Galapagos travel, as with other equatorial destinations, is good year round. The lack of drastic weather changes that clear-cut seasons create in northern and southern destinations, allow visitors to expect the same general conditions whatever time period they may decide on to book a Galapagos cruise. This is not to say that there aren’t temperature changes throughout the year, or actual seasons. There are. And many variables affect what you see and experience in the Galapagos Islands depending on your designated travel dates. Every month offers different attractions.
In general, the differences between a June Galapagos cruise and one in December has to do with the natural attractions each gets to experience. By December, temperatures start warming up. June, on the other hand, is becoming colder… in both cases, you’ll need sunscreen… but while December travelers may witness Green Sea Turtles mate, June travelers are prone to encounter Humpback Whales. If we were to list the top highlight per month of what one might find during a regular Galapagos cruise, it could look like this:
the first albatross arrive in March
January: Brightly-colored breeding marine iguanas on Española
February: Nazca Booby hatchlings
March: First Waved Albatross on Española
April: Land iguana hatchlings
May: Blue-footed Booby dance in North Seymour
June: Full-blown Frigatebird red pouch display on North Seymour
July: Flightless Cormorant courtship
August: Galapagos Hawk courtship
September: Penguins and sea lions
October: Mating season for Fur Seals
November: Sea lion pupping and mating.
December: Giant Tortoise hatchlings
The coldest month? September. Best visibility for snorkleres? April and November. Most agreeable weather? Usually November. The hottest month? March…
During the rainy season, the islands turn green… during the dry season, islands become barren, and some of the vegetation on certain islands turns purple, orange or red… In conclusion, anytime is good. You will always miss out on something that happens at another point in time, so there is no need trying to get it all in to make your decision. If you have a vacation coming up, book a Galapagos tour.
