Central & South America · Nature guide
Wildlife found nowhere else on earth, reached by boat or internal flight from mainland Ecuador.
Is it right for you?
A strong fit for
Wildlife, once-in-a-lifetime trips and honeymoons.
We would think twice for
Travellers who measure holidays in luxury per pound, because Galapagos pricing reflects a protected national park at sea, and the money buys access and expertise rather than marble bathrooms.
What we would want you to know
Island-hopping needs careful planning around permits, boats and internal flights.
We’ve been here
Our own trip to the Galápagos left us convinced that the shape of the visit matters more than the wildlife list. A small ship and an island-hopping stay feel like two different holidays, and choosing between them decides how much of the archipelago you actually see, so that is where our advice starts.
From our trips
Filmed by us on the trip itself and shown without sound. No stock footage.
Things to do
On the edge of Puerto Ayora, the station breeds giant tortoises for release and displays Lonesome George, the last tortoise of the Pinta Island species, preserved in a climate-controlled room. Go early, before the heat.
Wild tortoises graze the green highlands, and farms and the El Chato reserve let you walk among them at a respectful distance. Nearby lava tunnels are big enough to walk through. Wear closed shoes, as paths are muddy in the garúa season.
A long white-sand beach reached on foot along a flat path from Puerto Ayora, with marine iguanas on the rocks. The open beach has dangerous currents, so swim in the calm, mangrove-lined cove at its far end instead. The path closes at dusk and there are no shops, so bring water.
A narrow crevice of clear, cool water between lava walls, reached by water taxi across the harbour and a short walk. A mask helps you see the fish, and early morning beats the tour groups.
A low, flat island off Santa Cruz with nesting blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds inflating their red throat pouches and land iguanas beside a rocky trail. Only a few boats hold permits to land each day, so book well ahead.
A wooden staircase climbs this young volcanic island to the classic view over Pinnacle Rock and two curving beaches. Galápagos penguins are sometimes seen around the rock, and the snorkelling below it is good.
A split volcanic rock off San Cristóbal, where snorkellers and divers swim the channel between its walls with turtles, rays and sharks. Hammerheads are more likely for divers than snorkellers, and the water is deep, so it suits confident swimmers.
A long guided hike on Isabela along the rim of a vast volcanic caldera and on to lava fields and cinder cones. Mist often hides the crater early in the cool season, and the sun is fierce when it clears, so bring layers, a hat and plenty of water.
A sheltered lagoon beside Isabela's port, reached by a boardwalk through mangroves, where sea lions often join snorkellers in the water. Calm enough for beginners and children.
A wall of lava blocks outside Puerto Villamil, built as pointless punishment by prisoners of a penal colony that ran on Isabela until 1959. It makes a good bike ride from the village, past lagoons and quiet beaches.
Map and areas
The archipelago's busiest town and the base for most land-based trips, with a harbour full of water taxis and day boats leaving for the central islands. It has more hotels and places to eat than anywhere else in the islands. The catch is that it feels like a small town rather than a wilderness, and day trips to the further islands mean early starts and long crossings.
The largest island, with a village of sandy streets on a long white beach, flamingo lagoons behind it and penguins sometimes fishing near the harbour. Life is slower and hotels simpler than on Santa Cruz. The speedboat crossing from Santa Cruz is often rough, and cash machines and card payments are less reliable, so bring enough cash.
The provincial capital, with an airport on the edge of town and a waterfront where sea lions sleep on the benches, beaches and steps. Trails lead from town to quiet coves, and boats run out to Kicker Rock. It is further from the central islands, so it suits two or three nights at the start or end of a trip, and the sea lions are noisy neighbours at night.
Weather and seasons
The islands run on ocean currents rather than a summer and a winter. From about December to May the water warms to around 27°C, skies are brighter between short, heavy showers (about 50mm falls in March) and the lowland scrub turns green; seas are usually calmer too. From June the cold Humboldt Current takes over: the sea drops to about 22°C, a fine mist called garúa hangs over the highlands, and the plankton-rich water brings more fish, penguins and sea lions to the snorkelling sites, along with choppier crossings. A wetsuit is worth having from June to November. Christmas, New Year and the July and August holidays book out first.
Worth timing a trip around
Almost the whole world population of waved albatross nests on Española, arriving around April and leaving by about December. Their bill-fencing courtship dances are a highlight of cruises that call there.
Green turtles haul themselves up sandy beaches at night to lay their eggs, and their tracks are a common morning sight. Hatchlings emerge a couple of months later.
On Española, marine iguanas turn their brightest red and green in the breeding season, which is how they earned the nickname. One more reason to put Española on a cruise itinerary.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 31°C | 24°C | 25°C | 46 mm |
| February | 31°C | 25°C | 26°C | 80 mm |
| March | 31°C | 25°C | 27°C | 50 mm |
| April | 30°C | 24°C | 26°C | 45 mm |
| May | 30°C | 24°C | 25°C | 36 mm |
| June | 29°C | 23°C | 24°C | 27 mm |
| July | 28°C | 22°C | 23°C | 27 mm |
| August | 28°C | 21°C | 22°C | 29 mm |
| September | 28°C | 20°C | 22°C | 28 mm |
| October | 28°C | 21°C | 22°C | 22 mm |
| November | 28°C | 21°C | 23°C | 25 mm |
| December | 29°C | 23°C | 23°C | 37 mm |
Temperatures are 2015 to 2024 averages from NOAA records for Seymour, 32 km away at 63 m. Rainfall is from the GPCC rain-gauge analysis (Deutscher Wetterdienst) for 2010 to 2019 and shows the typical (median) month, so one freak storm does not skew it. Sea temperatures: NOAA OISST, 1991 to 2020.
