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, in Quito and much of the Andes they have a saying: "We have four seasons in a single day." When someone says its summer (verano) it usually means its warm and sunny today or this week, and winter (invierno) usually means that its cold and rainy.

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

The 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. In December, normally the trade winds die down and the ocean currents change, bathing the Galapagos in the warm Panama Current from the North. The warm currents bust up the inversion and a typical tropical weather pattern of hot sunny mornings followed by clouds and occaisional showers in the afternoons generally prevails. Put all together, one can make the generalizations of: June to December cool, cloudy and dry season, December to June, warm, sunny and wet season.

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

All of this is completely thrown off by the infamous El Niño phonemenon or more correctly the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) when the currents warm and generally raise the air temperature and the precipitation in the Islands. ENSO also drastically disrupts the ecosystems and foodchains of the islands causing catastrophic famines in many species largely due to a lack of cold current nutrients.

Galapagos Average Rainfall Month by Month