January in Cotopaxi: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 6.4/10January averages 10°C (50°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
At 127 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 13 days with 6+ hours of sunshine in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 6.4/10 here, 3rd of 12 months, against 7.3/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
February in Cotopaxi — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 5.8/10February averages 11°C (51°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
At 146 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 10 days with 6+ hours of sunshine in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 5.8/10 here, 7th of 12 months, against 7.3/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
Flexible dates? September scores 1.5 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
March in Cotopaxi: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.4/10Expect 11°C (51°F) in March. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Expect monsoon-level rainfall at 261 mm: only about 10 days with 6+ hours of sunshine across the month, and stretches of heavy rain are normal.
That is 5.4/10 on the same scale — 11th of 12 months, versus 7.3/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
If your dates are flexible, September is materially better in Cotopaxi — 1.9 points higher on the same scale.
April in Cotopaxi — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 5.5/10April averages 10°C (51°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
245 mm of rain puts this in monsoon territory — about 11 days with 6+ hours of sunshine across the whole month, and multi-day washouts are normal.
It scores 5.5/10 here, 9th of 12 months, against 7.3/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
Flexible dates? September scores 1.8 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
May in Cotopaxi: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.4/10Expect 10°C (50°F) in May. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Expect monsoon-level rainfall at 233 mm: only about 11 days with 6+ hours of sunshine across the month, and stretches of heavy rain are normal.
That is 5.4/10 on the same scale — 12th of 12 months, versus 7.3/10 for the best month here.
Budget for low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
If your dates are flexible, September is materially better in Cotopaxi — 1.9 points higher on the same scale.
June in Cotopaxi — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5.5/10June averages 9°C (48°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
At 152 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 11 days with 6+ hours of sunshine in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 5.5/10 here, 10th of 12 months, against 7.3/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
Flexible dates? September scores 1.8 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
July in Cotopaxi — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 5.7/10July averages 8°C (47°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
At 142 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 12 days with 6+ hours of sunshine in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 5.7/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 7.3/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on low-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
Flexible dates? September scores 1.6 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
August in Cotopaxi — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 6.4/10Expect 8°C (47°F) in August. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
112 mm of rain signals a properly wet month, with only about 15 days with 6+ hours of sunshine to count on — build indoor options into the schedule.
That is 6.4/10 on the same scale — 4th of 12 months, versus 7.3/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
September in Cotopaxi tops the year's climate scores
Best window · 7.3/10Expect 9°C (49°F) in September. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Budget for roughly 73 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 17 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 12 hours of daylight to work around it.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Cotopaxi at 7.3/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Expect peak pricing, and crowds are moderate. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer, footwear you can get muddy.
October in Cotopaxi — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.3/10October averages 10°C (50°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
At 180 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 16 days with 6+ hours of sunshine in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 6.3/10 here, 5th of 12 months, against 7.3/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
November in Cotopaxi: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 6.5/10November averages 11°C (51°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
At 155 mm this is a genuinely wet month: about 16 days with 6+ hours of sunshine in total, and outdoor plans need an indoor fallback.
It scores 6.5/10 here, 2nd of 12 months, against 7.3/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
December in Cotopaxi: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.9/10Expect 10°C (51°F) in December. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
188 mm of rain signals a properly wet month, with only about 12 days with 6+ hours of sunshine to count on — build indoor options into the schedule.
That is 5.9/10 on the same scale — 6th of 12 months, versus 7.3/10 for the best month here.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella, footwear you can get muddy.
