In Equatorial Guinea, a small African country located just north of the equator, the climate is tropical, hot and humid all year round, with a slightly cooler period from June to September, when the south-west currents prevail.
The country is composed of a continental part, called Rio Muni, a main island, called Bioko, and a smaller island, called Annobón.
The temperatures are higher from January to May, and lower from July to September, when they drop to around 27/28 °C (81/82 °F) in the continental part, and remain slightly higher in the islands.
The rains are plentiful, but the rainfall pattern in the mainland is the opposite to that of the islands.

Here are the average temperatures of the capital Malabo, located in the island of Bioko.

In the island of Bioko, precipitation remains below 2,000 mm (80 in) per year in Malabo, while it exceeds 3,000 mm (120 in) per year in the rest of the island; here the dry season runs from December to February, although it's more pronounced in the northern part, where Malabo is located, while the rainiest period goes from May to October.
Here is the average precipitation in Malabo.

In the winter months, a hot dry wind from the mainland can blow. The sky is often cloudy, especially from June to August. Malabo is one of the least sunny capitals in the world, being usually cloudy, and also foggy. It follows that the vegetation is lush.

In the island of Bioko, at no great distance from Malabo, there is the highest peak of Equatorial Guinea, Pico Basilé, 3,011 metres (9,879 feet) high. The slopes of the volcano are very rainy, but they protect the capital, located on the north coast of the island, in the period from July to October, when it rains more than in the capital also in the eastern and southern coasts of the island.
The sea in Equatorial Guinea is warm all year round, as you can see in the following table.



In the continental part, known as Rio Muni, precipitation is above 2,000 millimetres (80 inches) per year; there are two rainy peaks, due to the passages of the sun at the zenith, from March to May and from September to November, however the rains are quite abundant even from December to February, especially along the coast, so the only moderately dry period goes from June to August.
Here is the average precipitation in Bata, the main city of the coast.

Along the coast of Rio Muni it is hot all year round, but here too the temperature decreases slightly from July to September, as can be seen from the temperatures of Bata.

The amount of sunshine in the continental part is never very good, and it is quite scarce even in the driest months (although as we have seen in the insular part it is even worse).

The interior is occupied by hills, at an altitude varying from 400 to 700 metres (1,300 to 2,300 feet); at the highest altitudes the temperature decreases slightly, and in July and August, but also during the rain showers of the rest of the year, it can be quite cool, as can be seen from the temperatures of Evinayong, located at 650 metres (2,100 feet) above sea level.

In addition to the main island, we find a smaller island, Annobón, located southwest of the state of São Tomé and Príncipe, where the rainfall pattern is similar to that of the mainland, with a dry season from June to September. Here, too, the sky is often cloudy. The sea temperature is slightly lower in the cool period, and reaches 24 °C (75 °F) in July and August.

When to go

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The best time to visit the continental part of Equatorial Guinea (Rio Muni) goes from June to August, in the island of Annobón runs from June to September, while in the island of Bioko is from December to February.

What to pack

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For the islands of Bioko and Annobón, tropics-friendly, loose fitting clothing, possibly a light sweatshirt for the evening; during the rainy season, umbrella or light raincoat. To climb Pico Basilé, sweater, jacket, hiking boots.
For Rio Muni, tropics-friendly, loose fitting clothing; during the rainy season, umbrella or light raincoat, possibly a light sweatshirt for the evening; for the hilly inland areas, where the national parks are found, you can add a sweatshirt and a light jacket.