Delivery · Department
Casa Trufa puppies in La Guajira
La Guajira is a department (Colombia’s equivalent of a state or province) with 15 municipalities and 1.09 million people in DANE’s projection for 2026. They run from sea level at Manaure up to 250 m (820 ft) at El Molino; by climate zone (piso térmico), that is 15 in the hot lowlands. Riohacha, the capital, is at ≈ 10 m (30 ft), in the hot climate zone. The whole department shares one climate zone, so the breed we recommend is the same anywhere in it; the table below lists every municipality.
By Casa Trufa · Updated on · Sources: DANE (DIVIPOLA and its 2026 population projection), the SRTM elevation model, IDEAM and OurAirports. How each figure is calculated
- Municipalities
- 15
- DIVIPOLA code 44
- Population (2026)
- 1,088,803
- DANE projection
- Capital: Riohacha
- ≈ 10 m (30 ft)
- Hot climate zone
- Nearest airport
- RCH
- Almirante Padilla Airport, 2 km (1 mi) in a straight line from Riohacha
How does a puppy get to La Guajira?
How the puppy gets to you is arranged with each family on WhatsApp: it depends on where you live, on the puppy’s age and on what is calmest for the puppy.
La Guajira ranks 18th in population among Colombia’s 33 departments. Its largest municipalities are Riohacha (233,733 people, hot lowlands), Maicao (209,843 people, hot lowlands), and Uribia (200,898 people, hot lowlands); 21% of its people live in Riohacha.
How a puppy reaches you, handover age, documents and what we don’t doWhich breeds do we recommend for the climate in Riohacha?
| Breed | In Riohacha | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Maltese | Adapts | With a short coat, water always within reach and walks early in the morning or after dark. |
| Maltipoo | Adapts | A short clip and no midday sun. At home, a cool spot to rest. |
| Cavalier | With reservations | A fairly short muzzle and a predisposition to heart disease: only with a cool home, short walks at dawn and strict weight control. |
| Cockapoo | Adapts | It has energy to spare: exercise goes early or after dark, and the coat stays short. |
| Border Collie | With reservations | Workable on a farm with shade and water, working only in the cool hours. Hard exercise in the sun is a heatstroke risk. The double coat is never shaved. |
| Blue Heeler | Suits it well | The most heat-tolerant of the seven. It asks for shade, water and tick control. |
| Bernese | We don’t recommend it | A double-coated mountain dog of 36–50 kg (79–110 lb): it suffers in the hot lowlands. We would rather say so than hand one over. |
Riohacha: ≈ 10 m (30 ft), hot climate zone (0 to 1,000 m (3,280 ft); an average of 24 °C (75 °F) or more, under the Caldas classification used by IDEAM, Colombia’s hydrology, meteorology and environmental studies institute). This is Casa Trufa’s general criterion by altitude; it does not replace your veterinarian’s assessment.
That table is for Riohacha and not for the whole department. Of the 15 municipalities in La Guajira, there are 15 in the hot lowlands. The lowest is Manaure, at ≈ 0 m (0 ft), and the highest is El Molino, at ≈ 250 m (820 ft).
None of them reaches the 1,800 m (5,910 ft) from which we recommend the Bernese Mountain Dog, the breed most sensitive to heat, without reservations.
Map of La Guajira
Drawing the map…
Which cities in La Guajira have a page of their own?
Which municipalities in La Guajira?
All of them. This is the full list of the 15 municipalities in La Guajira, with the data that changes what we recommend.
| Municipality | DIVIPOLA code | Population (2026) | Altitude | Climate zone | Bernese Mountain Dog | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | 44035 | 36,931 | ≈ 110 m (360 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Barrancas | 44078 | 45,167 | ≈ 160 m (520 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Dibulla | 44090 | 48,144 | ≈ 10 m (30 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Distracción | 44098 | 16,126 | ≈ 210 m (690 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| El Molino | 44110 | 8,881 | ≈ 250 m (820 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Fonseca | 44279 | 52,728 | ≈ 180 m (590 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Hatonuevo | 44378 | 25,159 | ≈ 180 m (590 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| La Jagua del Pilar | 44420 | 4,261 | ≈ 200 m (660 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Maicao | 44430 | 209,843 | ≈ 50 m (160 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Manaure | 44560 | 101,221 | ≈ 0 m (0 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Riohacha | 44001 | 233,733 | ≈ 10 m (30 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| San Juan del Cesar | 44650 | 57,662 | ≈ 210 m (690 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Uribia | 44847 | 200,898 | ≈ 30 m (100 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Urumita | 44855 | 13,191 | ≈ 250 m (820 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
| Villanueva | 44874 | 34,858 | ≈ 240 m (790 ft) | Hot | We don’t recommend it | Arranged on WhatsApp |
Population: DANE projection for 2026. Altitude: SRTM model at each municipality’s DIVIPOLA point, rounded. Climate zone: Caldas classification (IDEAM). The Bernese column is our own criterion by altitude. Data processed on October 7, 2026.
Frequently asked questions about La Guajira
Which dog breeds suit Riohacha’s climate best?
Riohacha is at ≈ 10 m (30 ft), in the hot climate zone, where the reference temperature is an average of 24 °C (75 °F) or more. At that altitude we recommend the Blue Heeler without reservations; the Maltese, the Maltipoo, and the Cockapoo adapt with some care; the Cavalier and the Border Collie come with reservations; we don’t recommend the Bernese.
Where in La Guajira do you recommend a Bernese Mountain Dog?
Nowhere without reservations. No municipality in La Guajira reaches the 1,800 m (5,910 ft) from which we recommend the Bernese Mountain Dog, and Riohacha is in the hot lowlands (tierra caliente). Other breeds will live better in this climate; we will tell you which.
Can a puppy fly to Riohacha?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Almirante Padilla Airport (RCH, Riohacha), about 2 km (1 mi) in a straight line from Riohacha. The rules for flying with a puppy are changing, so we confirm them with the airline every time; a puppy never travels alone or in the hold.
How does a Casa Trufa puppy get to a family in La Guajira?
It is arranged with each family on WhatsApp, and that holds for all 15 municipalities in La Guajira, whether or not they have a page of their own on this site. Always handed over in person, and never before the puppy is eight weeks old.
Nearby departments
- CesarValledupar, 125 km (78 mi) in a straight line from Riohacha
- MagdalenaSanta Marta, 145 km (90 mi) in a straight line from Riohacha
- AtlánticoBarranquilla, 215 km (134 mi) in a straight line from Riohacha
- BolívarCartagena, 310 km (193 mi) in a straight line from Riohacha
- SucreSincelejo, 365 km (227 mi) in a straight line from Riohacha
Let’s talk
Do you live in La Guajira?
Tell us your municipality and what your home is like: we will tell you which breed suits your climate and how the puppy would get to you.