Our verdict
The best time to visit South America is April-June
During the peak of the warmer months, temperatures in Buenos Aires, South America can rise to a maximum of around 33℃ (92℉). In the colder months such as July, temperatures usually get down to an average minimum of 8℃ (46℉). Temperatures often differ in other areas of South America though so you can find out more information about this below.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting South America, or you’re just afraid of the dark, the days in December are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset. You don’t want to get wet on your holiday, do you? Well if you’re trying to avoid the rain, then steer clear of South America in November. Head there in June instead if you want to increase your chances of not being rained on.
To learn everything you need to know (and none of the stuff you don’t) about when to go to South America, keep reading below. Plus, you’ll find tools to help you get the best deals on travel and hotels too!Quick links: Fast facts / Seasons / Average temperatures / FAQs / Map
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South America seasons
South America is a huge continent. The north of the continent sits on the equator, so the temperatures stay the same year-round, but there are much stronger extremes when it comes to wet and dry seasons. Towards central and the southern parts of South America like Argentina and Chile, temperatures follow the seasons of the Southern Hemisphere:
Season | Months |
---|---|
Summer | December to February |
Autumn/fall | March to May |
Winter | June to August |
Spring | September to November |
Best time to visit the top destinations in South America
We’ve put together a breakdown of the average minimum and maximum temperatures by month, as well as the best times to visit for each. To learn more about these destinations including detailed climate breakdowns and much more, click or tap the city/destination name below.
City | Best time to visit | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bariloche | November | ↑↓ | 20℃7℃ | 19℃7℃ | 17℃5℃ | 12℃3℃ | 8℃1℃ | 4℃-1℃ | 3℃-3℃ | 4℃-2℃ | 7℃-0℃ | 10℃1℃ | 14℃3℃ | 18℃5℃ |
Buenos Aires | October-November | ↑↓ | 31℃20℃ | 30℃20℃ | 26℃17℃ | 23℃15℃ | 19℃12℃ | 15℃9℃ | 14℃8℃ | 16℃9℃ | 18℃10℃ | 21℃12℃ | 25℃15℃ | 29℃18℃ |
