How do we get there?  

Flying to Galapagos is a relatively normal and straightforward process. With a couple of important details. You will book commercial flights. You will travel on commercial airplanes such as Boeing 737. You will be able to book luggage, use a boarding pass and so on just like any other commercial flight. As Galapagos is a province of the country of Ecuador, the flights to the islands are all domestic flights from Quito or Guayaquil. There are no international flights into Galapagos. The airlines that are serving Galapagos are LATAM and AVIANCA.  The flights depart from Quito in the morning and arrive in the islands around midday or early afternoon. It is very typical that a flight from Quito to the islands will stop and land in Guayaquil where you will stay on the plane for about 40 minutes. While some passengers deplane and other passengers come on board. The flight will then continue to the islands. There are two islands in Galapagos that receive these commercial flights of passengers, San Cristobal, and Baltra. Baltra is a small island on the north side of Santa Cruz in the geographic middle of the Galapagos Islands. So then, in order to fly from the US to Galapagos, you typically need to book a flight to Quito from your US destination and then separately book a flight to the destination in Galapagos where you want to start your trip.  Most flights arriving from the United States will arrive in Quito in the afternoon, evening or close to midnight. Therefore, you need to stay at least overnight before getting your connecting flight in the morning to the islands. There are hotels near the airport of varying amenities and prices. You can always add a day or two in and around Quito before the trip! 

What should I expect when I get there?

Many people think the Galapagos Islands are a remote wilderness, but there are many people who live there, a thriving tourism business sector, and many modern conveniences. However, there are also things that are different. The three inhabited islands are San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, and Isabella, listing them from east to west. Santa Cruz has the largest population with around 35,000 people. This has become the main commercial center of the islands. San Cristobal has a population of around 7,000 people, and is the governmental Capital of the province. Isabella has a population of about 2,000 people in the port city of Puerto Villamil.  There is also a population of around 200 people on Floriana Island. In Puerto Ayora, the city on Santa Cruz Island, there are many hotels and restaurants as well as tour outfitters, gift shops, pharmacies, banks and a hospital. The main city of Puerto Baqerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island also has many such ammenities. It has been developing more and more in recent years so that there are now quite a few restaurants. The town of Puerto Villamil on Isabella Island is smaller but also has many hotels and a handful of restaurants for you to choose from in the evening. You should not necessarily expect to have the best Wi-Fi everywhere, although it has been improving considerably, especially with the introduction of Starlink. The infrastructure is stressed on these islands due to the ever increasing number of residents and tourists. At times it is possible to experience temporary electrical blackouts, though this is uncommon. In each of these port towns, there is a main street along the waterfront which is where you will find the shops and restaurants. With each block back away from the waterfront, you will find less businesses oriented and toward tourism and more residential areas. On each island there is also a population area in the highlands. These are more rural farming communities. There are also some tourism activities in these areas, which are not part of the national Park, but rather on private land. Tortoise preserves and lava tunnels.

How do I get from place to place?

On the islands you will take taxis everywhere you go. There are white four-door pickup trucks all over the place which you can flag down. If you are going on a pre-arranged tour outside of town, you might take a van or small bus. In the ports, there are water taxis. You may take these as you go from the pier to your ferry or your cruise ships or your boat for the day tours. There are also some destinations along the coastline near to the port towns which you might travel to by using a water taxi.  When  you travel from Island to Island, you will take a ferry. These boats are not the same as ferries that you might see in other areas. They are modified speed boats. They will typically hold between 20 and 40 passengers. They will drive quite quickly from one island to the next and the ride can be rough for those who are not used to the water. Seasickness can be a common occurrence on these rides. It is nearly the same distance, 50 mi, between each of the three main islands. This ferry ride from one island to the next is about 2 hours.

Can we explore on our own?

Yes and no.  There are some visitor centers and sites that you can access by walking or by taking short taxi rides in and around the towns.  However, most of the best destinations where you will want to go to experience the nature that is so special require a bit more planning.  97% of the land surface of the Galapagos Islands is designated as the Galapagos National Park.  This is basically everywhere but the towns and certain portions of the highlands.  There are designated tourist sites within the park.  You need to have a Galapagos National Park Guide with you when visiting these sites.  It is possible to hire a guide for a half day or day to visit certain sites.  You can ask about arranging that with your hotel.  HOWEVER, it is highly recommended that the best plan is to hire a guide and arrange an itinerary before you travel.  You don’t want to get all the way to this special destination and find that you are limited in the options that you have.  Many sites are limited to the number of visitors per day, and some sites are only able to be visited by specific guides who have the permit to take tourists there.  When you contact a guide or local company ahead of your visit, they can also help with lodging, ferry tickets, and transportation arrangements.