bjc280

Hello!

Would someone please tell me what is the best time to go to the GALAPAGOS ISLANDS? and Would anyone reccommend a way to see it, like a boat tour or something?

Thanks!
B

Ladventura

Ditto -- would like to go to the Galapagos next spring. Is this a good time of year? Recommended tour companies to use? Boat tour better than staying on individual islands.

Thanks for your input. L

PuraAventura

Hello!

Although wildlife viewing is excellent all year round, weather and sea conditions do vary somewhat through the year. There are two main seasons: December – April is the hot, rainy season, when you should expect occasional short but heavy showers. May – November is the ‘garua’ or misty cooler season, with September when the air temperature reaches its lowest levels (19C-66F).

Look, you've got two different options: a Cruise experience or a Land-based experience.

So concerning cruises, there are almost a hundred licensed Galapagos boats in the Galapagos Islands so the choice can understandably be bewildering. Every boat in the Galapagos has an itinerary dictated to it by the Galapagos Islands National Park authority, not all boats go to the same parts of the Galapagos by any means. There are good itineraries and there are weak ones.

In a land-based, you're staying in different islands and can manage your own activities as walk, kayak, snorkel and cycle! Spend also your time in the small towns of the islands allowing you to eat out in restaurants, know more about the human history of the islands, wander along the sandy beaches and have a swim as the mood takes you. Spending longer on each island will also allow you to explore in greater depth.

Therefore, a 7 night land based trip is very unlikely to give you as much exposure to wildlife as a good 7 night Galapagos cruise. However, a good 10 or 12 night land based tour can compare very favourably.

In any case, you must choose an operator very carefully to ensure that all National Park rules are being strictly observed.

Laurent

archmack

The Galapagos Islands are a great year-round destination for a Galapagos cruise and there really is no "off-season" as opposed to many other wildlife sanctuaries around the world.

the High tourism season to visit galapagos island is june-aug and mid dec-jan, and the moderate tourist season is feb-may and sept-mid dec .

Elizabeth_S

Suggest you get a copy of this book - it's a really good primer to understand where you want to go, when and how

http://www.amazon.com/Travelers-Guid.../dp/1588433897

vayaadventures

If your concern is the environment, you might want to think twice before jumping on the bandwagon of "land based tours" in the Galapagos. This sector of tourism has been growing at a much faster rate than the more regulated vessel based tours, which are limited in number (because there is a limited number of boats authorized to do them). A land based tour may sound nice, but what exactly goes into "land based" tourism? Hotels, restaurants, roads, infrastructure development. Is this what we should be promoting in the Galapagos Islands of all places? Getting to know the local people in the Galapagos is not something you should view as a major cultural experience during your visit to Ecuador, a wonderful country with vibrant traditional culture in many places on the mainland. Most of the people in the Galapagos were not born there but immigrated as a result of tourism. It is not as if you are getting to know traditional ways of life among Ecuadorians by going out in tourist towns in the Galapagos. Many people believe the population of the Galapagos is already too high and that the growth of land based tourism only encourages the single biggest threat to the fragile ecosystem of the Galapagos: human population growth and the resulting infrastructure development that goes along with it and inevitably degrades the natural landscape. A cruise on a licensed small vessel is a more sustainable, more highly regulated, and overall better way to see the Galapagos.

PuraAventura

I agree that land-based tours are not yet regulated despite an urgent need to control them. However, there are some highly responsible operators (I would include ourselves in this category) who promote sustainable land based tourism in the islands alongside small boat cruises. This is a much longer and more nuanced discussion than we can go into here but it's worth remembering that there is a human population on the islands which pre-dates tourism. Part of the challenge for the Galapagos is to manage the relationship between humans and animals sustainably. There are some land-based tourism projects which actively promote this balance and are every bit as sustainable and responsible as a small boat cruise.

