Best Time to Visit Galápagos

Since most of the wildlife remains on the islands year round, there’s always a lot to see. No matter when you visit, you’re guaranteed to encounter one of the highest concentrations of wildlife on the planet!

Climate

The Galápagos Islands have a sub-tropical climate with two seasons, the Hot Season and the Dry Season. The seasons on the islands are set and defined entirely by the ocean currents that surround them. The Hot Season starts in December and gradually works its way until May. During this season, warm waters from the Panama Current move south and bath the islands creating tropical conditions. Seas are generally calm, and the warmer temperatures and evaporation cause occasional tropical showers, which turn the islands green and lush. Air temperatures are hot and humid and range from 79 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. The water temperature averages 79 degrees Fahrenheit. This is a great time to enjoy the warmer waters for snorkeling and to view green sea turtles that come into the islands to breed.

From June to November, the cooler Humboldt Current runs up the west coast of South America carrying rich oceanic upwellings from Antarctica that stimulate the breeding season for sea lions and sea birds. A desert spreads gradually in this tropical paradise. Evaporation decreases and this forms a thin layer of clouds over the islands that opens and closes throughout the day. This is known as the Dry Season with air temperatures ranging from 72 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit and sea temperatures averaging 67 degrees Fahrenheit (a wetsuit is recommended for snorkeling). This is the best time of year for observing dancing boobies, courting albatrosses, baby sea lions, whales, dolphins, and whale sharks.

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Space on Galápagos vessels is very limited. Please contact us for more information about Galápagos vessels and to check availability.