How to Visit the Galapagos Islands

by alicesadventures-onearth | May 20, 2024 | Ecuador, Scuba Diving | 0 comments

The Galapagos Islands are a treasure trove of biodiversity, so it’s more important than ever to obey park rules, keep a safe distance from wildlife, and leave only footprints when you visit. Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission at no cost to you if you click and make a purchase.

Ecuador is a country of extreme diversity. From the highlands and rainforests to the Amazon, the Avenue of Volcanoes, all the way to the western beaches, it is a destination of extraordinary beauty. But no place on earth quite encapsulates nature like the Galapagos. Made famous by Charles Darwin as a scientific proving ground for evolution, this island chain has unique species, plants, and marine life unlike anywhere else on Earth.

If you’d like to explore this archipelago, this guide will cover how to visit the Galapagos and the best ways to experience its unique environment. Whether you choose to travel by cruise ship or land, on a budget or without, you will find the tools and tips to visit with hotel, cruise, and tour recommendations provided.

Why Visit the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos became Ecuador’s first National Park in 1959 and later a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1978. It is one of the most well-managed protected island chains in the world. And, is home to 19 major islands, 3 smaller islands, and over a hundred islets, all of which feature incredibly unique landscapes and differing wildlife. To protect the islands and the animals that reside here, the island chain has strict rules that regulate the number of people and ships allowed to visit each island on any given day. This helps maintain an exclusive feel and low impact on the environment.

While travel to every single island isn’t possible for conservation reasons, there are still about twenty islands that are frequented by visitors. Each of them offers their own unique experiences and is home to a wide variety of wildlife.

Best Islands in the Galapagos to Visit

Some of the most popular and best islands out of these 20 to visit include:

San Cristobal: As the capital city, San Cristobal is a common stop for many tourists. Here, you’ll find several amenities, including hotels, restaurants, and shops. As well as, a variety of activities such as hiking, snorkeling, diving, and bird watching. The island is especially known for its diverse wildlife, pristine beaches, and unforgettable views.

Isabela: The largest island in the Galapagos, Isabela possesses a stunning and diverse landscape. From white sand beaches to lush mangroves, massive sea cliffs, expansive lava fields, and active volcanoes, the island is an incredible sight to behold. It also happens to be home to the Galapagos’ largest population of wild tortoises.

Santa Cruz: As the most populated island in the Galapagos, Santa Cruz is also the most visited. As such, you’ll find several restaurants, shops, hotels, and amenities here. However, the main appeal is the local wildlife, which includes marine iguanas, sea lions, and giant tortoises.

Genovesa: Nicknamed the “Bird Island,” Genovesa is a bird-watcher’s paradise. Here, you’ll find a variety of rare bird species, including Nazca and red-footed boobies. Meanwhile, off-shore lies some of the best snorkeling and diving in the entire island chain.

Floreana: The first island inhabited by humans, Floreana offers a mix of natural and historical sights. Here, you can learn about the Galapagos’ earliest settlers, visit an incredibly unique post office, and take in the sights of the island’s resident flamingos.

How to Visit the Galapagos Islands

To reach the Galapagos Islands, you’ll first need to route through Ecuador, as direct flights are not offered internationally. This means, you’ll have to connect in either Quito or Guayaquil, both of which provide regularly scheduled flights to the Galapagos. These flights take about 2.5 hours and are operated by Avianca and LATAM Airlines.

Depending upon your plans, you’ll either fly into Baltra or San Cristobal in the Galapagos. When booking your flights, it’s important to pay attention to the departure location of your selected tour, as these islands are quite far from each other. Also, be sure to take note, to see if flights are included in your package. If they aren’t, you can expect to spend between $400-$500 for a roundtrip flight from mainland Ecuador.

Once you’ve arrived in the Galapagos, there are three main ways to explore the islands. The most affordable way to see the islands is by island hopping, however, this does limit how many islands you can see. Meanwhile, for serious advanced divers, live aboard cruises offer the opportunity to visit some of the best dive spots around the islands over 8 to 15 days. And, finally, there are tourist cruises, which range in length from 4 to 15 days and combine lots of on and off-land activities.

