Ecuador
Galápagos in May
☀️ Dry seasonWarm, humid and mostly dry.
🎒 Pack: quick-dry fabrics · sunglasses & hat
Why May scores 8.9What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort8.4
- ✓Warm (29°C highs / 23°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 22.1°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~42 mm rain)
- Air quality10.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~5 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline6.5
- ·Increased caution
| May | Oct | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.9 Excellent | 9.3 Excellent |
| Season | ☀️ Dry season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 29° / 23° | 26° / 20° |
| Rain | 42 mm | 11 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 22° | dew pt 19° |
| PM2.5 | 5 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: San Cristóbal Island weather-station normals. Rainfall: San Cristóbal Island weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- Labor Day 30 Apr – 2 May · 3 days off in a row
- The Battle of Pichincha 22–24 May · 3 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore GalápagosEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyAn Ecuadorian volcanic archipelago in the Pacific, famous for fearless wildlife, giant tortoises and its role in Darwin's theory of evolution.
Waved albatross season on EspañolaDate variesUsually April to December
Almost the entire world population of waved albatrosses breeds on Española, with courtship displays early in the season.
Why go: Outside these months the birds are at sea, so check that your boat itinerary includes Española.
Where: Española Island (Punta Suárez)
Warm seasonDate variesUsually December to May
Warmer water, calmer seas, sunshine with short rain showers, and many land birds nesting.
Why go: Better for snorkelling in comfort and for travellers prone to seasickness.
Where: Throughout the islands
Coming up later
Cool, garúa seasonDate variesUsually June to November
The Humboldt Current brings cooler water, misty skies and rougher seas but very rich marine life.
Why go: Bring a thicker wetsuit and seasickness remedies; this is the best time for whale sharks around Darwin and Wolf on liveaboard dives.
Where: Throughout the islands
Charles Darwin Research Station
A research and breeding centre for giant tortoises in Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz.
Santa Cruz highlands
Farmland and forest where wild giant tortoises roam, plus lava tunnels.
Tortuga Bay
A long white-sand beach reached by a paved walking path from Puerto Ayora, with marine iguanas and a calm lagoon.
💡 Swim in the sheltered bay rather than on the main surf beach.
Kicker Rock (León Dormido)
A split rock formation off San Cristóbal, a popular snorkelling and diving site.
North Seymour
A small island with colonies of frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies and land iguanas, visited on guided tours.
Bartolomé Island
Known for its viewpoint over Pinnacle Rock and a nearby beach where Galápagos penguins are sometimes seen.
Ceviche
Shrimp or fish marinated in lime with onion and tomato, served with popcorn or plantain chips.
Encocado
Fish or seafood stewed in coconut sauce, an Ecuadorian coastal classic.
Patacones
Twice-fried green plantain slices served as a side.
Grilled fresh fish
Local catch grilled to order in the evenings.
💡 Street food area on Charles Binford street, Puerto Ayora
Galápagos-grown coffee
Coffee grown in the highlands of San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz.
Tagua nut carvings
Small figures and jewellery carved from the hard 'vegetable ivory' seed of an Ecuadorian palm.