Things to Do in Colombia in March

March is when coffee cherries are still clinging to trees in the Valle de Cocora, and the harvest crews are processing the last batches. You walk through rows of trees heavy with red fruit, then watch the mechanical dryers at fincas like San Alberto or Recuca throw off that sweet, almost fermented smell that means fresh beans. The weather's perfect - cool enough at 5,900 ft (1,800 m) elevation that you won't sweat through your shirt. But warm enough that morning mist burns off by 9am.

Every Sunday from 7am-2pm, Bogotá shuts down 75 miles (120 km) of streets to cars, including the entire Carrera 7 that runs from Usaquén to the city center. March mornings are crisp at 8,660 ft (2,640 m) - you'll see your breath at 8am but be comfortable in a light jacket by 10am. The route passes through neighborhoods you'd never walk, like the fruit markets of Paloquemao where vendors set up breakfast stalls specifically for cyclists.

March evenings deliver the kind of sunsets that make you understand why pirates spent centuries trying to capture this city. The sun drops straight into the Caribbean around 6pm, and the humidity drops with it - suddenly that sea breeze that did nothing all day starts cooling things down. From the water, you see the walled city glow orange while the modern Bocagrande skyline turns into a silhouette.

March afternoons in Medellín are when the outdoor escalators in Comuna 13 work properly - not overloaded with tourists like December, not shut down by rain like April. The murals change monthly. But March pieces tend to be political commentary on the upcoming elections. Local guides who grew up here explain how the escalators transformed a 45-minute climb into a 6-minute ride, and why the hip-hop culture here produces some of Colombia's best street art.

March is the last month before Tayrona's rainy season turns the coastal trails into muddy slip-n-slides. The 2.5-mile (4 km) hike from Cañaveral to Cabo San Juan passes through rainforest that stays surprisingly dry, and the beaches - Piscina, Arrecifes, Cabo - are swimmable without the dangerous riptides that arrive in April. Howler monkeys are most active at dawn when temperatures hit 75°F (24°C), before the humidity cranks up.