Best time to go
Galapagos Islands

 

 

The "bad" Galapagos season

The Galapagos has none. Really. The climate is suitable for year-round visits. And wildlife viewing is always stimulating. Of course, each season has its advantages.

Only two
climate seasons

Because the Galapagos Islands straddle the equator, the region does not have four seasons. It has two:

Wet season
January to March
Dry season
April to December

Myth:
The Galapagos Islands
dry season is better
than its wet one

For most travel destinations on our planet, the dry season is preferable to the wet one. In the Galapagos Islands, the opposite is true.

Consider:

Galapagos sky
The skies are more often gray than blue during the driest time of the year (June to December). This is especially true during August and September when persistent overcast and thin cloud layers filter the sunlight.
Rain
The rains during the Galapagos wet season (January to May) are short-lived and occur mainly in the afternoon. They pass quickly, leaving behind gorgeous blue skies and fostering green hillsides. Moreover, it rains less during the Galapagos Islands wet season than it does at most of the world's major tourist destinations.
Temperature
Air and sea temperatures are warmest in the wet season. During the dry time of the year, the temperatures in the Galapagos Islands can become a tad chilly (though it's not unpleasant if you're suitably dressed).
Galapagos sea condition
The sea is calmest in the wet season. During the dry period (and especially in August and September), the sea can become choppy. This could make your cruise boat pitch and roll more than usual (not good if you're prone to sea sickness). And, sea surges could add a level of difficulty to your shore excursion landings.

The two
high seasons

The Galapagos has
two high-tourist seasons
They are June to mid September and mid December to mid January. (There's also a tourist crush during the Easter holiday period.)
Irony
The two high periods fall mainly in the dry season when you could encounter gray skies, restless seas, and slightly chilly temperatures.
Booking issues
And, during those periods, many cruise boats are fully booked a half year or more in advance. Even if you manage to secure a booking on short notice, you may have to settle for a boat, cabin, or itinerary that doesn't dovetail with your preferences. 

The ideal 30-day
period in the Galapagos

If there is one superior time to visit, it would be mid-April to mid-May. The skies are usually clear. The air and sea are relatively warm. The water is calm. Vegetation is green. Colorful wild flowers are abloom. And, it's not yet high season when boat, ship, tour, cruise, hotel, and air costs peak.

If you can go only in the second half of the year, choose mid-November to early December. Temperatures are on the rise, the sea is calmer, and the year's second high season doesn't begin until mid-December.

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