Melgar is in the department (state) of Tolima, 323 meters above sea level, with an average of 28 °C (82 °F), about three hours from Bogotá. It is nicknamed the City of Swimming Pools, and the nickname sums up the local business well: almost all the accommodation revolves around water. There are 49 fincas listed on Finkeros in the municipality today. A finca is a country house you rent whole, usually with a pool, for a group or a family.
How much does a finca cost in Melgar?
The median rental listing in Melgar is COP 500,000 per night, based on 34 listings with a published price as of August 21, 2026. Eighty percent of the listings range from much lower amounts up to COP 1,200,000, and that spread has an explanation: listings at the bottom of the range almost always quote per person, not for the whole finca.
It is the lowest median in the tierra caliente corridor near Bogotá (tierra caliente being the hot lowlands, roughly 300 to 1,000 m above sea level). In Girardot it is COP 870,000 and in Anapoima COP 900,000. Melgar competes on price and volume.
Where are the fincas?
Three areas hold most of the listings, and they are not interchangeable.
The town center and its surroundings. Gated complexes and houses with a pool a few blocks from the main square. They work if the group has no car or wants to go out to eat without driving. The trade-off is that you hear the town.
The road to Icononzo. Bigger fincas, farther apart, with real green space. This is where most of the houses for groups of fifteen or twenty people are.
The road to Carmen de Apicalá and toward the river. More rural, quieter, with prices that drop the farther out you go. Here a car stops being optional.
When is the best time to go?
Melgar is warm all year, so the real question is not the weather but crowds and price. The months with the lowest occupancy are February, May, September and the first half of November. In those periods the same finca can cost half what it does on a puente, a long holiday weekend (Colombia moves most public holidays to Monday, so the country gets about 18 three-day weekends a year and everyone drives out of the cities at once).
The heaviest rainy season runs from late March to May and returns between October and November. It doesn't ruin the trip, but it changes what to look for in a listing: a kiosco (open-sided thatched shelter), a covered area and a good-sized living room.
What to do
- The finca pools are the main plan, and there is no need to feel guilty about it.
- The main square and the riverside promenade for dinner.
- Water parks and public pools for those who go without a finca of their own.
- Girardot, half an hour away, with more restaurants and the Magdalena River.
- Carmen de Apicalá, twenty minutes away, smaller and quieter.
- The countryside around Icononzo, with hikes and canyons for anyone who wants to get out of the water.
What they won't tell you
Melgar has a large military base and a very weekend-driven economy. That means that from Monday to Thursday the town is almost empty and several restaurants close. If you go midweek looking for a lively scene, you won't find it. If you go looking for quiet and a good price, it is the best time of the year.
Second: the word "pool" in a listing says nothing about its size or upkeep. Ask for a recent photo and when it was last cleaned. In peak season, a pool cleaned on Monday that gets twenty people on Saturday is not in the same condition on Sunday.
Third: water. Melgar has episodes of water rationing in the dry season. It is worth asking whether the finca has a reserve tank before you book in January, February or August.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to rent a finca in Melgar per night?
The median listing published on Finkeros is COP 500,000 per night, based on 34 listings as of August 21, 2026. Very low figures are usually per-person prices.
How many fincas are available in Melgar?
Finkeros has 49 fincas listed in the municipality, for rent and for sale, as of August 2026.
Melgar or Carmen de Apicalá?
Melgar has more options, more services and more noise. Carmen de Apicalá is smaller and quieter, and its median price is lower, COP 350,000 per night across 17 listings. They are twenty minutes apart.
Do you need a car to stay at a finca in Melgar?
In the town center, no. On the road to Icononzo or toward the river, yes. Rural fincas are far from the shops, and local transportation adds up if you have to go out twice a day.
Which month is the most affordable to rent a finca in Melgar?
February, May, September and early November, since they have the lowest occupancy. Long-weekend and Holy Week prices are nothing like those of an ordinary week.