Santa Elena weather in December
In December, Santa Elena sees average daytime highs of 28°C and overnight lows near 22°C, with 45 mm of rain across 6.9 wet days and about 12.1 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in December, and the air most often feels muggy.
Daylight stretches from about 12 h 06 min at the start of December to 12 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Santa Elena's 2nd-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Santa Elena's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 28°
- 6th warmest
- Overnight low
- 22°
- 7th coldest
- Rainfall
- 45 mm
- 6.9 wet days
- Daylight
- 12 h 06 min
- 6:16 AM – 6:23 PM
- Cloud cover
- 71%
- 2nd clearest
- Wind
- 10 km/h
- 6th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.36 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 6.4
- out of 10
Santa Elena is city in Ecuador, capital of the Santa Elena Province.
- Density
- 2,040/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1531
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in December
Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 28°C through the month.
A typical December day in Santa Elena reaches about 28°C in the afternoon and slips back to 22°C overnight — a 6°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 26°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 1°C warmer than November and about 1°C cooler than January.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| Avg low (°C) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 | 22 |
| 2 | 27 | 22 |
| 3 | 27 | 22 |
| 4 | 27 | 22 |
| 5 | 27 | 22 |
| 6 | 27 | 22 |
| 7 | 27 | 22 |
| 8 | 27 | 22 |
| 9 | 28 | 22 |
| 10 | 28 | 22 |
| 11 | 28 | 22 |
| 12 | 28 | 22 |
| 13 | 28 | 22 |
| 14 | 28 | 22 |
| 15 | 28 | 22 |
| 16 | 28 | 22 |
| 17 | 28 | 22 |
| 18 | 28 | 22 |
| 19 | 28 | 22 |
| 20 | 28 | 22 |
| 21 | 28 | 23 |
| 22 | 28 | 23 |
| 23 | 28 | 23 |
| 24 | 28 | 23 |
| 25 | 28 | 23 |
| 26 | 28 | 23 |
| 27 | 28 | 23 |
| 28 | 28 | 23 |
| 29 | 28 | 23 |
| 30 | 28 | 23 |
| 31 | 28 | 23 |
How December really feels in Santa Elena
Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Santa Elena weather by month
How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 6th-warmest and 6th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 29° / 24° | 87 | 12.3 | 12.1 | 5.0 |
| Feb | 29° / 24° | 145 | 17 | 12.1 | 4.0 |
| Mar | 30° / 24° | 143 | 17.2 | 12 | 4.1 |
| Apr | 29° / 24° | 99 | 14.9 | 12 | 4.6 |
| May | 28° / 23° | 61 | 12.2 | 11.9 | 5.4 |
| Jun | 27° / 22° | 39 | 8.9 | 11.9 | 6.4 |
| Jul | 26° / 21° | 30 | 7.1 | 11.9 | 6.9 |
| Aug | 25° / 21° | 19 | 4.5 | 11.9 | 7.3 |
| Sep | 26° / 20° | 24 | 5.8 | 12 | 7.0 |
| Oct | 26° / 21° | 20 | 5 | 12 | 7.0 |
| Nov | 26° / 21° | 20 | 4.2 | 12.1 | 7.0 |
| Dec | 28° / 22° | 45 | 6.9 | 12.1 | 6.4 |
Cloud cover in December
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 12% of the time in December.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 16% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 72%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 30 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 29 | 28 |
| Cloudier (%) | 70 | 70 | 70 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 73 | 72 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 73 | 72 | 72 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 71 | 71 | 71 | 72 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | 70 |
| 2 | 30 | 70 |
| 3 | 30 | 70 |
| 4 | 29 | 71 |
| 5 | 29 | 71 |
| 6 | 29 | 71 |
| 7 | 29 | 71 |
| 8 | 29 | 71 |
| 9 | 28 | 72 |
| 10 | 28 | 72 |
| 11 | 28 | 72 |
| 12 | 27 | 73 |
| 13 | 28 | 72 |
| 14 | 27 | 73 |
| 15 | 27 | 73 |
| 16 | 27 | 73 |
| 17 | 27 | 73 |
| 18 | 27 | 73 |
| 19 | 27 | 73 |
| 20 | 28 | 72 |
| 21 | 27 | 73 |
| 22 | 28 | 72 |
| 23 | 28 | 72 |
| 24 | 28 | 72 |
| 25 | 29 | 71 |
| 26 | 29 | 71 |
| 27 | 28 | 72 |
| 28 | 29 | 71 |
| 29 | 29 | 71 |
| 30 | 29 | 71 |
| 31 | 28 | 72 |
Chance of precipitation in December
Santa Elena gets around 45 mm of rain over 6.9 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 22% and peaks near 31% on the wettest days. The odds climb toward the end of the month.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 29 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 31 |
| Rain chance (%) | |
|---|---|
