A hot, windswept desert at the northern tip of South America, where red sand dunes spill straight into the turquoise Caribbean Sea.
Area
25,000 km²
Continent
South America
Location
La Guajira Peninsula, northern tip of South America
Temperature
A steady 26–29°C all year
Rainfall
Under 300 mm a year
Climate
Hot coastal desert
About the La Guajira Desert
La Guajira sweeps across the peninsula where Colombia meets the Caribbean, kept dry by constant trade winds that race past without dropping rain. Towering dunes such as Taroa pour down to the sea, while salt lagoons like Los Flamencos draw flocks of flamingos. The Wayuu people herd goats and weave their famous mochila bags across this stark, beautiful land.
Did you know?
It is the ancestral home of the Indigenous Wayuu people and ends at Punta Gallinas, the northernmost point of the continent.
Highlights
- Red dunes meeting the Caribbean Sea
- Home of the Indigenous Wayuu people
- Ends at South America’s northernmost point
Photo gallery
Life in the La Guajira Desert
Animals, birds and plants that have adapted to survive this landscape.
Trees & plants
Prickly pear
A flat-padded cactus with edible fruit, spread across many deserts.
Acacia (thorn tree)
Flat-topped thorn trees that survive on scarce desert groundwater.
Day & night in the La Guajira Desert
Deserts are famous for their extreme temperature swings. Flip between day and night to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a coastal desert.
Midday sun
+22°C
typical daytime high
Cool ocean currents and fog keep coastal deserts mild, so the gap between day and night is much smaller than in hot inland deserts.
Recorded range for the La Guajira Desert: A steady 26–29°C all year