Regardless of what you decide to do, it’s important to note that the Galapagos is, in general, expensive. While it can be done on a budget, traveling to the Galapagos will most likely be the priciest part of your trip to Ecuador.

Tourist Cruises in the Galapagos

A cruise tour is a good way to see the islands as most of the itineraries stop at multiple destinations, including some of the more remote and hard-to-reach ones. Most of the sailing happens overnight, so you are free to explore all day. You don’t need to worry about accommodation or transportation from island to island. There are tour guides included as well as all meals and most ships provide entertainment and activities.

Cruise tours vary in length from 4 to 15 days and offer a variety of itineraries, with different islands visited each day. While shorter cruises may focus on more popular destinations, like San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, and Florena, longer cruises typically include more off-the-beaten islands and may even incorporate adventures back in mainland Ecuador.

Tourist cruises are offered year-round, however, the best time to experience them is between December and May. During this time of the year, the weather is warmer, seas are calmer, and water visibility is greater, allowing for more adventures and exploration.

In terms of activities, there are a variety of excursions offered by cruise tours. While they can vary depending on the cruise you select, common excursions include the following:

Snorkeling and Diving: The Galapagos Islands offer some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world in terms of spotting marine life. You will very likely be swimming alongside sea lions, hammerhead or whale sharks, eagle rays, and Pacific sea turtles.

Hiking: Land lovers rejoice! Besides the incredible marine life under the sea, there is epic hiking to be had on the islands. Think dried lava beds around active volcanoes, the world’s second-largest crater (Sierra Negra), and many more interesting landscapes to discover.

Wildlife Watching: There’s a reason the Galapagos are considered one of the most ecologically diverse areas on Earth. There are so many species of animals that can’t be found anywhere else. Add blue-footed bobbies, penguins, giant tortoises, and so much more to your must-see list.

Small Ship at sea in the Galapagos Islands

Heron standing on the shoreline of a beach in the Galapagos

My Experience with Adventure Life in the Galapagos

During my trip to the Galapagos, I explored the islands on a tourist cruise with Adventure Life. I set sail on Corals I, a 30-passenger yacht style cruise ship that traversed the Southeastern Islands for 5 days. Our itinerary departed from San Cristobal Island and included stops in Espanola, Floreana, and Santa Cruz.

Along the way, I had the opportunity to view a variety of stunning landscapes, partake in unforgettable excursions, and witness incredible wildlife sightings. Some of my most memorable activities included exploring the sea caves at Cerro Brujo, hiking Pitt Point to see the red and blue-footed Boobies, swimming with sea lions at Gardner Bay, admiring the pink flamingos in Floreana, and visiting the giant tortoises at the Highlands Tortoise Reserve.

If you’d like to see my experience in full, be sure to check out my video, where I take you along with me as I explore the Galapagos Islands.

Galapagos small ship cruise in the twilight

sea lion rests on a beach in the Galapagos

Sea Lion on the beach in the Galapagos Islands

Cost of a Tourist Cruise in the Galapagos

The cost for tourist cruises varies depending upon the itinerary you choose and level of comfort. However, generally speaking, most cruises cost about $500-$600 a day. Meanwhile, luxury end cruises can cost as much as $1,200 a day.

The cruise that I booked with Adventure Life cost $4,900 for 5 days in a single-occupancy room. This price included on-board accommodations, meals, tour guides, on-ground transportation, activities, and gear rental.

If you’re interested in booking your own cruise with Adventure Life, you can do so via their website. It’s best to reserve your trip at least a few months in advance, as boats are known to book up quickly, especially during the high season.

Yacht sits anchored in the oceans of the Galapagos

Is a Galapagos Liveaboard for you?

The Galapagos Islands are renowned for their dive sites, due to the rich diversity of marine life present here. The island chain lies at the confluence of three major ocean currents, which create an upwelling of nutrient-rich waters that attract marine life from across the globe. In fact, it’s estimated that the waters off of the Galapagos are home to more than 3,000 different marine species, some of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world.

