When to go to Pacific coast

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December - February

Weather-wise, January is the start of the best time for visiting the pacific coast to enjoy its fabulous beaches and friendly fishing villages. Although it marks the start of the wet season, the sea temperatures are warm – ideal for learning to surf - and the days are in the main clear, sunny and a hot 30°C. Afternoon downpours are common but clear up quickly and give over to clear skies and wonderful sunsets. New Year is a popular time for locals to head to the coast.

29°C Average max daytime temperature

20°C Average min nighttime temperature

15 days per season rainfall

High humidity

Los Frailes Beach

March - May

The wet season, paradoxically the best time to visit for long clear sunny days and warm seas, arrives at its peak in April before the transition to the cooler and less popular dry season begins in May. Beaches get crowded in Easter but from May onwards the skies are often overcast with a permanently haze and the sea gets cold.

30°C Average max daytime temperature

20°C Average min nighttime temperature

15 days per season rainfall

High humidity

Montanita

June - August

Although it’s still hot (average 28°C) the overcast hazy skies that dominate mean the best time for sunbathing and enjoying the beaches is over. Instead, the arrival of humpback whales in Jun marks the start of the best time for nature lovers to visit the Pacific coast. The seas are cold and choppy but the wonderful offshore Isla de la Plata also experiences a burst in wildlife activity on land as well as underwater, to the delight of snorkelers.

28°C Average max daytime temperature

18°C Average min nighttime temperature

8 days per season rainfall

Moderate humidity

Isla de la Plata

September - November

The cold seas and hazy overcast days of the dry season persist during these months so although it’s still hot (average 28°C) these months are still not great for enjoying the beaches. The main reason to visit in these months is still for the whale watching, which remains excellent in September and October. By November the whales have moved away but Isla de la Plata is still very rewarding to visit.

28°C Average max daytime temperature

18°C Average min nighttime temperature

5 days per season rainfall

Moderate humidity

Whale

Papagaio

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Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Kathryn
    Kathryn Rhodes - Travel Expert

    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • Lina
    Lina Fuller - Travel Expert

    Lina's passion for the continent where she was born really took off when she moved to Córdoba (Argentina) to study, spending the holidays travelling between Argentina and her native Colombia.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Alex
    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

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