Shape of the trip
Nights 1 to 3
Land at Baltra and cross to Santa Cruz, stopping for the tortoises in the highlands on the way. Give the next days to Tortuga Bay, Las Grietas and a boat day to North Seymour or Bartolomé.
Nights 4 and 5
Speedboat to Isabela for the Sierra Negra hike, snorkelling at Concha de Perla and a bike ride out to the Wall of Tears.
Nights 6 and 7
Back through Santa Cruz to San Cristóbal for sea lions on the waterfront, a snorkelling trip to Kicker Rock and the flight out from the island's own airport.
An idea to react to, not a fixed package. We shape the real thing around your dates, your pace and what the flights are doing that season.
Food and drink
After dark, a street of small kitchens in Puerto Ayora sets out tables for grilled fish and seafood straight off the boats. Informal, good value by island standards, and where locals eat.
Scorpionfish, a favourite island catch, usually served whole and fried. It looks fierce and tastes delicate.
Galápagos lobster is only served while the fishing season is open, so ask rather than assume. Grilled with garlic butter, it is worth the wait.
Fish simmered in coconut milk with peppers and herbs, a dish from Ecuador's coast that island cooks do well, served with rice and fried plantain.
Grown in the misty highlands of San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz and served in island cafés. A bag of roasted beans makes a light souvenir.
A ball of mashed green plantain mixed with cheese or pork crackling, the standard coastal breakfast in island cafés, with a fried egg and strong coffee.
Money
Two fixed costs arrive before any hotel is chosen: the flight from mainland Ecuador and the national park entry fee, both higher than most people expect. After that, the choice between a cruise and a land-based stay sets the price. Small ships with expert naturalists reach the outer islands and cost the most; staying on Santa Cruz and Isabela with day boats costs less but spends more time travelling. The best boats for Christmas and summer sell out many months ahead, often a year.
Flights and transfers
The islands are reached by flight from Quito or Guayaquil after the international legs from the UK, and the park fees and controls are part of arrival. It is a journey of stages, and we plan the mainland nights around it so you arrive rested rather than ragged.
Flights from UK airports
Route check September 2026. Some routes are seasonal and schedules change, so we confirm the live options when we quote.
Practical details
6 hours behind the UK in winter, 7 hours in summer
US dollar ($)
Spanish; naturalist guides speak English
Type A and B, 120V
On the right, though visitors rarely drive
Not drinkable; hotels and boats provide purified water, and a refillable bottle saves plastic
Cruise crews and naturalist guides are tipped at the end of a trip; restaurant bills often include 10 percent service
Entry for British passport holders
Visa. No visa needed for stays of up to 90 days in any 12-month period.
Passport. Valid for at least 6 months after you arrive.
The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the coastal provinces, including Guayas and Santa Elena (airside transit at Guayaquil airport is excepted), and within 20km of the Colombian border. The places we suggest on this page were outside those areas when we checked, and we check the advice again before every booking.
Summarised from the FCDO travel advice on gov.uk, checked 29 September 2026. Rules change: read the current entry requirements and the full travel advice before you go.
Questions we get asked
It depends on your priorities. A small ship moves between islands overnight and reaches outer sites, such as Genovesa and Española, that day boats rarely or never visit, with a naturalist guide throughout. A land-based trip on Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristóbal costs less, suits anyone worried about seasickness and gives you evenings ashore, but spends more time on boats getting to places. Many people combine a short cruise with a few nights on land.
Some people do, particularly from June to November when the sea is rougher, and on longer night crossings to the outer islands. Larger boats and catamarans roll less, and cabins low down in the middle of the ship move least. Take seasickness tablets before a crossing rather than after. The inter-island speedboats on a land-based trip can be bumpier still.
Close, but the park rule is to stay at least two metres away and never touch or feed them. The animals often ignore the rule themselves: sea lions flop onto benches beside you and boobies nest right beside the trail. Most visitor sites can only be walked with a licensed naturalist guide, who keeps groups on the marked paths.
Five to eight nights suits most people, whether on a ship or on land, and four is the realistic minimum to make the journey worthwhile. We also add at least one night on the mainland before the island flight, so a delayed international connection cannot cost you the start of a cruise.
Yes, for children who swim confidently and can walk a few kilometres in the heat, typically from about eight upwards. Some cruise ships set minimum ages, so a land-based trip is often easier for families, with pools, calm beaches and the freedom to rest in the afternoons.
Not at the beach sites, such as Concha de Perla or the calm cove at Tortuga Bay, where you can stand up. Deep-water snorkelling from boats, at places like Kicker Rock, can involve currents and swell, so it suits confident swimmers; guides carry life vests and floats. The water is cool from June to November, when a wetsuit makes a big difference.
Only by air from mainland Ecuador, into Baltra for Santa Cruz or into San Cristóbal. Before check-in you buy a transit card at the mainland airport, and your bags go through a biosecurity check, as fresh fruit, seeds and plants are banned. The national park fee is paid on arrival at the islands.
Photographs
Also worth a look
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