Mendoza | May | ↑↓ | 28℃19℃ | 27℃17℃ | 24℃15℃ | 20℃11℃ | 16℃8℃ | 13℃5℃ | 11℃3℃ | 15℃6℃ | 17℃8℃ | 21℃11℃ | 25℃14℃ | 27℃17℃ |
Salta | May | ↑↓ | 24℃15℃ | 23℃14℃ | 22℃12℃ | 20℃11℃ | 18℃8℃ | 17℃6℃ | 16℃6℃ | 19℃7℃ | 21℃9℃ | 23℃12℃ | 24℃14℃ | 24℃15℃ |
Ushuaia | September-November | ↑↓ | 11℃4℃ | 11℃3℃ | 10℃3℃ | 7℃1℃ | 4℃-0℃ | 1℃-2℃ | 1℃-2℃ | 2℃-2℃ | 4℃-1℃ | 7℃-0℃ | 9℃1℃ | 10℃3℃ |
La Paz | May-June | ↑↓ | 11℃5℃ | 12℃5℃ | 12℃5℃ | 12℃4℃ | 12℃2℃ | 11℃0℃ | 11℃0℃ | 11℃1℃ | 12℃3℃ | 13℃5℃ | 13℃6℃ | 12℃6℃ |
Bonito | November | ↑↓ | 31℃21℃ | 30℃21℃ | 30℃20℃ | 29℃18℃ | 26℃16℃ | 25℃15℃ | 25℃14℃ | 29℃16℃ | 32℃18℃ | 32℃20℃ | 32℃20℃ | 31℃21℃ |
Brasilia | October | ↑↓ | 26℃18℃ | 26℃18℃ | 26℃18℃ | 26℃17℃ | 25℃16℃ | 25℃15℃ | 26℃14℃ | 28℃16℃ | 30℃18℃ | 29℃20℃ | 26℃19℃ | 26℃19℃ |
Colombo | April-May | ↑↓ | 26℃17℃ | 26℃17℃ | 25℃16℃ | 23℃14℃ | 20℃12℃ | 19℃10℃ | 19℃10℃ | 21℃10℃ | 23℃12℃ | 24℃14℃ | 24℃15℃ | 26℃17℃ |
Florianopolis | April-June | ↑↓ | 27℃22℃ | 27℃23℃ | 26℃21℃ | 24℃19℃ | 22℃17℃ | 20℃15℃ | 19℃15℃ | 20℃15℃ | 21℃16℃ | 22℃18℃ | 24℃19℃ | 26℃21℃ |
Foz Do Iguacu | June | ↑↓ | 32℃21℃ | 32℃21℃ | 30℃19℃ | 28℃17℃ | 24℃15℃ | 21℃13℃ | 21℃13℃ | 24℃14℃ | 27℃16℃ | 29℃18℃ | 30℃19℃ | 31℃20℃ |
Ilha Grande | April-October | ↑↓ | 32℃23℃ | 31℃23℃ | 31℃23℃ | 30℃23℃ | 30℃22℃ | 30℃22℃ | 30℃21℃ | 33℃22℃ | 34℃22℃ | 34℃23℃ | 33℃23℃ | 32℃23℃ |
Jijoca De Jericoacoara | August-September | ↑↓ | 31℃25℃ | 30℃25℃ | 30℃25℃ | 30℃25℃ | 30℃24℃ | 31℃24℃ | 31℃24℃ | 33℃24℃ | 33℃24℃ | 33℃25℃ | 33℃25℃ | 32℃26℃ |
Manaus | August-October | ↑↓ | 30℃23℃ | 30℃23℃ | 30℃23℃ | 30℃23℃ | 30℃23℃ | 32℃22℃ | 33℃22℃ | 36℃23℃ | 36℃24℃ | 36℃25℃ | 34℃25℃ | 32℃24℃ |
Rio De Janeiro | September-October | ↑↓ | 29℃24℃ | 30℃23℃ | 28℃23℃ | 27℃22℃ | 25℃20℃ | 24℃19℃ | 24℃18℃ | 24℃18℃ | 25℃19℃ | 26℃21℃ | 26℃21℃ | 28℃23℃ |
Salvador | September-November | ↑↓ | 28℃26℃ | 29℃26℃ | 29℃26℃ | 28℃26℃ | 27℃25℃ | 26℃25℃ | 26℃24℃ | 26℃24℃ | 26℃24℃ | 27℃25℃ | 28℃25℃ | 28℃26℃ |
Sao Paulo | September-November | ↑↓ | 27℃19℃ | 27℃19℃ | 26℃19℃ | 24℃17℃ | 22℃15℃ | 21℃13℃ | 21℃13℃ | 23℃13℃ | 25℃15℃ | 26℃17℃ | 25℃17℃ | 27℃19℃ |
Trancoso | June | ↑↓ | 29℃24℃ | 29℃24℃ | 29℃24℃ | 28℃24℃ | 27℃23℃ | 26℃22℃ | 25℃21℃ | 25℃21℃ | 26℃22℃ | 27℃23℃ | 28℃23℃ | 29℃24℃ |
Punta Arenas | November-January | ↑↓ | 13℃8℃ | 13℃8℃ | 12℃7℃ | 9℃6℃ | 7℃4℃ | 5℃3℃ | 5℃2℃ | 5℃2℃ | 7℃3℃ | 9℃4℃ | 11℃5℃ | 12℃7℃ |
