Galápagos Islands · Month comparison

March vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs March at #5. Shoulder season at its best: low prices, few visitors, and the last warmth before the Humboldt Current brings the cool season.

Galápagos March — blue-footed booby nesting on the volcanic shore

March

#5 of 12 months

Best match

Sea turtle eggs hatching on the beaches as lush vegetation peaks — the islands at their greenest and most photogenic.

  • ↑Sea turtle hatching season (January–March): green sea turtle hatchlings emerge from nests on beaches across Isabela and Santa Cruz — witnessing a nest emergence is one of the islands' most extraordinary natural events
  • ↑Vegetation at maximum green: the normally grey volcanic highlands of Santa Cruz turn vivid after months of warm-season rain, creating a landscape entirely different from the dry-season character photographs typically show
Galápagos May — marine iguana on volcanic rock at the shoreline

May

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Shoulder season at its best: low prices, few visitors, and the last warmth before the Humboldt Current brings the cool season.

  • ↑The lowest visitor numbers of the year (outside June–July which ironically sees more): last-minute liveaboard availability and day-cruise prices at their annual minimum
  • ↑Rain essentially over (30mm — lightest of any month) with increasingly clear skies as the Humboldt Current begins its approach: good conditions for both snorkelling and island hikes
FactorMarchMay
Weather score
7
7
Value score
6
8
Crowd score
7
8
Events score
8
7
Atmosphere
8
7
Avg high temp29°C27°C
Monthly rain80mm30mm
Daily sunshine5.5hrs5hrs

March trade-offs

  • ↓Peak rainfall of the year (80mm): afternoon squalls more frequent and sometimes sustained; weather windows require monitoring for outdoor island activities
  • ↓Easter school holidays (when March coincides with Easter) cause accommodation and liveaboard price spikes that can rival January peak rates

May trade-offs

  • ↓Not peak season for any single dramatic wildlife spectacle: a transitional month where warm-season highlights are fading and cool-season highlights haven't peaked yet
  • ↓Cool-season winds beginning to build: inter-island crossings in the open ocean between the main island groups becoming choppier than during January–March
See all 12 months for Galápagos Islands →March in detail →May in detail →
Scores compare months within Galápagos Islands. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →