen on Quintana Roo's beaches (a Puerto Morelos beach camera, 2015–2020, and the Mexican Navy's beach alerts, 2022–2026), the nearest coast with a multi-year beach record (this one has none), and scales it by how often NOAA AOML satellites see notable seaweed within about 20 km of this stretch of coast: 14% of weeks here on average, against 54% off Quintana Roo, so 25% of that season. The satellite share (2016–2024, the top fifth of all coast-weeks, adjusted for this beach's exposure of 15%) measures seaweed offshore, not on the sand: off the Riviera Maya it reads high even in winter, when little lands. Very low under 10%, Low 10–24%, Moderate 25–44%, High 45–69%, Very high 70%+. Beach faces 300°; onshore winds from that direction push seaweed ashore. Satellite sargassum data: USF Optical Oceanography Lab (Sargassum Watch System) via NOAA AOML. The satellite record as open data.
Colombia's Caribbean coast month by month
Typical weather, water temperature, seaweed and crowds for every month: the best time to visit Colombia's Caribbean coast.
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in January
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in February
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in March
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in April
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in May
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in June
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in July
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in August
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in September
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in October
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in November
- Colombia's Caribbean coast in December
Weather, water & seaweed by month at Rosario Islands Lodges
Average highs run from about 82°F in February to 85°F in May, July, August and September. The sea is warmest in September (about 87°F) and coolest in February and March (about 83°F). March is usually the driest, with about 2 rainy days; October is the wettest, with about 28 rainy days.
| Month | Avg high | Sea | Rainy days | Sargassum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83°F | 84°F | 3 | Very low |
| Feb | 82°F | 83°F | 3 | Very low |
| Mar | 83°F | 83°F | 2 | Very low |
| Apr | 83°F | 84°F | 10 | Very low |
| May | 85°F | 86°F | 20 | Low |
| Jun | 84°F | 86°F | 23 | Low |
| Jul | 85°F | 86°F | 18 | Low |
| Aug | 85°F | 86°F | 21 | Low |
| Sep | 85°F | 87°F | 23 | Very low |
| Oct | 84°F | 86°F | 28 | Very low |
| Nov | 84°F | 86°F | 23 | Very low |
| Dec | 84°F | 85°F | 9 | Very low |
Monthly averages from 6 years of ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo) for this area's 0.5° grid cell; rainy days have at least 1 mm (0.04 in). Sargassum is the typical-year estimate described above. Any given year can differ.
Cleanup & barriers
- Offshore barriers
- None.
- Public cleanup
- Cartagena and Santa Marta municipal crews clean urban beaches.
- Resort crews
- Large hotels rake frontage daily.
- Typical clearing time
- Sargassum rare; debris and brown river water more common issues.
Safety notes
US State Dept: Colombia, Level 3 (verify)
- Scams and drugging ('scopolamine') reported in Cartagena nightlife: never leave drinks
- Use hotel-booked boats to Rosario Islands
- Beach vendors in Bocagrande can be aggressive; agree prices first
- Rough surf at Palomino and Tayrona; many beaches unsafe for swimming
Check official advisories and local flags before swimming. Decomposing sargassum releases hydrogen sulfide; avoid heavy piles.
Things to do near Islas del Rosario, CO
- Cartagena walled city (UNESCO)
- Rosario Islands & Playa Blanca (Barú)
- Tayrona National Park
- Ciudad Perdida trek
- Palomino river tubing
- Minca coffee farms
Fly in for the best beach days
Suggested dates are a week in October. Change them to match the live forecast above.
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Nearest airports
- Rafael Núñez Intl (Cartagena) (CTG), ~41 km
Nearby resorts
- Decameron Barú Isla Barú, CO · 12 km
- Sofitel Barú Calablanca Isla Barú, CO · 17 km
- Hyatt Regency Cartagena Bocagrande, Cartagena, CO · 34 km
- Sofitel Legend Santa Clara Cartagena, CO · 37 km
- Las Américas Torre del Mar Cartagena, CO · 43 km
- Irotama Resort Santa Marta, CO · 199 km
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