How to Visit the Galapagos Islands
A Guide to Galapagos Tour Options on Land and Sea
There are several tour options for Galapagos: which is best for you?
Most people know the Galápagos Islands from the Discovery Channel: a small, rocky archipelago off the coast of Ecuador where unique animals inspired Charles Darwin to write about evolution. But how does one go about visiting the islands? There are basically four ways to do so: with this guide, you’ll be able to pick the option that is best for you.
Sea Tour of Galápagos: large ship
Of the 70 or so ships that offer Galápagos tours, perhaps ten of them are large enough to hold forty passengers or more. These larger ships tend to be more luxurious and comfortable than the smaller ones, and they also have the added bonus of being more stable (tend to get seasick? Pick a larger ship). In general, the food is better, and the guides are top-notch.
There are disadvantages, too. Larger ships are often more expensive: no backpackers need apply. The rigid schedule kept by the larger ships means that if you want to spend an extra half hour snorkeling, you’re out of luck.
Sea Tour of Galápagos: smaller ship
There are numerous small ships that offer Galápagos cruises, and they range from luxurious, first-class yachts with air conditioning and outstanding food and service to rusty hulks that smell of diesel that make you wonder how they keep afloat. Naturally, these ships are priced accordingly: the absolute cheapest of these ships sometimes offer four to five day trips for as low as $500-600, not including airfare and park fees. From there, every $100 you spend will result in significant upgrades in comfort and service.
Small Galápagos cruises generally run with about 8-16 passengers. The smaller ships are cozier, allow you to interact more with the crew and captain, and tend to be more flexible. They also tend to sway a lot: you may get seasick, and it is best to bring your own snorkeling gear as these ships often economize wherever they can, particularly the cheaper ones.
Land Tour of Galápagos: one island
Many visitors prefer to find a hotel in one of the two main towns in Galápagos: Puerto Ayora (pop: about 18,000) on Santa Cruz Island or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (Pop.: about 7,000) on San Cristóbal island. Once you have a home base, it is possible to take day trips out to many of the best visitor sites.
The pros of this system are flexibility and price: it’s the cheapest way to see the islands. You can pick and choose the islands and sites you want: even mixing in SCUBA diving and snorkeling trips with minimal hassle.
The cons are the distances. Some of the boat trips can be as much as three hours each way or more: if you want to see something special, such as the albatrosses on Española Island, you may find yourself sitting on a motorboat for six hours anyway.
Land tours of Galápagos: multiple islands
Only lately have Galápagos tour operators begun offering multi-day tours that allow visitors to sleep on various islands. A typical tour might involve a few days in the two abovementioned cities and then a few days in tiny Puerto Villamil (population: about 1,000). You’ll take a speedboat between islands and on well-planned day trips. This increasingly popular option is comparable in price to sea tours, so it’s mostly a matter of preference.
There are many travel agencies and operators that work in Galápagos: look around to find the best deals and the tour you want. There are hundreds of web sites dedicated to tourism in Galápagos: a good place to start is here.
