The first thing we were told when visiting the Galapagos was that the Galapagos nature is for everyone, the animals are for everyone, and the enjoyment of this habitat is for everyone to enjoy and experience. And this is what the National Park and the naturalists of the region emphasize when showing us around the archipelago. How to best visit the Galapagos? Whatever works best for you! Everyone who visits the Galapagos has the opportunity to see the large range of fauna no matter how much they spend on their trip!
Just a disclaimer, a trip to the Galapagos will not have a low-budget option. Just to get to the islands, it costs a little more than $500 for the round-trip flights, $200 for the National Park pass, and $20 to go through the mandatory bag screening to avoid bringing any contaminants to the protected islands. This is a $700+ expense that is just unavoidable.
For this article, we will go through the two different ways that you can visit the Galapagos, by staying on a ship and having a predetermined itinerary or by staying on the islands and visiting different destinations with day trips.
Can you Visit the Islands on Your Own?
The Galapagos Islands are also impossible to visit on your own. As protected islands and a national park, it is required to visit different landmarks and islands with a naturalist guide. To truly appreciate the archipelago and understand the importance of the different endemic animals here, you will have to either build out your itinerary with different tours or find a multi-day tour that aligns with your interests. (To help you budget, you can expect to pay around $250 per person per day for these day tours, which may not include accommodations or all your food.)
Why Visit the Galapagos?
The beauty of the Galapagos is that the animals have had very few negative interactions with humans. While there was some hunting and fishing happening in the past, in recent years, all animals and wildlife here have been protected. Because humans are not seen as threats, you will be able to get very close to the mammals and birds of the islands.
These islands have become a live museum of wildlife in harmony. With little human interference, there has been great success in different rehabilitation programs across islands, helping wildlife regrow to naturally nourish the animals of the islands and in turn, allowing the animals to repopulate naturally. It is a unique opportunity to get to see how nature is truly intended to be. On land, you will be able to get within 6 feet of giant Galapagos tortoises, sea lions, albatrosses, blue-footed boobies, iguanas, crabs, and more. And when snorkeling in water, you will be able to play with sea lions, watch penguins swim and zip around you, observe sharks swimming under you, and more!
In addition, due to the remoteness of the islands, this archipelago has been the perfect place for animals to evolve and enhance their survival features. There are not many predators on the islands, enough to keep animals from overpopulating but not enough to run them extinct. As a result, the animals have had sufficient time and opportunity to continue to evolve. This is why Darwin was able to discover and prove his theory of evolution on these islands. Famously, he studied the finches of the islands, a small bird that has evolved the shape of its beak based on how it needs to adapt on each island.
When else will you have the opportunity to have such an intimate experience with nature?
Visiting the Galapagos via the Sea (5, 8, or 15 Days)
While the islands of the Galapagos have a number of animals, most of the life of the Galapagos can be found under the surface of the ocean. The Galapagos Islands themselves were formed through volcanic activity and are barren. These islands are relatively young, especially in terms of the age of other parts of the world and you won’t find many trees or larger plants on the island because the volcanic rock has not broken down enough to support larger plant life.
Being on a boat for your time in the Galapagos gets you as close to that marine life as you can get and gives you the best advantage to have unique experiences with that wildlife. In addition, it allows you to easily visit multiple islands with transportation built into the service and experience. Often, while you are sleeping, the boat will move to your next destination, making it a more efficient experience around the archipelago. Because of the efficiency, you will get to see more islands throughout your stay and have the opportunity to see more wildlife.
Blueprint Travelers had the opportunity to visit the Galapagos on an 8-day cruise through the islands. There were two main occasions that made us grateful that we had chosen to be on a boat: (1) after returning from a land excursion, some crew members had spotted a pod of dolphins nearby. Quasar’s staff got everyone in the dinghies in just a few minutes and followed the dolphins around the ocean for a bit to really get to experience them at sea level. (2) on another occasion, a naturalist had been informed of a pod of Blue Whales that had returned to the islands from their migration and was not too far from our boat’s location. The captain decided to cancel our afternoon activities and head to find the Blue Whales so everyone could experience these majestic creatures, even though it was a slight detour from where we were heading later in the day. We found the whales and got to watch six of them breach all around the boat. It was the first Blue Whale sighting of the year and the first time in two years that they had been spotted in the Galapagos. It is impossible to understand the sheer size of the largest mammal in the world but it is an experience that would not have been possible without being on a boat, especially a small one of 32 guests (more on that in a bit).
Different Cruise Options (Length of Time, Size of Boat, and Price of Experience)
When it comes to a cruise to choose from, there are a plethora of options. This guide will help you choose the best cruise option for you.
