Colombia: Easter Holy Week March 25 to April 1

Event

The Easter Holy Week will take place between Sunday, March 25 (Palm Sunday), and Sunday, April 1 (Easter Sunday). Holy Week is a major travel period in the region, when individuals visit family, go on vacation, or go on pilgrimage to religious sites. As such, increased congestion at travel hubs, demand for hotels (and higher prices), and car traffic in cities and on highways is to be anticipated, along with possible business, store, and government office closures.

Colombian officials expect 520,000 travelers to either arrive or depart Colombia for holiday during Holy Week. Significant travel congestion is expected at El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogotá, José María Córdova International Airport (MDE) near Medellín, and the Rumichaca International Bridge in Nariño, bordering Ecuador. To handle the expected Easter traffic, the Colombian Police will deploy more than 40,000 uniformed personnel, 8000 of which will be dedicated to monitoring road traffic to reduce the number of car accidents as 2.5 million cars are expected on the roads.

Advice

Individuals in Colombia are advised to exercise increased vigilance in the coming days and to be prepared for increased congestion and longer travel times.