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Ecuador · South America · southern hemisphere
Galápagos Islands is at its best for lakes & coastline in February to May. Good but not prime in January, June and December.
| J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildlife | 67 | 67 | 67 | 90 | 90 | 90 | 67 | 90 | 90 | 67 | 67 | 42 |
| Swimming | 75 | 90 | 91 | 89 | 59 | 46 | 18 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 38 | 64 |
| Lakes & Coastline | 66 | 96 | 96 | 92 | 84 | 68 | 6 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 42 | 66 |
No reliable monthly crowd data for this destination — the proxy used elsewhere did not pass its checks here, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.
Swipe the table sideways for the rest of the year.
There is no bad month here — only a trade. December to May is warm, calm and best in the water; June to November is cooler with strong trade winds and choppier crossings, but the nutrient-rich current brings the big marine life in
Nothing outright. If you are prone to seasickness, August to October bring the roughest inter-island crossings of the year.
March–April and July–August, the national park’s own two demand peaks — September is the quietest stretch
Most cruise operators set a minimum age around six or seven, and the good snorkelling is in open water from a panga rather than off a beach. Land-based island hopping is the easier family route.
A liveaboard reaches the outer islands that day boats cannot, which is most of the reason to come. Land-based hopping from Santa Cruz is far cheaper and sees a genuinely smaller slice of the archipelago — worth knowing which one a "Galápagos tour" actually is before booking.
The garúa season brings choppier water and cooler air — better for wildlife, harder on anyone who gets seasick.Jul · Aug · Sep
Kept out of the score on purpose. Averaging a rare catastrophe into a monthly number would tell you something false; the warning is the honest form.
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