Fermina is a proud and independent woman who balances a stubborn temper with a deep affection for animals. Growing up as the daughter of an upwardly mobile father, she experiences a passionate youthful romance before marrying a wealthy doctor. She spends her life managing the expectations of high society and the daily routines of a long marriage while seeking an authentic sense of identity.

Dr. Urbino is a wealthy physician and the most fastidious man in the city. Educated in Paris, he focuses his energy on modernizing his home city to eradicate cholera. He approaches life with a practical mindset, valuing social standing and civic duty over fiery romance.

Florentino is a melancholic man of modest beginnings who works his way up in a local riverboat company. As the illegitimate son of a shipping merchant, he falls intensely in love with Fermina Daza in his youth and dedicates his entire existence to waiting for her. He engages in hundreds of brief physical affairs to soothe his heartbreak while maintaining strict emotional devotion to his first love.

Jeremiah is a Caribbean refugee, a children's photographer, and Dr. Urbino's regular chess opponent. He harbors a profound fear of old age and keeps significant portions of his life completely hidden from high society.

Tránsito is Florentino’s pragmatic and fiercely loving mother. She runs a notions shop and occasionally earns money through a discreet pawn business. She is fully dedicated to her son, supporting his intense romantic obsession and helping him navigate his extreme emotional highs and lows.

Hildebranda is Fermina Daza’s lively and sympathetic cousin. Having experienced the pain of forbidden love herself, she quickly bonds with Fermina and helps draw her out of her rigid shell.

Lorenzo is Fermina’s overbearing and highly ambitious father. A man of obscure wealth, he is desperate to elevate his family's social standing. He strictly controls Fermina's movements and fiercely rejects any suitors he views as beneath their desired class.

Leona is a highly capable and shrewd woman who works her way up the ranks of the riverboat company. She earns Florentino's immense respect and gratitude, becoming one of the few women in his life with whom he maintains a strictly platonic friendship.

América is a young girl entrusted to Florentino's guardianship. Strikingly resembling a young Fermina Daza, she develops a heavy emotional dependency on her much older guardian's attention and affection.

Barbara is a Doctor of Theology and the daughter of a Protestant minister. She enters into a complicated dynamic with the aging Dr. Urbino, threatening the stability of his long-standing marriage.

Uncle Leo XII is the frugal, practical leader of the local riverboat company. He becomes a mentor to Florentino, helping him build a successful career and offering him pragmatic wisdom about business and aging.

Marco Aurelio is the adult son of Fermina and Dr. Urbino. He follows in his father's medical footsteps and maintains the family's dignified social standing, though he is occasionally called upon to mediate his mother's complex emotional landscape.

Ofelia is the daughter of Fermina and Dr. Urbino. Raised within the strict confines of high society, she is highly protective of the family's reputation and strongly objects to any behavior she deems inappropriate for her aging mother.

The Widow Nazaret is a woman who embraces her status as an independent companion following the death of her husband. She provides Florentino with his first meaningful physical distraction from his heartbreak.