Length of Time of the Cruise
Most cruises in the Galapagos are 4-5 days long, 8 days long, or 15 days long. This is because each boat is allowed to go to specific locations every two weeks. 4-5 day long cruises visit 1/4 of the entire tour of the archipelago. These agencies provide 4 different cruise itineraries and, when stacked together. can make a longer experience that visits more islands. You will want to look at what each of their 4 options visit so you can choose the best itinerary for you. This will be the most affordable cruise option because it is the shortest number of days. If you do want to stack two of the itineraries together, you should look into a longer cruise option because you will waste a day returning to port to pick up more passengers in the middle of your trip.
8 day cruises visit ½ of the entire tour of the archipelago. This is a great middle-ground option where you will get to visit an incredible number of islands and see a wide variety of wildlife. This is the option that Blueprint Travelers opted for and they did not feel like they needed to stay longer to visit more of the islands and nature.
And finally, the 15 day long cruise visits the entire archipelago and the maximum number of islands. With this option, you will have the best chance to see as much variety of wildlife as possible. If you are interested in seeing all the different varieties of animals, want to photograph wildlife, and do not want to miss out on anything, this is the trip option for you.
The Size of the Boat Makes a Difference
The cruise boats range in size from 16 guests to 100 guests, and this will really impact your experience visiting the islands. The advantage of a smaller boat is that it will be very fast to get everyone off the boat and doing different activities, such as hiking an island or snorkeling in a cove. One disadvantage of a smaller boat is that there may not be a wide variety of activities at different locations, so make sure that you like the itinerary presented to you. The smaller boat experience does not feel like a cruise and provides a more personalized and intimate experience.
A larger boat will have more of the luxuries that cruises have, including suites with balconies, fitness centers, beauty salons, etc. However, it might take a lot longer to get off the boat to go on different expeditions. In addition, the boats cannot dock as close to shore as some of the smaller boats, meaning that it will take more time to get to the locations of the excursions. This could potentially limit the number of expeditions that you can participate in.
Choosing the boat depends on your comfort with smaller boats vs a larger cruise ship, your preference for a personalized experience versus a more luxurious one, and your appetite for a plethora of activities versus having a more leisurely vacation experience.
What Do All Cruises Have in Common?
- They will all provide you with naturalists to guide you around the National Park. It is required to have a naturalist to visit certain parts of the park. These people are hired by the National Park and contracted out to the different cruises or tours to both teach you about the incredible wildlife and landscape around the Galapagos and protect the flora and fauna from visitors by making sure that people follow the rules of the park. Most naturalists are from the Galapagos islands and have a special attachment to the wellbeing of the islands.
- Typically, they are all inclusive, including food, drinks, and any snorkeling gear or equipment that you might need
What Cruise Company Does Blueprint Travelers Recommend?
When it comes to picking a company to partner with to best visit the Galapagos, there was one company that floated to the top for us: Quasar Expeditions. Quasar is 100% Ecuadorian owned and operated so they can best promote the country and the islands to their visitors. We like to support local companies because they have the best knowledge of the location and they are the best at giving back to the communities or countries that we are visiting.
Quasar only operates two boats so they have the utmost focus on the wellbeing of their guests on the boats. In addition, their two boats have a maximum capacity of 16 and 32 guests, so each experience is well tailored and personalized. We were also attracted to their safari-style approach to visiting the Galapagos. They are invested in seeing as much wildlife as possible and will try their hardest to make sure you experience it all in a way that is safe to both you and the animals.
You can read more about our experience in the article below:
Our Experience with Quasar: A Luxury Galapagos Cruise
Our experience with Quasar Expeditions to explore the Galapagos. Why did we choose this company and did it meet our expectations? Read to find out!
Visiting the Galapagos via the Land
When it comes to visiting the Galapagos by land, there are a number of different tour agencies that can help provide tours and itineraries. The two main hubs of hotels in the Galapagos Islands are on Santa Cruz Island, San Cristobal Island, and Isabela Island. If you are trying to see as many islands as possible, it may be beneficial to split your time between the three islands and set up tours from each of these hubs. There are ferries that can transport you and your luggage between the three. You can also fly into Baltra (near Santa Cruz) and fly out of San Cristobal, or vice versa, to make your time more efficient.
Visiting the Galapagos via land can help control the cost of the trip by finding local places to stay or eat in town. You will also have complete control over your itinerary and what you choose to experience based on the tours you pick. And finally, you will get to choose the exact amount of time that you spend on the island because of the control that you have over the itinerary. If you want to make sure your experience on the Galapagos is tailored to you, then going by land may be the way for you to go. Still Undecided? Learn even more here – What’s the best way to see the Galapagos?