Laurent

AntonioS

A good information you can find about climate is inside here : <a href="http://www.galapagos-islands.com/galapagos-about/when-should-i-visit-galapagos.html">Galapagos Cruises</a>

suoma

My husband and I just returned from a 15 day trip aboard the Galaxy yacht. Unless you really enjoy Darwin and evolution, 15 days is a bit long. We're planning on taking our grandchildren next year on a seven day cruise. You'll spend one day flying to the islands and driving to the boat; another day will be spent leaving the islands to fly to Quito. Boats are limited to multiples of sixteen since the national park limits the number of tourists to guides. If you chose a large boat, the Avons (pangas) will transport you in a schedule. We had 16 tourists and two pangas, so the trips to the islands were quicker and we spent more time with the animals. We snorkeled twice a day and went on walks every day. We swam with sea turtles, rays, sea lions, white and black tip sharks,penguins and a myriad of fish. The islands haven't formed coral yet, so don't expect tropical fish. Mid April is the cusp of the rainy/dry season. Temperatures were in the mid 80's and some days were very humid. The water was warm enough to leave our wet suits off with the exception of two or three snorkeling trips.
Barry Boyce's book A Guide to the Galapagos Islands is a good source.

rosewoodjo

Looking at Eclipse ship with A and K, or Nat Geo Islander or with Tauck Isabella 2 all holding 48 people? Any one out there experience any of these trips? Want to go in the May or Nov months.....

crosscheck

We went in June and the weather was ideal. Here are the sites I used for planning:

This site allows you to check availability and find bargains - gets you directly in touch with the owners or reps of each boat who will also book internal flights (ours was an agency in San Diego, the U.S. rep for our boat)

http://www.galapagoscruiselinks.com/

And here is a site that describes every boat which I used for research but not for booking the trip:

http://www.discovergalapagos.com/Int...s_Cruise_Ships

Pattito

Galapagos is considered like a eternal spring really fancy place, I recommend you to take a boat to visit different islands.

live42day

Just to let you know about the weather. We are here now and it is really really hot and humid

Melody_Hassen

The best way to see Galapagos is by cruise on small boats. We were there last May and the weather was really nice. We visited Ecuador Amazon basin before that and it was rainy there - well it is the Rain Forest, so i guess it rains all the time

Our tour guide told us the best time to visit Galapagos is in December - January- February. But he added there is wildlife around all seasons as animals come and go at different months and there are so many species.

LotsaPasta

Marking for myself

giannetta

Can anyone recommend a small, comfortable, reliable and reasonably priced boat for visiting the Galapagos Islands in mid Feb. National Geographic has been recommended to us. However, it is neither small nor reasonably priced @ $6200 pp for least costly accommodation.
Thanks in advance.
Giannetta

Elizabeth_S

This is a small, simple boat that is quite reasonable (well it was a few years ago)

http://yatefloreana.com/

Recommend you acquaint yourself with the boat categories - that will give you an idea of price

http://www.ecuador-travel.net/galapagos.boats.htm

taylorsmith831

Galapagos Island is the place which you can visit throughout the year. But I like to visit it during August- November. It is the best time for snorkeling and scuba diving. We can enjoy the place at its best during this time.

Ctcasper

Hello I have a questioned that I need some asistance with:

I am heading to the Galapagos for 5 days and wanted to know the best way to see as many islands as I can for the best price. Right now my company and I are going to try day trips to each island... Is this a good idea or no?

I have read both sides of the argument but wanted to take it from someone who has been there.

Please let me know how you would go about spending your five days in the Galapagos Islands.

Thanks,
Cory

crosscheck

I've only done the boat trip, but would say it's a mistake to take day trips if your goal is to see as many islands as possible. The boats are simply more efficient - a land based trip means lots of backtracking and possible rough seas. We went for 7 days and would have considered 5 not enough, even on a boat.

However, some of the islands seemed enticing and I'd consider using one for a base if you had a longer time.