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Best time to visit the Galapagos Islands

The best time to visit the Galápagos Islands tends to be from October through to June, when the weather is warm and the seas calm and clear. The seasons in the Galápagos Islands are split into cool and dry (June to November) and warm and wet (December to June). Given the always busy wildlife calendar here, whenever you come there’s bound to be something exciting happening.

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Best time to visit the Galápagos Islands

It’s the wildlife’s social calendar, not the weather, that you’ll want to sync with when you visit the Galápagos Islands.

The best time to visit the Galápagos Islands is between October and June. There are warm temperatures (up to around 30°C) and calm, clear seas perfect for snorkelling, diving and boat trips between islands. Rainy season in the Galápagos is from December to April, but showers are typically short. Being near the equator, temperatures don’t vary much here, and unlike most other wildlife destinations, the animals here can be seen year round; they don’t wander off in search of waterholes or food, and there are few migratory species. Animal behaviour does vary through the year, though – do you want to see courtship dances or baby sea lions?

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A month by month guide on when to go to the Galápagos Islands

January in the Galápagos

Mating marine iguanas

Green turtles laying eggs

Popular time for visitors

Travel to the Galápagos in January and find a hubbub of activity. Snorkellers roam clear, warm seas, green sea turtles lay their eggs on island beaches, and researchers and tourists alike watch giant tortoise eggs hatch. Days are warm and generally sunny but this is the Galápagos wet season so short, sharp showers are likely. Marine iguanas on Espanola change colour as their mating season gets underway.

January is a great time for our Galápagos cruise

February in the Galápagos

Green islands

Warm water

Breeding and nesting animals

The landscape is looking lush in the Galápagos in February. It’s sunny, with little wind, and the sea temperature has reached a maximum of 24°C. Warmer weather signals l’amour and many of the land birds, turtles and tortoises that you’ll find on the Galápagos use February, March and April as their breeding or nesting season. Seek out masked boobies, marine iguanas and lava herons.

March in the Galápagos

Courting frigate birds

Good underwater visibility

Humid

Frigate birds think they’re the stars of the show in March. In their flamboyant courting season, they make a racket with their inflatable red neck sacs. But they’re competing for your attention with hatching tortoises, and the albatrosses returning to Espanola Island. It’s hot on land in the Galápagos in March, but daily showers will continue; this is the humid height of the season.

April in the Galápagos

Amazing courtship dances

Tortoises and turtles hatching

Green islands in the sun

In the Galápagos in April, blue-footed boobies start to pair up and perform their charming mating dances. So too do waved albatrosses, which each have a unique courtship ritual with their beloved. Giant tortoises may still be hatching and green turtles may start to hatch; over on Isabela Island, so are land iguanas. The Galápagos is green and lush, the sea is clear for snorkelling, and it’s generally warm and sunny.

April is a great time for our Galápagos land adventure

May in the Galápagos

Lovely on the beach

Dancing birds

Calm seas

Blue-footed boobies are still doing their courtship dances into May and June. Among the hatching young are baby marine iguanas on Santa Cruz, and green sea turtles. The Galápagos in May is a great time of year for beach lovers; sea and land temperatures are at a high and the seas are calm. This is the last month of the rainy season and the last month of generally clear skies.

June in the Galápagos

Mild, dry climate

Lots of marine life

Often overcast

The Galápagos in June sees the start of the garua (sea mist) season. It’s cloudy and dry, with steady cool winds and the temperature drops to the mid-20°Cs. Below the water, an influx of nutrient-rich cooler currents attracts heaps of marine life – from whale sharks to penguins – and there are good whale and dolphin sightings, including migrating humpbacks. On land, the giant tortoises move from the highlands to the lowlands to find nesting places.

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I went in July and it was wonderful. The weather was perfect – not too hot but warm enough that I could spend hours snorkelling!

– Abbie Redman, Travel Team specialist at Responsible Travel

July in the Galápagos

Mild, dry climate

Lots of marine life

Mating season for lots of birds

It’s not sunny in the Galápagos in July but this is the mating season for blue-footed boobies (particularly on Espanola), greater flamingos, and short-eared owls. Genovesa Island provides the perfect place to observe owlish rituals from a respectful distance. The water temperature is a cool 21°C, but marine life is abundant as creatures come and feed on the nutrients borne on the cool currents. It’s also mating season for sea lions.

