Vilcabamba weather in January

In January, Vilcabamba sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 184 mm of rain across 23.6 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 1% of the time in January, and the air most often feels comfortable.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 12 min at the start of January to 12 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Vilcabamba's 9th-clearest and 8th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Vilcabamba's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
6th warmest
Overnight low
13°
11th coldest
Rainfall
184 mm
23.6 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
6:20 AM – 6:33 PM
Cloud cover
81%
9th clearest
Wind
5 km/h
8th windiest
Solar energy
4.89 kWh/m²
Travel score
4.2
out of 10

Vilcabamba is village and rural parish of Loja Province in Ecuador.

Founded
1576

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 21°C through the month.

A typical January day in Vilcabamba reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs on par with December and on par with February.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12113
22113
32113
42113
52113
62113
72113
82113
92113
102113
112113
122113
132113
142113
152113
162113
172113
182113
192113
202113
212113
222113
232113
242113
252113
262113
272113
282113
292113
302113
312113

Vilcabamba weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 6th-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 13°18423.612.24.2
Feb21° / 13°22123.712.13.9
Mar21° / 13°22025.3124.0
Apr21° / 13°16622.311.94.4
May21° / 13°951811.85.1
Jun20° / 12°5813.311.85.7
Jul19° / 12°4811.911.85.9
Aug20° / 12°309.111.96.5
Sep21° / 12°4410126.3
Oct21° / 13°10317.512.15.2
Nov21° / 13°14419.612.24.7
Dec21° / 13°16822.912.24.4

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 1% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 11% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 87%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
11684
21684
31684
41684
51684
61684
71585
81585
91486
101486
111387
121288
131387
141288
151189
161189
171189
181189
191189
201189
211189
221189
231189
241189
251288
261288
271288
281189
291189
301189
311189

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitation

Vilcabamba gets around 184 mm of rain over 23.6 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 77% and peaks near 80% on the wettest days.

0%20%40%60%80%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
175
275
375
475
575
675
775
875
975
1076
1176
1276
1376
1477
1577
1677
1777
1877
1977
2077
2177
2278
2378
2478
2578
2679
2779
2879
2980
3080
3180

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of January feels comfortable — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, January lands in the comfortable band about 56% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
14951
24951
34951
44852
54852
64753
74753
84654
94555
104555
114456
124456
134357
144357
154357
164357
174357
184357
194357
204357
214357
224357
234357
244357
254258
264258
274258
284159
294060
304060
313961

Wind in January

Winds average 5 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 5 km/h on the calmest days to 5 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 12 min at the start of January to 12 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 0 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:13 AM to 6:25 AM, and sunset from 6:27 PM to 6:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.26:136:27
212.26:136:28
312.26:146:28
412.26:146:29
512.26:156:29
612.26:156:29
712.26:166:30
812.26:166:30
912.26:166:31
1012.26:176:31
1112.26:176:31
1212.26:186:32
1312.26:186:32
1412.26:196:32
1512.26:196:33
1612.26:206:33
1712.26:206:33
1812.26:206:33
1912.26:216:34
2012.26:216:34
2112.26:216:34
2212.26:226:34
2312.26:226:35
2412.26:236:35
2512.26:236:35
2612.26:236:35
2712.26:236:35
2812.26:246:35
2912.26:246:36
3012.26:246:36
3112.26:256:36

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 4.89 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 4.62 kWh/m² to a high of 5.72 kWh/m² in September across the year — January's 4.89 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

024151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.0Bright
25.0Bright
35.0Bright
45.0Bright
55.0Bright
65.0Bright
74.9Bright
84.9Bright
94.9Bright
104.9Bright
114.9Bright
124.9Bright
134.9Bright
144.9Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.9Bright
194.9Bright
204.9Bright
214.9Bright
224.9Bright
234.9Bright
244.8Bright
254.8Bright
264.8Bright
274.8Bright
284.8Bright
294.8Bright
304.8Bright
314.8Bright
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Vilcabamba

In seasonPeak

In January, Vilcabamba sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Vilcabamba's rainy season runs October–April, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is January a good time to visit Vilcabamba?

Our two travel scores rate January for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

4.2
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
2.6
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

January is a reasonable time to visit Vilcabamba for sightseeing.

What to pack for Vilcabamba in January

From January's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In January, Vilcabamba sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 13°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 24 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

UV index in Vilcabamba in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in January peaks around 16 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Vilcabamba peaks around February 16 at about 17 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near June 23 at about 12 (extreme).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecExtremeFeb 16UV 17Jun 23UV 12
UV index (midday)Level
Jan16Extreme
Feb18Extreme
Mar17Extreme
Apr14Extreme
May14Extreme
Jun12Extreme
Jul12Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep14Extreme
Oct15Extreme
Nov14Extreme
Dec14Extreme

Air quality in Vilcabamba in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where January falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Vilcabamba is worst in September — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (July, 7 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateSep 1816 µg/m³Jul 107 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan10Good
Feb11Good
Mar10Good
Apr10Good
May8Good
Jun7Good
Jul7Good
Aug11Good
Sep17Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov16Moderate
Dec12Good
Location & terrain

Where is Vilcabamba?

Vilcabamba sits at 4.3°S, 79.2°W, 0 m above sea level, in Ecuador. The nearest listed city is Loja, 30 km away.

Santa RosaArenillasPasaje

Topography around Vilcabamba

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Vilcabamba.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Vilcabamba has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 570 m around an average of 1,715 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,458 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,521 m.

The land around Vilcabamba is covered by trees (54%) and grassland (42%) within 3 km, trees (49%) and grassland (46%) within 16 km, and trees (69%) and grassland (29%) within 80 km.

3 km
570 m
16 km
2,458 m
80 km
3,521 m
treesshrubsgrasslandartificial surfaces
January weather nearby: Loja 30 km · Catamayo 34 km · Zamora 37 km · Cariamanga 38 km · Piñas 82 km · Santa Rosa 122 km · Arenillas 122 km · Pasaje 123 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
Roman Catholic 68%Protestant 19%none 8%other 2%

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 Vilcabamba (-4.2608°, -79.2227°, elevation 0 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).