PARKS AND TRIBES

9 CLIMATE ZONES OF ECUADOR

1. Wet Tropica Lowlands: Amazonía & Esmeraldas

2. Seasonally Wet Tropical or Monsoon Lowlands: Central Coast

3. Dry Tropical Lowlands: Guayaquil

4. Semi-árid Tropical Lowlands: Santa Helena

5. Árid Tropical Lowlands: El Oro: Galápagos

6. Temperate Tropical Highlands: Valle Central de los Andes

7. Cool Tropical Highlands: Flancos Andinos

8. Cold Tropical Mountainous: Andean Paramos

9. Glacial Tropical Mountenous: Glaciales Andinos

Did the 9 Climate Zones of Ecuador Change Year Around?

The Combined Effects of the Andes and 2 Marine Currents Create 9 Climate Zones in Ecuador: See All Climates on the Climate Map... Additionally, the coast of Ecuador is a transition zone from the word's wettest tropical zone - the Choco in Colombia - and the coastal desert that starts in Peru and progresses to the word's driest desert in Chile. This results in a tropical wet climate at the border with Colombia, a seasonally wet savannah climate at just North of Guayaquil and a semi arid climate near the border with Peru. The Map Shows 9 Major Climate Zones... See Learn more about them all... But at a Micro Scale, there are many more Climate Zones, such as the Polar Conditions on the Snow-Capped Mountains, High Elevation Semi-deserts in some Valleys in the Andes, etc.

Climate Change in Ecuador Year Around

The climate conditions in the mayor 9 Climate Zones Ecuador may be totally independent from each other, as the pictures beneath clearly show. On the left one can see the snow-capped mountains of Altar, Cayambe, Cotapaxi and Chimborazo above the clouds on the same day from the airplane during the dry season in the Andes, that ranges from July - September. Only in the dry season from December to March, can one see so many volcanoes on the same day. At the right, a picture take the previous day of the sign of the Cuyabeno lodge half covered by water, due to the highest elevation of Cuyabeno Lake during the wet season that we have ever observed in the 25 years of its existence. In Galapagos the wet season is from December through May. So, there is NO BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO VISIT ECUADOR! There will always be an area where the weather is pleasant while at the same time in another Zone it may be unpleasantly hot or where it is raining cats and dogs . But we have observed some indications of climate change in Ecuador, Particularly in Rainfall... Read More: In the Amazon, Rainfall has Decreased over the past decade. Prolonged periods of draught Alternated with more Rainfall during other periods. The Glaciers are Visibly Shrinking, while temperatures at the coast seem to increase.

For detailed information with graphs and tables on climate and weather in Ecuador:

QUITO CLIMATE, WEATHER BY MONTH & AVERAGE TEMPERATURE

In the Andean highlands the climate is spring-like with pleasant weather with temperatures that may run up to about 25 degrees Celsius, while cooling off to about 15 degrees at night in Otavalo, Cuenca and  Quito, which vary in elevation from 2300 - 2900 m. Often the mornings are sunny, while in the afternoon the sky becomes covered with clouds and rainfall may force you to take shelter in one of the many great in the colonial centers of these great cities. In the Central Andes valley, predominate spring-like weather conditions resulting from the higher elevation and a rain shadow form the much higher surrounding mountains. In some valleys, with extreme rain shadow effect, the predominant weather conditions may be dry to semi-arid, though with moderate temperatures due to the high elevation. The area of the "Mitad del Mundo" is a good example.  The highest rainfall occurs along the external Andes mountain range where the winds are forced up. As they are forced up the mountains, clouds are formed while rainfall increases. At the Amazon side of the Andes, rainfall may be as high 5 m per year in the Pastaza province, while temperatures are much lower than in the lowlands. High up in the mountains, above 3500 m, climatic conditions become rather to very cold and several mountains in Ecuador are permanently snow-capped. As a result of climate change, the glaciers of those mountains have been shrinking for many years and the snowlines have been slowly creeping up.

CLIMATE, WEATHER BY MONTH & AVERAGE TEMPERATURE CUENCA ECUADOR?

The conditions of Cuenca are very similar to those of Quito and Otavalo.

WEATHER OF CITIES & BEACHES PACIFIC COAST ECUADOR [2026]?

The northwest coast of Ecuador has a wet tropical climate, with a rainy season from May - December. Read all about the 9 climate zones of Ecuador. 

it may sound strange, but during the rainy season at the coast, the sky is either covered with thick clouds that bring rain, or the sky is clear and sunny. During the dry season there is a permanent rather somber hazy sky without the sun coming through very much. Annual precipitation decreases from North to South, as the conditions transition from the extremely wet at the border with Colombia, in the Choco zone, to arid conditions along the border with Peru. The latter being cased by the cold Humboldt coming from the South Pole. As winds come ashore, the air heats up which brings down the relative humidity to desert conditions along the coast. When winds are forced up to the Andes range,  the air cools down again forming clouds and rainfall at higher elevations. The records are not all that clear about that, but it seems that the frequency and severity of Niño years has increased, with more frequent and more severe flooding taking place along the coast.