August in the Galápagos

Baby sea lions

Giant tortoises lay eggs

Some choppy water

The Galápagos in August welcomes to the world some truly tiny baby sea lions. Pupping season can be seen across many of the islands. Meanwhile, giant tortoises are on the move back to the highlands, having laid their eggs. August is dry and cool, with an average high of 26°C and a low of 19°C. Stronger winds may lead to slightly choppier waters, but since this is school holiday season, it’s still a popular time to go.

September in the Galápagos

Male sea lions spar

Galápagos penguins

Low season

The Galápagos in September is in the middle of the cooler season, and temperatures can be as low as the high teens. If you’re a sea lion, it’s a great time of year for a royal rumble – males fight noisily over females on the shore, and penguins and sea life revel in the waves. It’s choppy out there, and some boats take advantage of low season come out of the water for repairs. The boats that remain may charge higher prices.

October in the Galápagos

Warming up

End of the dry season

Lively sea lions

The Galápagos in October is starting to warm up as the cooler dry season starts to come to an end. Things are also hotting up if you’re a sea lion: this is mating season, and it means that the sea lions are very active on the coasts. You’ll hear them barking before you see them. Meanwhile, blue-footed boobies are raising their chicks and lava herons are nesting.

November in the Galápagos

Snorkelling with baby sea lions

Calmer seas

End of the dry season

The Galápagos in November is sea lion central: if you’re interested in seeing playful pups doing acrobatics in the water and nibbling on your flippers, then dive in now with one of our responsible marine experts. Seas are calmer and clear, with rising water temperatures. You can expect the sun and showers of the rainy season again, but with more sun than rain. This is the end of the low season, and the weather is generally good.

December in the Galápagos

Sunny with some showers

Giant tortoises hatching

Busy holiday season

In the Galápagos in December, the weather is warmer, with sun and showers returning. It’s the start of a busy season for the islands again, as it’s school holidays for much of the world. The islands become green again and the water warm, and there are playful sea lion pups around. Most exciting for visitors, December kicks off the start of hatching season for giant tortoises.

December is a great time of year for our Ecuador and Galápagos tailor made tour

The Galápagos Weather Chart

MIN °C

MAX °C

RAIN (mm)

JAN

178

FEB

146

MAR

170

APR

156

MAY

JUN

106

JUL

115

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

130

PLAY

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Our travellers also ask…

What is the best month to go to the Galápagos Islands?

Every month has something appealing, but we’d say December could be the best month to visit the Galápagos for wildlife. Curious young sea lions and fur seals love to play with snorkellers and will come right up to your face for a close look before twisting away, while on land you can see iguanas battling for courtship rights on the rocks, and giant tortoises hatching from their eggs. Watching as a beaky head gets its first glimpse of a world it will (hopefully) inhabit for over a century is quite something.

What is the dry season in the Galápagos?

The dry season in the Galápagos is also known as the garua – sea mist season. While dry, it’s a time when it’s generally cloudier, with morning mists and less sun. This is great if you want to go hiking, as the weather is cooler (maximums in the mid-20°Cs, rather than the 30°Cs). It’s also good for marine life – the cooler Humboldt Current comes, bringing nutrients, and sharks and cetaceans come and feed.

What is the rainy season in the Galápagos?

The Galápagos rainy season runs from December to April, when you can expect showers that are sometimes heavy, but usually short. The rain rarely impedes the enjoyment of exploring or wildlife watching, and the rest of the time the weather is usually warm and sunny so that everything dries off quickly. March is generally the rainiest month in the Galápagos – and it can be very humid, too.

Is there a worst time to visit the Galápagos?

There is no real ‘worst time’ to visit the Galápagos as the wildlife events calendar is always busy, but low season tends to be from July to September, when the sea is rough and skies are cloudy. It’s not ideal for cruising and visibility is poor for snorkelling and diving. It’s a popular time for families to visit this wildlife paradise, however, and there are often low-season deals that tie in with school holidays.

What is the hottest month in the Galápagos?

February, March and April are the hottest months in the Galápagos and it’s about 30°C. It’s the wet season, and this generally means it’s sunny and humid with risk of afternoon rain showers every day. However, the temperature doesn’t vary very much at all month by month in the Galápagos. The coldest months of August, September and October are only around 5°C cooler – about 25°C.

Can you swim in the Galápagos Islands?

Yes, you can swim in the Galápagos Islands. The sea is at its warmest in February and March, at 26°C, and there are nice beaches. It’s best to get in the water under the supervision of a certified wildlife guide. That way, when you snorkel, you can do so without causing harm to yourself of any of the islands’ curious wildlife.