☀️🌦️Galapagos Islands Weather

What is the best time to visit the Galapagos Islands?

When it comes to planning a trip the first and most important question is always “When” followed by “How long?” and “Is the weather going to be good?“. If you are planning to travel to the Galapagos Islands these two questions may be in your head too among with many others. You will be happy to know that the Galapagos Islands have a great weather all year long, so if you don’t have much freedom to choose specific dates for your holidays,  don’t worry because you will have an amazing experience no matter when you travel.

However, if you are planning to do special activites such as bird watching, iguanas, blue footed boobies, giant tortoises or diving, there are some months that are better for each one. It does not mean you will not be able to do so the rest of the year, but the season may favor the experience. It is good to know a bit more of the Galapagos Islands weather and how it will impact your trip. We will tell you all you need to know in this post.

Weather in the Galapagos Islands ⛱️

The Galapagos Islands are located in Ecuador  on the Pacific Ocean and even though the weather is pretty stable and we don’t have 4 seasons like the rest for the world there are two periods of time where the weather is slightly different.

The Galapagos Islands weather is influenced by being in the ecuador and the marine currents that pass through the islands. These two combined features, give the Galapagos Islands the unique conditions that favors several unique species live here, but it also can make it unpredictable sometimes.

Another unique characteristic about the Galapagos Islands is that it several microclimates within the archipielago. It can be sunny when landing in the Baltra Island, then while you pass through Santa Cruz Highlands the sky will most likely be full of clouds and a bit rainy, and finally, a few minutes later, when you are reaching the coast there will be a very bright sky and sunny weather again.

So don’t worry if this happens to you as you land for the first time on the Islands. This weather difference also has a relation with the species you can see.  The Santa Cruz Highlands is the perfect environment for the characteristic Galapagos Giant Tortoise and getting closer to the beach, marine iguanas.

Even when microclimates and the weather changes, we can guarantee you that you won’t be cold anytime in the Galapagos Islands 😎.  The minimum temperature is 20º C and the usual variation is from rainy and dry season.

What is the best time to go to the Galapagos Islands? ✈️

There is no bad or good season to travel to the Galapagos Islands. No matter when, you will have a lifetime experience and be able to enjoy the wonders of the islands. However, we will tell you a more about both seasons so you can decide which one works better for you.

These are sunny and hot months and also the ones with less rain probability. In Ecuador, and even more in the coast, this season is known as “beach season”  because most schools are on holidays and the water temperature is ideal. This also applies to the Galapagos Islands, where water temperature goes from 24º to 27ºC. These months are part of the season known as Hot Season 🔥 from december to june. Some months in this period are high demand season for the Galapagos Islands (meaning hotel prices may rise), especially on february´s carnival holidays and march (holy week). However, Galapagoslowcost maintain the same low prices all year.

It is the best season to surf in the Galapagos Islands and to visit our wonderful beaches. Bartolomé and Seymour tours are the most trecommended tours to enjoy in this season, to lie in their paradisiacal beaches.

During this period the rain decreases substantially  and the weather is nicer, less hot and a nice breeze (like spring). Water temperature also lowers, making it a bit colder to dive in (temperatures from 20º – 21ºC) but on the bright side, this temperature (that is very tolerable) is the favorite for many sea species, meaning that its the best time to do snorkeling or diving tours because you’ll see the Galapagos Islands sealife in its prime. These months are part of the Dry Season, from june to november.

We want to insist that there’s no “better” month to visit the Galapagos Islands. Coming to the Galapagos Islands is always a good idea and you will be amaze by the experience. However, if you are able to choose, we would recommend you travelling on the “transition” months, meaning the months where the Galapagos Islands are changing from Dry  to Hot season and vice versa.

These months are from april to june and november to january. Six months a year the Galapagos islands weather is perfect and will let you enjoy the best of both seasons. We just want to give you the heads up that some months are also high demand season so its better to book in advance tours and accomodation. Remember that if you need help planning your itinerary or booking daily tours we are happy to help. Drop us a line and we will find out the best option for you!

 We’ll help you build and organize a personalized itinerary so that you make the most of your budget and time in the Galapagos Islands.