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 16 |
| 3 | 16 |
| 4 | 16 |
| 5 | 16 |
| 6 | 16 |
| 7 | 16 |
| 8 | 17 |
| 9 | 17 |
| 10 | 17 |
| 11 | 18 |
| 12 | 19 |
| 13 | 20 |
| 14 | 20 |
| 15 | 21 |
| 16 | 22 |
| 17 | 23 |
| 18 | 24 |
| 19 | 24 |
| 20 | 25 |
| 21 | 26 |
| 22 | 27 |
| 23 | 27 |
| 24 | 28 |
| 25 | 28 |
| 26 | 28 |
| 27 | 29 |
| 28 | 29 |
| 29 | 30 |
| 30 | 31 |
| 31 | 31 |
Humidity in December
Most of December feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, December lands in the muggy band about 77% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 97% of them.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humid (%) | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 81 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 85 | 85 | 84 | 85 | 84 | 84 | 84 | 83 | 82 | 80 | 80 | 79 | 77 | 76 | 75 | 73 | 72 | 70 | 68 | 66 | 64 | 62 | 60 | 58 |
| Oppressive (%) | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 33 | 35 | 37 | 39 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 81 | 9 | 0 |
| 2 | 9 | 81 | 9 | 1 |
| 3 | 8 | 82 | 9 | 1 |
| 4 | 7 | 83 | 9 | 1 |
| 5 | 6 | 84 | 9 | 1 |
| 6 | 6 | 84 | 9 | 1 |
| 7 | 5 | 85 | 9 | 1 |
| 8 | 5 | 85 | 9 | 1 |
| 9 | 4 | 85 | 9 | 2 |
| 10 | 4 | 84 | 10 | 2 |
| 11 | 3 | 85 | 10 | 2 |
| 12 | 3 | 84 | 11 | 2 |
| 13 | 3 | 84 | 11 | 2 |
| 14 | 2 | 84 | 12 | 2 |
| 15 | 2 | 83 | 13 | 2 |
| 16 | 2 | 82 | 14 | 2 |
| 17 | 2 | 80 | 15 | 3 |
| 18 | 1 | 80 | 16 | 3 |
| 19 | 1 | 79 | 17 | 3 |
| 20 | 1 | 77 | 19 | 3 |
| 21 | 1 | 76 | 20 | 3 |
| 22 | 0 | 75 | 22 | 3 |
| 23 | 0 | 73 | 24 | 3 |
| 24 | 0 | 72 | 25 | 3 |
| 25 | 0 | 70 | 27 | 3 |
| 26 | 0 | 68 | 29 | 3 |
| 27 | 0 | 66 | 31 | 3 |
| 28 | 0 | 64 | 33 | 3 |
| 29 | 0 | 62 | 35 | 3 |
| 30 | 0 | 60 | 37 | 3 |
| 31 | 0 | 58 | 39 | 3 |
Wind in December
Winds average 10 km/h in December.
Across December, daily wind ranges from about 9 km/h on the calmest days to 11 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | calm |
| 2 | 11 | calm |
| 3 | 11 | calm |
| 4 | 11 | calm |
| 5 | 11 | calm |
| 6 | 11 | calm |
| 7 | 11 | calm |
| 8 | 11 | calm |
| 9 | 10 | calm |
| 10 | 10 | calm |
| 11 | 10 | calm |
| 12 | 10 | calm |
| 13 | 10 | calm |
| 14 | 10 | calm |
| 15 | 10 | calm |
| 16 | 10 | calm |
| 17 | 10 | calm |
| 18 | 10 | calm |
| 19 | 10 | calm |
| 20 | 10 | calm |
| 21 | 10 | calm |
| 22 | 10 | calm |
| 23 | 10 | calm |
| 24 | 10 | calm |
| 25 | 10 | calm |
| 26 | 10 | calm |
| 27 | 10 | calm |
| 28 | 10 | calm |
| 29 | 10 | calm |
| 30 | 9 | calm |
| 31 | 9 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in December
Daylight runs from about 12 h 06 min at the start of December to 12 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 0 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:10 AM to 6:23 AM, and sunset from 6:17 PM to 6:30 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 | 12.1 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:10 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:11 | 6:12 | 6:12 | 6:13 | 6:13 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:14 | 6:15 | 6:15 | 6:16 | 6:16 | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:22 | 6:22 | 6:23 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:17 | 6:17 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:18 | 6:19 | 6:19 | 6:20 | 6:20 | 6:21 | 6:21 | 6:22 | 6:22 | 6:22 | 6:23 | 6:23 | 6:24 | 6:24 | 6:25 | 6:25 | 6:26 | 6:26 | 6:27 | 6:27 | 6:28 | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:30 | 6:30 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.1 | 6:10 | 6:17 |
| 2 | 12.1 | 6:10 | 6:17 |
| 3 | 12.1 | 6:10 | 6:18 |
| 4 | 12.1 | 6:11 | 6:18 |
| 5 | 12.1 | 6:11 | 6:18 |
| 6 | 12.1 | 6:11 | 6:19 |
| 7 | 12.1 | 6:12 | 6:19 |
| 8 | 12.1 | 6:12 | 6:20 |
| 9 | 12.1 | 6:13 | 6:20 |
| 10 | 12.1 | 6:13 | 6:21 |
| 11 | 12.1 | 6:14 | 6:21 |
| 12 | 12.1 | 6:14 | 6:22 |
| 13 | 12.1 | 6:14 | 6:22 |
| 14 | 12.1 | 6:15 | 6:22 |
| 15 | 12.1 | 6:15 | 6:23 |
| 16 | 12.1 | 6:16 | 6:23 |
| 17 | 12.1 | 6:16 | 6:24 |
| 18 | 12.1 | 6:17 | 6:24 |
| 19 | 12.1 | 6:17 | 6:25 |
| 20 | 12.1 | 6:18 | 6:25 |
| 21 | 12.1 | 6:18 | 6:26 |
| 22 | 12.1 | 6:19 | 6:26 |
| 23 | 12.1 | 6:19 | 6:27 |
| 24 | 12.1 | 6:19 | 6:27 |
| 25 | 12.1 | 6:20 | 6:28 |
| 26 | 12.1 | 6:20 | 6:28 |
| 27 | 12.1 | 6:21 | 6:29 |
| 28 | 12.1 | 6:21 | 6:29 |
| 29 | 12.1 | 6:22 | 6:30 |