San Pedro De Atacama | September | ↑↓ | 21℃9℃ | 20℃10℃ | 20℃8℃ | 18℃6℃ | 15℃3℃ | 12℃1℃ | 12℃0℃ | 14℃1℃ | 16℃3℃ | 18℃5℃ | 20℃6℃ | 21℃8℃ |
Santiago | November-January | ↑↓ | 26℃12℃ | 25℃12℃ | 24℃11℃ | 21℃9℃ | 17℃7℃ | 13℃4℃ | 11℃2℃ | 14℃4℃ | 16℃5℃ | 18℃7℃ | 22℃9℃ | 24℃11℃ |
Valparaiso | September-October | ↑↓ | 22℃15℃ | 22℃15℃ | 22℃15℃ | 20℃13℃ | 18℃12℃ | 16℃10℃ | 15℃9℃ | 16℃9℃ | 17℃9℃ | 18℃10℃ | 20℃12℃ | 21℃13℃ |
Barranquilla | September-November | ↑↓ | 31℃26℃ | 31℃26℃ | 31℃26℃ | 31℃27℃ | 31℃27℃ | 32℃27℃ | 32℃27℃ | 32℃27℃ | 32℃27℃ | 31℃27℃ | 31℃26℃ | 31℃26℃ |
Bogota | September | ↑↓ | 20℃10℃ | 20℃11℃ | 19℃11℃ | 18℃11℃ | 19℃11℃ | 18℃10℃ | 18℃10℃ | 19℃10℃ | 20℃10℃ | 19℃10℃ | 19℃11℃ | 19℃10℃ |
Cali | June | ↑↓ | 26℃17℃ | 26℃17℃ | 26℃18℃ | 25℃18℃ | 25℃17℃ | 26℃17℃ | 26℃17℃ | 27℃17℃ | 26℃17℃ | 25℃17℃ | 25℃17℃ | 25℃17℃ |
Cartagena | April | ↑↓ | 31℃26℃ | 31℃26℃ | 31℃26℃ | 31℃27℃ | 31℃27℃ | 31℃27℃ | 31℃27℃ | 31℃27℃ | 31℃27℃ | 30℃27℃ | 30℃26℃ | 30℃26℃ |
Leticia | June-July | ↑↓ | 30℃22℃ | 30℃23℃ | 30℃23℃ | 30℃22℃ | 30℃22℃ | 30℃21℃ | 31℃21℃ | 33℃22℃ | 34℃22℃ | 33℃23℃ | 32℃23℃ | 30℃23℃ |
Medellin | April | ↑↓ | 23℃12℃ | 22℃12℃ | 22℃13℃ | 22℃13℃ | 22℃13℃ | 23℃12℃ | 23℃11℃ | 23℃11℃ | 23℃12℃ | 21℃12℃ | 21℃13℃ | 22℃12℃ |
Santa Marta | April | ↑↓ | 27℃24℃ | 27℃24℃ | 27℃24℃ | 27℃25℃ | 28℃25℃ | 27℃25℃ | 27℃25℃ | 27℃25℃ | 28℃25℃ | 28℃25℃ | 28℃25℃ | 27℃25℃ |
Banos | September | ↑↓ | 13℃6℃ | 13℃6℃ | 13℃6℃ | 13℃6℃ | 13℃6℃ | 12℃4℃ | 12℃4℃ | 13℃4℃ | 14℃4℃ | 14℃6℃ | 14℃6℃ | 13℃6℃ |
Cuenca | April-June | ↑↓ | 15℃8℃ | 15℃8℃ | 15℃8℃ | 14℃7℃ | 15℃7℃ | 14℃6℃ | 14℃6℃ | 14℃6℃ | 15℃7℃ | 16℃8℃ | 16℃8℃ | 15℃8℃ |
Top FAQs
Check out these guides for the top must-see destinations in South America:
- Best time to visit Argentina
- Best time to visit Bolivia
- Best time to visit Brazil
- Best time to visit Bonito
- Best time to visit Brasilia
- Best time to visit Colombo
- Best time to visit Florianopolis
- Best time to visit Foz Do Iguacu
- Best time to visit Ilha Grande
- Best time to visit Jijoca De Jericoacoara
- Best time to visit Manaus
- Best time to visit Rio De Janeiro
- Best time to visit Salvador
- Best time to visit Sao Paulo
- Best time to visit Trancoso
- Best time to visit Chile
- Best time to visit Colombia
- Best time to visit Ecuador
- Best time to visit Paraguay
- Best time to visit Peru
- Best time to visit Uruguay
- Best time to visit Venezuela