The weather in Ecuador is exceptionally difficult to predict. There are virtually countless microclimates due to extremely varied topography that cause varied weather in neighboring geographical locations.

One generalization that can be made is that the temperature is usually colder the higher the altitude. Still, people in Quito and much of the Andes have a saying, "We have four seasons in a single day." Although the temperature does not vary much throughout the course of the year - the country does straddle the equator - Ecuador's rainy season coincides with winter months in the northern hemisphere.

The links above will hopefully aid in short term and long term planning. The information is provided by a major international weather forecasting company. Also see the packing section to aid in your travel preparations.

The Galapagos Islands

Weather in the Galapagos Islands is largely determined by ocean currents. Normally from June to December, the cold Humboldt current comes from the South and creates an inversion that traps a cool moist fog called a garúa near the ocean which creates a cool, dry climate. Typically in December, the trade winds die down and the ocean currents change, bathing the Galapagos in the warm Panama Current from the North. The warm currents bring about a typical tropical weather pattern: hot sunny mornings followed by clouds and occasional showers in the afternoons. Use the following as a rough guideline:

• June to December: cool, cloudy and dry;


• December to June: warm, sunny and wet.

Nutrient rich waters are just one of the reasons the Galapagos are such a hotspot of endemic biodiversity.

The " El Niño phonemenon" (El Niño Southern Oscillation or ENSO) can complicate the above generalization, when the currents warm and raise the air temperature and cause precipitation. ENSO also drastically disrupts the ecosystems and foodchains of the islands, potentially causing catastrophic famines in many species largely due to a lack of cold current nutrients.

Galapagos Average Rainfall Month by Month: