| Ecuador mainland
Only about the size of Colorado, Ecuador has a surprising variety of climates, and because of Ecuador’s unique geography the weather can be very localized. The weather also has a tendency to change very quickly.
In the eastern sierra, the wet season is from June to August with average temperatures around 20ºC. Meanwhile, in the middle of a dry season, the western sierra will be struck with strong winds, little rain and higher temperatures. This pattern is reversed for the rest of the year with the exception of December when fine weather is present in the drenched western sierra.
With the rainy season ranging from September to April and average temperatures at 28ºC, the Amazon basin is what you would expect of a tropical rainforest, wet. And raining most days in the afternoon the Amazon basin is truly a rainforest. From May to August the average temperature increases to around 32ºC along with the frequency of the rainfall.
On the much drier coast, the dry season runs from about June to December with a temperature drop to about 26ºC. The garúa, a damp mist, has a tendency to cast itself over the coastline and the sun. The sun can disappear for three months at a time. Then in January to June temperatures go up and despite the occasional heavy rain, the days will be bright and sunny. |
The Galapagos Islands, though under the equator, are not as hot as you might think because of cool water currents. In fact, they have a climate very similar to California with warm days, cool nights, and a low humidity. December through June is the warmer time of the year, and the sea tends to be warmer too. The islands also receive more rain and plenty of sunshine, blue skies, and light rains. The dry season or the garúa season lasts from June or July through November. The mist forms in the highlands providing more moisture than the rainy season ever did. The skies are cloudier and the temperature is lower at around 20ºC.