GALÁPAGOS WEATHER - WHEN TO GO
Although the Galápagos has a plethora of wildlife, it only has two seasons: the cool and dry season that lasts from July through December and the hot and rainy season that goes from January through June. The weather remains relatively temperate throughout both seasons and so it’s always a good time to visit the Galapagos Islands.
The “peak season” for tourism is usually attributed as lasting from mid-December through mid-January and mid-June through September. However, since the Galápagos National Park Service has various travel restrictions, you will never have to deal with hordes of tourists and can instead enjoy the natural serenity of the islands in relative solitude.
GALÁPAGOS DRY SEASON
The dry season in Galápagos is known as the garúa season, and this is when temperatures begin to drop.
As cold waters travel north from the Antarctica region, the climate becomes more subtropical than tropical.
One of the most visible effects of the subtropical climate is the misty rain that coats the island peaks and turns the vegetation green. As garúa translates to “drizzle” in English, it’s a fitting name for the misty season.
The garúa season attracts more marine mammals, fish, and birds despite the colder waters because the Humboldt Current brings up nutrient and plankton rich water.
The drizzle largely effects the highlands while the lowlands continue to have an arid climate, and there’s plenty of wildlife to observe in both.
The sea is swarming with fishes, and so it’s one of the best times to observe seabirds and Galápagos penguins who are enjoying the feast swimming below the surface.
GALÁPAGOS RAINY SEASON
The rainy season extends from January through June, and the water and weather is at its warmest during these months. Explore the shores of Galápagos during ideal tropical weather on our Galápagos Adventure.
The tropical rain showers are at their heaviest January through March, but although the rainfall can be heavy the storms are generally short.
The predominately sunny days paired with the warm waters coming down from Colombia and Panama make for great snorkeling weather.
While the weather is at its clearest and the water at its smoothest from March to April, there are less fish to see in the warm waters; rather, more fish can be found later in the year.
WILDLIFE NEVER HIBERNATES IN THE GALÁPAGOS
The Galápagos Islands are teeming with wildlife. While it’s true that for everything there is a season, every season in the Galápagos has something miraculous to recommend it. Whether you want to see animals nesting or hatching, mating or migrating, there’s always something to see in the Galápagos. The wildlife never hibernates in the Galápagos, and so your adventures do not have to either. Explore Galápagos any day of the year on one of our Galápagos Island Vacation Day Tours.
See below for a breakdown of monthly weather and wildlife events and check out our Galapagos weather and wildlife info-graphic for a helpful visual!