BEST TIME AMAZON RAINFOREST ECUADOR WEATHER [2026]?

The climate of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuador, or Oriente as Ecuadorians call it, is characterized by an average of about 3000 mm of rainfall per year and an average temperature of 23 degrees C. However, these values are very coarse and temperatures are lower in the foothills of the Andes. What is important however, is the fact that the Ecuadorian Amazon is located right on the Equator and runs right through the Cuyabeno Faunistic Reserve. As a result its "dry seasons" have lower rainfall than the rest of the year, but even then, rain showers occur and it never becomes totally dry. Therefore, more moist-dependent tropical species of plants and animals can live in the Amazon of Ecuador than anywhere else, with the Cuyabeno Wildlife Reserve having the greatest recorded biodiversity in the world. The guides of our  Ecuador Amazon rainforest lodge, the Cuyabeno Lodge, are widely known for the knowledge about birds as well as other Amazon Jungle Animals and Amazon Rain forest Plants. It is less easy to statistically pinpoint this to climate change, but over the last 2 decades it seems that annual rainfall has been decreasing a bit, while prolonged dry periods have taken place, which in one year even was accompanied by forest fires, which has been unknown in the zone as far as people can remember.

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS CLIMATE & TEMPERATURE: 10 YR CHARTS [2026]

The conditions at the Galapagos Islands is similar to those of the coast of Peru, with desert like conditions at the shores and lowlands, while humidity increases at higher elevations of the larger islands.

Sunburn risk

It is important to bring appropriate clothing for the different zones in Ecuador due to the varying weather conditions. For the western lowlands and Galapagos National Park, thin shirts, shorts, and light trousers are recommended for hot weather. In the central Andes valley, the Andes flanks, a light sweater or locally bought sweater is advised due to chilly evenings. For highlands above 3500 m, warm clothing is necessary as temperatures may turn wintery cold. It is also important to bring a nylon poncho and/or water-coated light rain jacket as rainfall can occur anywhere in Ecuador.

Visitors are warned about the extremely high UV radiation in Ecuador due to its location on the Equator. Adequate protection is needed, such as wearing a hat that covers the ears and neck, while using high-grade sunblock  (don't forget the edges of your ears). Avoid wearing sandals or bare feet as feet are most directly exposed to the sun. Visitors should also be aware of the effects of wind on sunburn and the higher UV radiation in the highlands and on the water. Don't be fooled by an overcast sky, you can still get sun burn. Be particularly aware in the highlands, where the UV is even higher!; and on the water (Cuyabeno, Galapagos), because on the water, the UV effect is greater. Also beware of wind, as it also tends to increase the sun burning of your skin.

Map of climate types and mean precipitation per zone.

Dear visitor, our website gives you info about our National Parks Tours, our Galapagos programs, the Cuyabeno Loop, as well as our Cuyabeno  and Cofan Lodges in the Amazon. For those who want to combine the Exuberant Nature of Ecuador with the Famous culture of Peru, we even have a 7 days Highlights of Peru extension! Our website gives you the best information on the internet, like Ecuador Travel Guide, because we are the only tour operator run by professional biologists. Take a look:

The use of Climate and weather in Latin America

In Latin America, most people don't use the word "climate" and "weather" in their proper sense. While climate refers to the prevailing average atmospheric conditions over a period of many decades or more  and of a larger zone with the same average conditions, like a coastal, or a mountain zone. Most Latin Americans, however, use the term "climate" for the atmospherice condionts of the moment at the place where they are, which is synonym to the proper use of weather.

In Spanish, the word for time and the word "weather" are both "tiempo", but most Spanish speakers use "tiempo" only for referring to "time", not for weather.

To complicate matters even further, in absence of 4 seasons, many Latin Americans use the terms of seasons to refer to the weather conditions, as well as for the 2 seasons that characterize the seasons of a place. They refer to the dry season as "summer" (verano) and to the rainy season  as winter (invierno), conditions that  are very different from the seasons in temperate or polar conditions summer and winter in the North or South. So, the weather often is referred to as  "hace verano/invierno" ("it's summer/winter") to tell that the sun is shining or that it is cloudy or raining. So, in the mountains of Ecuador, like in Quito, the climate changes several times per day. Speaking of climate change in Ecuador !

CLIMATE ZONES OF ECUADOR CHANGE YEAR AROUND?