Map of Maicao, Colombia

Maicao is a city in La Guajira Department, Colombia, with a population of about 166,603. It lies at 11.3784°N, 72.2395°W. Maicao is about 779 km (484 mi) north of Bogotá, the capital. The nearest city on our map is San Rafael, 72 km to the southeast.

Maicao at a glance

Where is Maicao?

• The 34th largest city in Colombia by recorded population.
• The 2nd largest city in La Guajira Department on this site.
• Located in the Northern and Western hemispheres.
• Daylight ranges from about 11 h 27 min on the shortest day to 12 h 47 min on the longest day (around 21 December and 21 June).

Cities near Maicao

• San Rafael — 72 km southeast, Venezuela
• Riohacha — 75 km west
• Barrancas — 77 km southwest
• Santa Cruz de Mara — 89 km southeast, Venezuela
• La Concepción — 95 km southeast, Venezuela
• Maracaibo — 105 km southeast, Venezuela
• San Juan del Cesar — 107 km southwest
• Los Puertos de Altagracia — 108 km southeast, Venezuela
• La Villa del Rosario — 117 km south, Venezuela
• Concepción — 123 km southeast, Venezuela

Largest cities in La Guajira Department

• Riohacha — 188,014
• San Juan del Cesar — 40,069
• Barrancas — 38,232

Largest cities in Colombia

• Bogotá — 7,674,366
• Cali — 2,392,877
• Medellín — 1,999,979
• Barranquilla — 1,206,319
• Cartagena — 914,552
• Cúcuta — 777,106
• Soacha — 655,025
• Bucaramanga — 581,130
• Ibagué — 529,635
• Santa Marta — 499,192

Map of Colombia and all its cities →

Sources: place names, coordinates, populations and time zones from GeoNames (CC BY 4.0, data retrieved October 2026). Population figures are the latest values recorded in GeoNames; depending on the country they refer to the city proper, a municipality or a wider urban area, so they can differ from census or metro-area figures. Map © OpenStreetMap contributors.