Galapagos - What is a must see?
 

OK - so most of the posts so far are about which boat to travel the galapagos in. We have narrowed down to a couple of boats (kayaking and snorkeling is a must), but where we are having an issue is the different islands - not all the boats stop the same place. So which of the optional spots are best?
Some of the optional spots are
- Elizabeth Bay (which looks like is the only place to see penguins - is this true?)
- - The island of Rabida - are the red beaches worth it?
- Genovesa - Lots of birds - anything really unique?
- Island of Santa Maria - Supposedly the best snorkeling which I plan on doing as much as possible. Is it really different from others?

Going in this september if that impacts the choice... any input would be great - thanks

I suppose you have been told lots of the boats, we were on the Beagle and the smaller boats are the best. It is all beautiful, much of the best sites are while at sail so we enjoyed every island. The Boobies are great, an expereince of a lifetime wherever you go in my expereince. Enjoy

I went there last May. we stayed on Puerto Ayora and took boats from the islands on certain days. It enabled us to see more of the island and people yet still get out as much as we wanted. I am a reptile expert and my girlfriend was a bird expert and we both go our fill of each...there is so much everywhere. But the star of the show was the sealions....you can;'t believe how smart they act in the water. We bought the book "The Galapagos Islands" by pierre constant on ebay for $2. It was the best thing I could have done to prepare for a trip of a lifetime....it tells you everything. Stay in Quito for 2 or 3 days and see the sights. If you decide not to stay on aboat let me know and I can tell you about staying on the island.

This thread asks about best islands.

http://fodors.com/forums/threadseect...p;tid=34943071

Elizabeth Bay-I saw penguins on 2 trips at different times of year, and saw penguins nowhere else. I think it is your best bet by far for penguins. You'll likely take a panga and go along the rocky shore where they hang out. We also snorkeled near them.

Rabida--We also saw some flamingos and of course sea lions. It was very different terrain with the red sand that was really red.

Genovesa--The red-footed booby. I didn't see them anywhere else. They were in the low trees in nests and flying more than the blue footed ones. It is a small pretty island.

Santa Maria--unfamiliar

Best = what you most want to see.

Good luck!

You can target islands that are of interest to you, but you should know that the ship's itinerary is subject to change due to conditions unforeseen.
Also, our scheduled kayaking was twice cancelled due to high winds and chop which came up. The third time was the charm, though.
Snorkling with the sea lions was a real treat for us. We got into it good off Champion Island. Near Floreana, if i recall correctly.
The water was a cool 19-22c during our trip. Wet suits highly advisable.
We were on the Linblad, and like above you will see different islands on smaller ships. For instance, we did not get to Genovese for the Red footed boobies. Smaller ships can. We saw enough for us, many times over. Awesome. Every island had a little different things to offer. Wonderful.

I have to second BillJ's comment. My second trip's itinerary was changed because all of a sudden they renovated the Baltra airport and we had to reroute. I liked both trips equally well even with the change.

pault14,
W are realy interested in staying on an island rather than a boat and doing day trips. How did you find your accommodation? I'm aware of the FInach Bay Hotel, but no others. Appreciate your advice.

I am old so it is hard to remember, I went to Yahoo and kept entering galapagos and found 3 or 4 sites that had lots of info that included lots of places to stay. Checked everything twice and found a good hotel right in the middle of town for reasonable price. after I got there I check the other places and they all had their own little charms and weren't far apart price wise. Staying in town was actually nice. If you need more info write me at [email protected].