When to go · Ecuador
Ecuador, month by month
Good months for Ecuador: Jan, Feb, Mar, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec.
Month by month
- JanuaryGoodGalápagos warm season starts; Andes mixed; coast hot and wet.Andes (Sierra): fine · Galápagos: best weather · Amazon (Oriente): fineCrowds: Medium · 1 festival or holiday
- FebruaryGoodCarnival (lunar, check): water fights in the Andes; Galápagos seas calm.Andes (Sierra): rainy · Galápagos: hot · Amazon (Oriente): fineCrowds: Medium · 1 festival or holiday
- MarchGoodWettest Andes month; Galápagos water warmest; Easter week (check) fills buses.Andes (Sierra): rainy · Galápagos: hot · Amazon (Oriente): rainyCrowds: Low · 2 festivals or holidays
- AprilMixedRain in the Andes and Amazon; landslides on mountain roads; good Galápagos snorkelling.Andes (Sierra): rainy · Galápagos: hot · Amazon (Oriente): rainyCrowds: Low · 1 festival or holiday
- MayGoodShoulder season; seas start to cool; quieter prices.Andes (Sierra): fine · Galápagos: best weather · Amazon (Oriente): rainyCrowds: Low · 2 festivals or holidays
- JuneGoodDry Andes, clear Cotopaxi; Inti Raymi in Otavalo; whale season opens on the coast.Andes (Sierra): best weather · Galápagos: fine · Amazon (Oriente): rainyCrowds: High · 1 festival or holiday
- JulyGoodPeak for Galápagos cruises (northern holidays); book months ahead.Andes (Sierra): best weather · Galápagos: cool · Amazon (Oriente): rainyCrowds: High
- AugustGoodDriest Andes; windy on the páramo; Galápagos seas at their roughest.Andes (Sierra): best weather · Galápagos: cool · Amazon (Oriente): fineCrowds: High · 1 festival or holiday
- SeptemberGoodDry and clear in the highlands; some Galápagos boats dock for maintenance.Andes (Sierra): best weather · Galápagos: cool · Amazon (Oriente): fineCrowds: Medium
- OctoberGoodQuiet month; Andes still mostly dry.Andes (Sierra): fine · Galápagos: cool · Amazon (Oriente): fineCrowds: Low · 1 festival or holiday
- NovemberGoodDía de Difuntos (2 Nov) and Cuenca's independence (3 Nov) fill southern buses.Andes (Sierra): fine · Galápagos: fine · Amazon (Oriente): fineCrowds: Medium · 1 festival or holiday
- DecemberGoodFiestas de Quito (early Dec) and Christmas: book Galápagos and Quito early.Andes (Sierra): fine · Galápagos: best weather · Amazon (Oriente): fineCrowds: High · 2 festivals or holidays
Weather by region
How each climate zone rates each month.
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Andes (Sierra)Quito, Otavalo, Cotopaxi, Baños, Cuenca | OK | Wet | Wet | Wet | OK | Best | Best | Best | Best | OK | OK | OK |
| GalápagosSanta Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela | Best | Hot | Hot | Hot | Best | OK | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | OK | Best |
| Amazon (Oriente)Coca, Tena, Cuyabeno, Yasuní | OK | OK | Wet | Wet | Wet | Wet | Wet | OK | OK | OK | OK | OK |
| Coast (Costa)Guayaquil, Montañita, Puerto López | Hot | Wet | Wet | Wet | OK | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | Cool | OK | Hot |