Weather
Ecuador is divided into three distinctive climatic zones (four, if you count the coast and Galápagos as separate).
Quito & Highlands: It gets a little warmer and wetter overall in the Highlands. Rainfall of over 5 inches (137 mm) is now the third-highest for any month in the year in the Quito region, which is broadly representative of the climate in the Highlands region.
Oriente/Amazon: Ecuador's Amazon climate varies across this vast region. At the most popular visitor destination, Parque Nacional Yasuni, temperatures remain high at 78.4°F (26°C).
Desert Coastal Strip & Galápagos: Warm and sunny weather continues to stay along the coast (although there's still a likelihood of sporadic showers). This is the warm season in the Galápagos, and the intensity of the sun compensates for the showery patches of weather in between.
Crowds & Costs
it's high season on the coast this month, where prices are higher, and availability of hotels at prime destinations is scant. it's also a popular time to visit the Galápagos. Highland destinations are less visited this month because of the wet weather. Even though it's no longer high season in the Oriente, you'll still need to book any rainforest excursion to a lodge in advance.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Where to Go
Quito & Highlands: Wet weather inclines one to take part in Ecuador's numerous indoor activities, especially in cosmopolitan cities Quito and Cuenca. This is a good month to visit Termas de Papallacta, Ecuador's most famous thermal baths. Or visit Mindo in the cloud forests for some great February bird-watching.
Oriente/Amazon: Generally speaking, as the wet season continues, you want to go to the places where you can get out on the water. Tena is a good place to visit now for its superb whitewater rafting. Boat trips in Parque Nacional Yasuni are enjoyable too, as higher water levels allow access to smaller tributaries.
Desert Coastal Strip & Galápagos: It's time for sunbathing, sea-swimming, and surfing along the coast at destinations like Mompiche, where high season is in full swing. Canoa and Montañita are other good beach towns to visit now. On the Galápagos, the best places to go are those to see green sea turtles and iguanas nesting, plus tortoises laying their eggs, on Isla Santa Cruz.
What to Do
Quito & Highlands: Check out stunning churches like Quito Old Town's Iglesia de la Compañia de Jesús, or museums like Cuenca's Museo del Banco Central Pumapungo. Or try bird-watching in Mindo, where February is one of the best months for seeing many migratory birds.
Oriente/Amazon: As this is generally the wet season, whitewater rafting on the many rivers churning off the eastern slopes of the Andes and into the jungle is popular. In Parque Nacional Yasuni, water levels are rising, and wildlife-watching trips by canoe are popular because many animals, including migratory birds, like to come out onto the trees to escape rising water and warm themselves.
Conversely, cities like Puyo, close to the serene travelers' hangout of Banos, are actually enjoying some of their driest weather right now: a good time to do a rainforest trip in this central part of the Ecuadorian Amazon, where walking on jungle paths leads to good sightings of snakes and spiders.
Desert Coastal Strip & Galápagos: Lie on a beach or try some surfing: February is one of the best months of the year for breaks, both on the coast and in the Galápagos. Also, in the Galápagos, it's bird-nesting season, as well as green sea turtle nesting, so watching the wildlife at this time of year is fantastic.
Events in February
Carnaval, Nationwide. As with elsewhere in South America, Carnaval is a huge party, taking place on the final weekend and the last days leading up to Ash Wednesday (Lent), which is almost always in February. Expect parades, water, and foam fights, and lots of music and dancing.
Fiesta de Frutas y Flores, Ambato. Final two weeks of February. Ambato for a second month in succession is the center of festival action, with this festival celebrating fruits and flowers, and full of themed parades and pageantry. An annual 'Queen of Ambato' gets crowned during festivities.
More Helpful Information
Ecuador in January
Ecuador in March
Best Time of Year to Visit Ecuador
How Many Days to Spend in Ecuador