Best Days in the Galapagos Islands |
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 A trip to the Galapagos Islands exceeds the myth and hype associated with this remote part of the world. Linked in the public’s mind with Charles Darwin and evolution, even the staunchest creationist would revel in the chance to go eye-to-eye with monstrous-looking iguanas, fluffy boobies and dinosaur-like tortoises. |
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There is nowhere else where you can wander around as if you’re in a petting zoo or snorkel and dive as if you’re in an aquarium and experience the planet as if animals were in charge. Over a 1000 km west of the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos is a group of around 24 islands, only five of which are inhabited.
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 More than half of the human residents live in Puerto Ayora on Isla Santa Cruz while Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on Isla San Cristobal is growing in terms of population and tourism infrastructure. These are volcanic islands, in fact periodic eruptions are not uncommon, and not tropical paradises so don’t expect Hawaii or the Caribbean. |
When to go |
| There’s no bad time to visit though the two distinct seasons (warm/wet season January to June) and the (cool/dry season July to December) will have an impact on the mood of your trip. Warm/wet tends to have strong but short episodes of rain but is mostly sunny and warm and the cool/dry produces uncomfortably chilly water temperatures and a misty precipitation known as the ‘garua’. The high season is the warm/wet which means more boats and more people. The low season means less congestion but possibly rough seas. |
How to get there |
 Flights from the mainland land at two airports: Isla Baltra just north of Santa Cruz and Isla San Cristobal. TAME and Aerogal are the major airlines servicing the islands. Flights from Guayaquil cost around high season/low season $344/$300 round trip and last 1.5 hours. Flights from Quito cost $390/$344 round trip and last 3.5 hours and stop in Guayaquil. |
How to get Around |
Most people travel to the Galapagos in order to take a boat tour that lasts anywhere from five days to several weeks. While it is possible to simply fly to the islands and take the public ferries or private boats that serve as inter-island transport for residents, this really only should be considered if your time and budget are extremely limited. Schedules can be irregular and only a small number of islands are served.
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 Boat tours – nights spent on board - can be arranged far in advance of arrival or upon arrival in Quito or Guayaquil or in the islands. The latter option can sometimes be risky since you may have to wait around for a departure and the quality of the boat and crews are more likely to be questionable. Whatever option you choose it will not be inexpensive. The size and quality of boats varies greatly, from eight passengers to 100 and from luxury to bare bones pray-the-darn-thing-doesn’t-sink. The cheapest trip will run you close to $900 (£460) and the top end averages $3,000 (£1,530) per week (prices exclude $100 park fee).
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