Galápagos Islands · Month comparison

November vs May

May ranks #1 overall vs November at #2. Shoulder season at its best: low prices, few visitors, and the last warmth before the Humboldt Current brings the cool season.

Galápagos November — marine iguana colony on volcanic rocks at low tide

November

#2 of 12 months

Best match

The warm season begins: whale sharks returning to Darwin Island and sea turtles starting nesting — the Galápagos at its most accessible value.

  • ↑Whale sharks returning to Darwin and Wolf Islands for the warm-season aggregation (November–February): the first departures of the season available at lower pricing than peak months
  • ↑Green sea turtles beginning their nesting season (November–February): females coming ashore to lay eggs on beaches at Bartolomé, Isabela, and Santa Cruz — night tours to observe nesting are available with certified guides
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
FactorNovemberMay
Weather score
7
7
Value score
7
8
Crowd score
7
8
Events score
8
7
Atmosphere
8
7
Avg high temp26°C27°C
Monthly rain20mm30mm
Daily sunshine6hrs5hrs

November trade-offs

  • ↓Brief warm-season rains returning from November: mostly short afternoon showers but can occasionally extend longer in bad years
  • ↓Low season accommodation booking can mean less choice of rooms and cruise cabins than peak months

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 →November in detail →May in detail →
Scores compare months within Galápagos Islands. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →