Peru

October is an excellent month to visit Peru, with the dry season lingering in the Andes while spring begins to emerge along the coast, and fewer visitors than during the peak winter season.

In the south, Lake Titicaca is crisp and clear beneath bright skies, making it an excellent time to visit the floating islands and traditional communities around the lake. En route, explore the white city of Arequipa with its colonial architecture and Inca history, or hike to spot Andean condors riding the morning thermals in the Colca Valley.

On the Pacific coast, Lima begins to shake off its winter blanket of garúa mist, bringing brighter days for exploring the city’s art and food scene.

Ecuador and the Galapagos

October is one of the most interesting months to visit the Galapagos Islands. Cooler waters carried north by the Humboldt Current attract larger marine species to the archipelago, creating some of the year’s best diving and snorkelling conditions.

Whale sharks can be spotted around the northern islands of Darwin and Wolf, along with schools of hammerhead sharks, eagle rays and sea turtles. Blue-footed boobies are carrying out their distinctive courtship displays, waved albatrosses can be seen on Española Island before departing for the open Pacific, and Galápagos penguins can often be spotted fishing along the rocky shores of Isabela and Fernandina.

Back on the mainland, it’s a great time to explore Quito and Ecuador’s Andean highlands for riding and trekking, staying at haciendas and working farms.