| 30 | 12.1 | 6:22 | 6:30 |
| 31 | 12.1 | 6:23 | 6:30 |
Solar energy in December
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 5.36 kWh/m².
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.43 kWh/m² to a high of 5.54 kWh/m² in November across the year — December's 5.36 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.3 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.1 | 5.1 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.3 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 25 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 26 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 27 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 28 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 29 | 5.2 | Bright |
| 30 | 5.1 | Bright |
| 31 | 5.1 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Santa Elena
None of Santa Elena's seasonal hazards are active in December. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.
Santa Elena's rainy season runs January–April, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is December a good time to visit Santa Elena?
Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
December is a reasonable time to visit Santa Elena for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.
What to pack for Santa Elena in December
From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In December, Santa Elena sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 22°C. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 7 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Santa Elena in December
The nearest coast averages about 24°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea offshore is warmest in March at about 26°C and coldest in August near 23°C.
The water stays above 20°C all year — warm enough for a swim any month.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 25 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 24 |
| Comfort | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Warm | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Refreshing | Warm |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | Warm |
| Feb | 26 | Warm |
| Mar | 26 | Warm |
| Apr | 26 | Warm |
| May | 25 | Warm |
| Jun | 24 | Warm |
| Jul | 23 | Refreshing |
| Aug | 23 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 23 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 23 | Refreshing |
| Nov | 23 | Refreshing |
| Dec | 24 | Warm |
UV index in Santa Elena in December
Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Santa Elena peaks around February 21 at about 15 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near July 14 at about 9 (very high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 12 |
| Level | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 14 | Extreme |
| Feb | 15 | Extreme |
| Mar | 15 | Extreme |
| Apr | 12 | Extreme |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 10 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 10 | Extreme |
| Sep | 11 | Extreme |
| Oct | 12 | Extreme |
| Nov | 11 | Extreme |
| Dec | 12 | Extreme |
Where is Santa Elena?
Santa Elena sits at 2.2°S, 80.9°W, 43 m above sea level, in Ecuador. The nearest listed city is La Libertad, 6.0 km away.
Topography around Santa Elena
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Santa Elena.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Santa Elena has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 86 m around an average of 36 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 119 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 847 m.
The land around Santa Elena is covered by grassland (44%) and artificial surfaces (35%) within 3 km, water (49%) and grassland (30%) within 16 km, and water (51%) and trees (26%) within 80 km.
Ecuador travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 43% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $7,125
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 70%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 45.7
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 20.1
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 466
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Santa Elena (-2.2265°, -80.8581°, elevation 43 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).