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Planning a holiday in the Galapagos Islands? Then read up on this first.
The Amazon, Serengeti Plains, Borneo, South Georgia: all sit comfortably on lists ranking the world’s premier wildlife-watching destinations. Now, add the Galapagos Islands to that list.
Once you’ve been to this volcanic archipelago, it’s easy to understand why Charles Darwin started to formulate his evolutionary theories around natural selection following a five-week layover there in 1835. It was the wildlife that prompted that, and it’s the wildlife that makes so many people go there now.
But what’s involved in a visit to the Galapagos Islands? Where can you stay? Are they easy to reach? Read on to find out more.
How to Get to the Galapagos Islands
First thing’s first, and it’s something many Galapagos novices don’t realise until they’re ready to book: the islands belong to Ecuador. Fortunately, visit visas are not required, though other outlays are detailed further on.
A cruise is the most popular way to explore the Galapagos Islands. But there are no cruises to them. Entry to the islands is via flights from either the Ecuadorian capital, Quito, or its major port (and largest city), Guayaquil. Before you even step on a plane, take note that Ecuador adopted the US dollar as its official currency 25 years ago. While that means prices are more stable, Ecuador can be also slightly more expensive than other South American countries.
Prior to take-off, visitors must pay US$20 per person for an INGALA transit card, which helps the Ecuadorian government control unauthorised immigration to the islands. You can arrange your transit card through a travel agent or alternatively, INGALA booths located at both domestic airports accept cash payments.
Flights land at airports on Baltra Island – gateway to Santa Cruz – or San Cristobal. A compulsory National Parks fee of US$200 (cash only) is payable on arrival.
How to Travel the Galapagos Island on the Water
Cruises to the Galapagos Islands typically depart from ports close to each airport, or from Puerto Ayora, the Galapagos’ main population centre on Santa Cruz Island. Puerto Ayora is accessible from Baltra Island via a bus (US$5), ferry (US$1) then taxi (US$25), a commute that totals around one hour.
Ships permitted to sail around the Galapagos Islands – known as expedition vessels – are strictly monitored to preserve the islands’ fragile ecosystem. Capacity cannot exceed 100 passengers and weight restrictions apply so that these vessels can be nimble and provide comfort in remote, inaccessible areas.
Cruise lengths vary from two days to 15. You’ll need to book a longer cruise to circumnavigate Isabela Island or to reach remote outposts like Wolf or Darwin Islands – both superb dive locations. To see whale sharks, plan your trip between June and November.
How to Travel the Galapagos Island by Land
The alternative to cruise exploration is a land-based stay and the Galapagos has four inhabited islands – Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela and Floreana – that each offer hotel options. Ferries operate between Puerto Ayora, the largest settlement in the Galapagos on Santa Cruz, and San Cristobal, Isabela and Floreana. One-way tickets cost US$35 per person.
Puerto Ayora is a popular choice for land-based stays, thanks to its tourist infrastructure, with accommodation for different budgets, plus lots of bars and restaurants, and an assortment of nearby beaches for swimming, snorkelling and surfing. It’s also home to the Fausto Llerena Breeding Centre for giant tortoises.
The Galapagos’ provincial capital of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal is also popular. Visitors can find hotels, restaurants and souvenir shops along the waterfront. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno also has a growing reputation as a surfing hotspot.
Day and overnight tours operate out of Puerto Ayora and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno to neighbouring islands. As a guide, day tours to Floreana from Puerto Ayora to see flamingos, penguins and boobies cost US$180. A day tour to Isabela to snorkel with sea horses off the coast of the Galapagos’ largest island is about US$130.
Reasons to Visit to the Galapagos Islands
Why? The answer’s simple: as a wildlife-viewing destination, the Galapagos Islands is unique.
While the volcanic landscapes can make for dramatic and interesting backdrops (try the summit hike to the Sierra Negra caldera on Isabela), it’s the animals that explain six-figure visitor numbers each year. And it’s not just that you’ll see certain species here and nowhere else; it’s the fact that they’re so approachable. They simply don’t fear humans.
During his stay in the Galapagos, Charles Darwin observed flightless cormorants whose stunted, streamlined wings allowed them to deep-dive for fish. With no natural predators, he surmised that they no longer needed to take to the air to flee and instead, their shorter wings could propel them faster through the water.
Darwin also watched iguanas diving into the water to feed on sea grasses. No other lizards had ever been recorded doing that. And he noted a number of finch species – 17 all up – with variations in the shape of their beaks. So what, you may think, until you learn that the beaks were moulded to suit available food sources. But even more remarkable is that each species of finch had developed separate dialects for communication.
What Wildlife Will You See in the Galapagos Islands?
Top of the wildlife checklist is undoubtedly the giant tortoise, after which the islands were named (the Spanish word galápago is derived from a word meaning ‘tortoise’). Some of these grass-munchers have ordinary domed shells while those residing on more barren, desert islands have developed notches, or ‘saddles’, so they can reach high-hanging cactus leaves.
Other endemic species include the world’s only equatorial penguins, blue-footed boobies, short-eared owls and mockingbirds – the species that sparked Darwin’s evolutionary thought train. The sleepy-looking land iguana that’s casually strolling across the tarmac as you step off your flight would be an oddity anywhere but here. The sea lions and fur seals seen gliding gracefully through the waters and dozing on beaches are distinct sub-species. The list goes on.
But equally as impressive as the Galapagos’ terrestrial oddballs are its aquatic delights. While walking across lava flows among magnificent frigatebirds and swallow-tailed gulls or skirting briny lagoons populated by blazing pink flamingos are experiences worth savouring, so too is snorkelling with hammerhead sharks and hawksbill turtles in refreshingly cool, gin-clear waters. You might have missed the eagle ray or moray eel that your snorkelling companions spotted, but it’s odds-on you won’t exit the water feeling disappointed. Plus, there’s always next time.
And that’s the thing about visiting the Galapagos Islands… almost certainly, you’ll be left wanting more.
Image: Getty and Unsplash.
