hucksmom

Okay--impossible question...

Which is your favorite Galapagos Island? Why? Are any of the islands repetitious of one another?

I don't think I can stay long enough to see them all and I'm having trouble prioritizing the itinerary. Need help!

Thanks.

GalapagosExpert

Totally loaded question! Making some decisions will depend on several factors. One in particular would be what kind of wildlife you would like to see. Different islands offer up different animals, bird life, sea life, and geological formations. My personal favorite island for snorkelling is the channel between Fernandina Island and Isabela Island. Teeming with marine iguanas, green sea turtles, rays, sea lions, white tips etc...For land visits I like Espanola island for the blow holes and the Albatross! good luck!

qwovadis

You can only fly to 2...

www.aerogal.com.ec good promos

for a land Excursion www.sancristobalbb.com

my fav...far less touristy great local vibe

but islands quite varied biologically a nice cruise

the best way to go for most to see more in a short time.

www.gotmyfare.com good Legend packages from the US from $2k

Celebrity Xpedition www.cruisecritic.com or Linblad very best

Happy Hunting,

ztsipapu

I agree--a tough question. Let's see--which is my favorite pet? Hmmmm...

I too very much liked Española. But if you're traveling between late Dec. and mid-March, the Waved Albatross will most likely not be there. (I have heard of some people who saw a few in Jan., but that's far more the exception than the rule.) Although Española is the only place on the planet these beautiful behemoths breed (with the exception of one small island just off the coast of Ecuador), they spend Dec. - March slicing non-stop through the air off the coast of Peru. However, the scenery is still gorgeous, albatross or not.

Genovesa is also very impressive for breeding sea birds--Blue-footed, Nazca, and Red-footed Boobies and Great Frigatebirds. The latter 2 can only be found on Genovesa, because they feed only in deep water; the other 2 species of booby can be seen elsewhere in the archipelago. On Genovesa, you basically walk through the "nursery" of these large birds, with all sorts of ages and sizes of nestlings scattered just barely off the path. We also saw Galápagos Fur Sea Lions (often called fur seals, but they are are true sea lions) lounging on the shady, rocky cliffs of Genovesa. Although Galápagos Sea Lions can be found on just about sandy beach, this was the only place we saw the Fur Sea Lions.

Tina
trip report at http://galapagos2009.wordpress.com/

hucksmom

Thanks all! I really can't wait. I have noted your favorite islands--but I get the impression that I can't really go wrong. I am going to love every island for a different reason.

I would love to snorkel so I especially appreciate the recommendation on that subject from GalapagosExpert.

Thanks.

ztsipapu

For snorkeling, you can also keep Floreana in mind. Devil's Crown has spectacular snorkeling--some say the best site in the archipelago (but I can't judge that myself). I found the wildlife on the landings on Floreana a bit boring, but that is probably just me. Also, our group got to snorkel with the adorable, diminutive Galápagos Penguin off Baltra, in case you can't get to the western islands of Fernandina/Isabela (where there are also colonies).

And you're absolutely right--you can hardly go wrong, especially if you get to at least some of the more distant islands, which are much less touched by the hand of humanity.

Tina
trip report at http://galapagos2009.wordpress.com/