With the enormous range of destinations found in Ecuador comes a varied climate driven by a number of factors. Below is a description for each major destination.
Coast (San Lorenzo, Manta, Salinas, Guayaquil):
From January to April, the warm central Pacific current causes a hot, humid season with frequent torrential downpours. Daytime temperatures can average up to 30°C/86°F. From May to December, cool Pacific currents from the south lower the temperature by a few degrees although precipitation also lessens.
Highlands (Otavalo, Quito, Ambato, Cuenca):
The highlands are subject to a dry season from June to September, and again for a short period around Christmas. April is generally the wettest month, although even then the average is only one rainy day in two. In Quito, temperatures average a high of 21°C/70°F and a low of 8°C/38°F all year round.
Rainforest (Lago Agrio, Coca, Tena, Puyo, Macas):
The climate in the ‘Oriente’, the Ecuadorian jungle, is again very much dependent on altitude. However, as a general rule, precipitation is widespread throughout the rainforest all year round, with August and December to March being the driest months and April to June the wettest. Temperatures are high, sometimes as high as on the Pacific coast (up to about 30°C/86°F).
Galapagos Islands:
The climate of the Galapagos archipelago is hot and arid, although sea breezes tend to cool the area. The hottest months are January to March, when the average daytime highs are about 28°C/82°F. These are also the wettest months, although rainfall is minimal even then. May to December are cooler and drier, with average temperatures falling to about 25°C/77°F in September.
Events Calendar
January 1- 6, 2011: Devil´s festival
The Devil Festival (Diablada in Spanish) is held every year in the Tungurahua province, in the village of Pillaro. The dancing troupes that parade amongst the main streets of Pillaro represent the devil, who according to history, came to America with Christianity.
This ancient festival of dance is expressed in hundreds of devils coming from all the communities surrounding Pillaro, who dance in a circle around a group consisting of cholos and cholas (young men and girls). There are men dressed as women, covering their faces with a mesh mask and carry a doll in their hands, a bottle of liquor and a handkerchief.
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March 7 - 8, 2011: Carnival
Carnival festivities are one of the many manifestations of syncretism in Ecuadorian celebrations. The word "carnival" comes from the Italian "carn-aval", which means absence of meat. The origin of the Carnival festivity is to compensate for the following forty days of abstention and penitence in preparation for the remembrance of Christ's crucifixion. Many popular festivals are held throughout the country. It is a time of masks, jokes, water, music and dances. All throughout the country, "diablillos" (little devils) play with water. Throwing water balloons, sometimes even eggs and flour both to friends and strangers passing by.
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April 17 – 23, 2011: Holy Week
Following the Via Crucis prayer in the morning, the religious community of Quito has only one thing on its mind: the great procession of Good Friday, which leaves from the church of San Francisco. The procession begins at midday. The hooded cucuruchos and the robed Verónicas are the traditional figures who accompany the image of Jesus on the procession which starts and ends at the San Francisco church and which passes through a large swathe of the historical centre. The procession lasts until three in the afternoon, the hour of the death of the Lord, and the Descent from the Cross is performed at six in the evening, the hour at which the day ends in Jewish culture. The days prior to the Holy Week a festival of Sacred Music takes place in the various Colonial churches of Quito, with groups from all over the world coming to perform music dating from the 15 & 16 C.
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June: Corpus Christi
The Corpus Cristi festivities are part of the Catholic religious calendar which commemorates the Body of Christ. In Ecuador, it has becomes a colorful synthesis of Spanish and indigenous traditions in which a Catholic mass, music bands, fireworks, and most of all dancing, is intertwined. Perhaps the most famous of the Corpus celebrations takes place in Pujili village, (in the Cotopaxi province). Dancers are the center of the festivity, as they wear beautiful costumes and head pieces, and a mask. These masks are rather simple in comparisons to the elaborate headpieces. They are made out of wire mesh in a double press mold, paint is added to make simple features which usually represent a white man. A mustache from pig hair is added, at it's ready. The dancer can adopt a new personality, free of social conventions. Also the mesh gives enough air to breath, which is very helpful for a dancer who is performing all day under the summer sun!
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August: Independence of Quito
On August 10, 2011 we celebrate the Independence of Quito. A cultural night is celebrated every August 9th with street music and theatre performances in Quito´s Old Town. All museums and churches are opened until midnight – free entrance- and quiteños take this opportunity to re-live one of the most important historic events of the city and the country.
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November 2, 2011: All Souls Day
Following the Indigenous belief that a person needs to be fed even after death, Indigenous people prepare huge family gatherings with plenty of food and drink at the cemeteries. They reunite around their loved ones graves and spend the day accompanying the souls and making sure that enough food will be left behind for them.
The mestizo tradition consists of preparing a sweet drink with black corn flour, spices, fruit and herbs. The drink is served along with bread dolls, which families prepare. These two dishes are a perfect excuse for a family gathering.
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December 24 - January 6: Christmas Parade in Cuenca
The origins of this religious festival is in the early 1960’s when a statue of the Christ Child was taken to Rome to be blessed by the Pope. When the statue returned, someone in the watching crowd called out, “Ya llegó el Viajero!" (The traveller is back!! ) and the statue became known as the Niño Viajero. Today, Christmas festivities begin earlier in the month with events recalling the journey of Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. The highpoint of the celebrations is the festival of the traveling Infant Child, the Pase del Nino Viajero on December 24 with a parade that illustrates the journey of Joseph and Mary. Children from Cuenca schools come to the parade all dressed up as shepherds, baby Jesus, Joseph and Mary. They are led by the guiding star, and accompanied by angels, the Three Kings. Horses, donkeys, sheep and llamas, fully decorated with local produce, chickens and sweets march together with musicians and their dance and march is a way of showing people’s gratitude to Baby Jesus and Mother Earth for the ending year’s blessings.
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