Galapogos by Land or by Sea?
Mar 9th, 2014, 04:21 PM
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Galapogos by Land or by Sea?
I am in the early phases of planning a long journey through South America. The first stop will most likely be the Galapogos Islands for up to a week.. Since this will be a long trip and money is not unlimited, I thought it might be good to see the Galapogos by land. . We would probably like to see Santa Cruz, San Cristobol, Santiago, Fernandia, Isabela and Rabida. Maybe we could base on one or two of the islands and visit the others on day trips? Does anyone have any ideas on how I would organize this or where to stay? If you think I'm wrong about the land trip being more economical, I'd also appreciate sea tour suggestions. Thanks for your help!
Mar 10th, 2014, 07:07 AM
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Hello Sdtravels,
In a land-based trip to the Galapagos, Isabela and Floreana Islands will certainly be the most relevant, there you can manage your own activities as walk, kayak, snorkel and cycle! It is also nice to spend some time in the small towns to get to know more about the human history of the islands or even wander along the sandy beaches. Take in mind that spending longer on each island will also allow you to explore in greater depth.
There are people who are very worried about land-based trip in the Galapagos (and I know some of them here in Fodors), and they are right, however, if you choose an operator very carefully to ensure that all National Park rules are being strictly observed, you'll be fine!
Having said that, land trip doesn't necessarily mean to be more economical as there are almost a hundred licensed Galapagos boats in the Galapagos Islands that offer different itineraries (this is dictated by the Galapagos Islands National Park authority), so not all boats go to the same parts and therefore cost the same. There are good itineraries and there are weak ones. It always depends on what you want to see/do. For example, 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 favorably, but well you said you'll be staying up to a week only...
Hope that helps!
Laurent
In a land-based trip to the Galapagos, Isabela and Floreana Islands will certainly be the most relevant, there you can manage your own activities as walk, kayak, snorkel and cycle! It is also nice to spend some time in the small towns to get to know more about the human history of the islands or even wander along the sandy beaches. Take in mind that spending longer on each island will also allow you to explore in greater depth.
There are people who are very worried about land-based trip in the Galapagos (and I know some of them here in Fodors), and they are right, however, if you choose an operator very carefully to ensure that all National Park rules are being strictly observed, you'll be fine!
Having said that, land trip doesn't necessarily mean to be more economical as there are almost a hundred licensed Galapagos boats in the Galapagos Islands that offer different itineraries (this is dictated by the Galapagos Islands National Park authority), so not all boats go to the same parts and therefore cost the same. There are good itineraries and there are weak ones. It always depends on what you want to see/do. For example, 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 favorably, but well you said you'll be staying up to a week only...
Hope that helps!
Laurent
Mar 11th, 2014, 05:47 AM
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Hello again!
I'm going to tread carefully here as we, quite rightly, can't use this forum to sell our services (we are a tour operator specialising in Latin America). I will therefore answer in more general terms which will hopefully still be useful to you. Since you seem quite open minded about when you go and wether you go by land or sea, I would suggest that talking to someone who knows the islands and can give you (somewhat) impartial advice on all the different options would be very helpful.
As I said before, there are nearly 100 boats, many, many islands, many different species and then there are changes in conditions month by month. In short, a sensible human can help you get down to what it is that you care about, what doesn't matter to you and therefore what the best choices are.
You can do a bit of digging around and speak directly to boat operators in the Galapagos but of course, the answer to your questions will always ultimately lead to suggesting you travel with them at a time of year when they have space. The way that Galapagos boats operate by the way means that tour operators are paid by the boats for bookings made - the price will be very much the same to you whether you go direct to the boat owners or speak to a specialist operator.
I hope this gives you some context. Without knowing more about you, it isn't possible to give a sensible recommendation as to what might work best for you in the Galapagos.
I'm going to tread carefully here as we, quite rightly, can't use this forum to sell our services (we are a tour operator specialising in Latin America). I will therefore answer in more general terms which will hopefully still be useful to you. Since you seem quite open minded about when you go and wether you go by land or sea, I would suggest that talking to someone who knows the islands and can give you (somewhat) impartial advice on all the different options would be very helpful.
As I said before, there are nearly 100 boats, many, many islands, many different species and then there are changes in conditions month by month. In short, a sensible human can help you get down to what it is that you care about, what doesn't matter to you and therefore what the best choices are.
You can do a bit of digging around and speak directly to boat operators in the Galapagos but of course, the answer to your questions will always ultimately lead to suggesting you travel with them at a time of year when they have space. The way that Galapagos boats operate by the way means that tour operators are paid by the boats for bookings made - the price will be very much the same to you whether you go direct to the boat owners or speak to a specialist operator.
I hope this gives you some context. Without knowing more about you, it isn't possible to give a sensible recommendation as to what might work best for you in the Galapagos.
Mar 25th, 2014, 04:53 PM
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Just left the galapagos yesterday. We spent two nights on San cristobal , did a five day cruise and then two nights Santa Cruz. To me, the combination was perfect. We got a first class boat for almost half price by booking the last cabin one month prior, but we were flexible with our time
You can do day tours from each of the islands as well, and it would cost a lot less money, but take more time getting to and from each place. If you have th energy then I don't think you can go wrong either way.
It is an amazing place
The advantage to the boat is that they travel from island to island at night which saves time
You can do day tours from each of the islands as well, and it would cost a lot less money, but take more time getting to and from each place. If you have th energy then I don't think you can go wrong either way.
It is an amazing place
The advantage to the boat is that they travel from island to island at night which saves time
Mar 27th, 2014, 09:14 AM
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Hi I took a cruise for 8 days / 7 nights which is very convenient to visit different islands and it was fabolous, I suggest you to ask 3 options of cruises at least, turist, turist superior and first class yacht; my itinerary was prepared for a tour operator from Ecuador based in Quito
Check out Thursday they pick me up at the airport in Quito
Friday I visited the old town Quito
Saturday they assisted me at the airport to take the flight to Galapagos
Next Saturday I came from Galapagos and the same, they pick me up and take to my hotel.
Sunday: After the breakfast again they pick me up at the hotel to the airport to take my international flight
it was fantastic, good service and they were very flexible if you need more information about it, keep me in touch
Good luck!
Check out Thursday they pick me up at the airport in Quito
Friday I visited the old town Quito
Saturday they assisted me at the airport to take the flight to Galapagos
Next Saturday I came from Galapagos and the same, they pick me up and take to my hotel.
Sunday: After the breakfast again they pick me up at the hotel to the airport to take my international flight
it was fantastic, good service and they were very flexible if you need more information about it, keep me in touch
Good luck!
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