From hammerhead sharks to Galapagos penguins, manta rays, marine iguanas, sea lions, and Galapagos sharks, there’s a lot to see under the water here. And one of the best ways to experience it all is from a liveaboard.

Liveaboards in the Galapagos are not only convenient and practical for those interested in a dive-only vacation, but they also have the ability to go places that others don’t. Actually, two of the most popular dive sites in the Galapagos, Darwin and Wolf Islands, are only accessible via liveaboards. So, your access to dive sites and marine life is exponentially expanded with liveaboards. On top of this, many ships are small in number, taking no more than 16 guests at a time, so your experience will be much more intimate.

Trips typically range in length from 8-15 days and offer a variety of itineraries. Generally speaking, shorter tours focus on popular destinations, such as Darwin, Wolf, Baltra, and Cousin’s Rock. On the other hand, longer cruises typically include smaller less-visited sites and may incorporate some land excursions. Regardless of your trip length, you can expect to do 3-4 dives a day.

While liveaboards operate year-round, the best time to experience them is between December and June. Generally speaking, this time of year offers warmer and clearer waters, so visibility is at its highest. In addition to this, marine life, such as manta rays and hammerhead sharks, are most active around this time.

Important Note: Many of the dive sites visited on liveaboards in the Galapagos require advanced diving skills. Therefore, if you’re new to diving, you’ll want to really do your research and be careful about the itinerary you choose.

Cost of Liveaboards in the Galapagos

The cost for liveaboard varies depending upon the length of your cruise and level of comfort. However, generally speaking, most liveaboards cost about $500-$700 a day, while high-end luxury cruises can cost upwards of $1,000 a day. This price typically includes accommodations, meals, dive insurance, and use of on-board amenities. Dive equipment is typically available to rent at an extra cost.

Liveaboards can be booked online via third-party vendors, such as Padi and Liveaboard.com. Or directly through your desired company, if they offer direct bookings.

Hotels on the Islands

The hotels that you choose will have a big impact on your budget. So, if you are trying to save some money, you’ll want to be very mindful of the accommodations that you book. That being said, there are a variety of options spread out across the islands for you to consider.

Budget Accommodations: For the ultimate savings, you can opt to stay in a hostel or low-budget hotel where prices range from $30 to $100 a night. Some popular options include Galapagos Dreams on Santa Cruz, Hotel Galapagos Suites B&B on San Cristobal, and Hotel La Laguna Galapagos on Isabela.

Mid-Range Accommodations: For a nice, but not overpriced stay, there are a variety of

mid-range accommodations available for $150 to $300 a night. A few popular options include Plaza Luna Suites and La Peregrina B&B on Santa Cruz, and Isamar Hotel on Isabela.

High-End Accommodations: For a more luxurious experience, there are several high-end accommodations offering prices of $400 to $900 a night. Some popular options include Hotel Indigo on San Cristobal, Royal Palm by Hilton on Santa Cruz, and Casa Baronesa Waterfront Villa on Isabela.

Sustainable Accommodations: For a more eco-friendly experience, consider staying at one of these incredible properties: Golden Bay Galapagos on San Cristobal, and Pikaia Lodge, Finch Bay, and Ikala Hotel on Santa Cruz.

What’s Right for You

Ultimately, when deciding how to visit the Galapagos, you’ll want to take into consideration your budget, your preferences, and your priorities. These are the factors that will most influence your decision. That being said, I can make a few recommendations. If you’re a serious diver with advanced training, then I’d advise joining a liveaboard – this will provide you with the most opportunities to experience the underwater world. If you’re not a diver but want to see as much as possible, then consider doing a Galapagos cruising tour as you’ll be able to see several islands in one go. And finally, if you’re working with a budget or simply prefer to do things on your own, then make use of the ferry and go island hopping at your leisure.

There really isn’t one right answer here. The Galapagos is an incredible destination unlike any other. So, regardless of how you decide to explore it, you’re sure to have an absolutely amazing time.

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