VISITING THE ISLANDS
There are 13 major islands located in the Galapagos archipelago which lies 600 miles from mainland Ecuador. This amazing natural place is home to plant and animal species whose ancestors floated or were blown there. Native fauna lived without natural predators and animals became virtually fearless. Tourists can walk along trails and pass within inches of numerous species which is in itself a unique experience. 90% of the land surface and all of the ocean out to the national limits became a National Park in 1959 in order to preserve the original ecology and to control the introduction of new and potentially harmful species. To minimize your impact on the fragile ecology, the park authorities have established certain rules which visitors must abide by and these will be explained by your guide. On land, trails have been established and visitors are expected to keep to the trails. Visitors must not touch, follow or chase the animals and birds nor must they remove any plants or flowers or any other part of the natural history of the islands. Please respect all the rules that you will be told about once there. The survival of the islands depends on you.
CLIMATE
The Galapagos Islands have a sub-tropical climate. Between the end of November to June is the rainy season, however, March and April are generally the best months to visit the islands as the weather is warm, the winds light and the sea is calm. From July to November is the dry season although it becomes progressively overcast on the southern sides of the islands as the months pass. August and September tend to be considered the ‘worst’ months to visit as there is hardly any sun and can be quite cold and the sea tends to get rough. From December to March the El Ñino current may flow which brings heavy rain from the north. This does not happen every year however.
CRUISE INFORMATION
Most cruises are organised in such a way that you sleep on board, travelling between the islands at night and visiting the islands during the day. In this way you see much more and are able to travel further distances. Cruises are organised into several classes – Economic, Tourist, Tourist Superior and Luxury. The length of trip may vary from seven nights to as short as three nights.
We recommend to book a cruise no less than five days to see the highlights of the Galapagos, this should allow you to gain a reasonable understanding of the diversity of the islands. Prices range from US 300 per day to over US 600 depending on the cruise and quality service. There are discounts on some cruises for Ecuadoreans and Residents holding the appropriate paperwork. Ask us for more details. Your cruise rate includes food; accommodation; transfers to/ from the boat; guiding; shore visits. Your cruise rate does not include the park entrance fee : US 200 (you must pay this once you arrive in Galapagos). There is a US 20 immigration card to be paid at the Quito or Guayaquil Airport ; gratuities to the crew ( US 30-50 per cabin is an approximate).
FLIGHT INFORMATION
Flight costs to the Galapagos are not generally included in the cost of the boat trip. Flights cost are around US 550 + for foreigners and slight discount for Ecuadorians and Residents. The flight takes approximately 3 hours from Quito and some have a technical stop in Guayaquil.
Tickets are not transferable. You may take one main piece of luggage which should not weigh more than 25 pounds. The weight restriction does not include a small carry on bag and cameras. In any case try to keep your luggage to a minimum as there is limited space on the cruises. If you have extra luggage, we recommend that you leave it at your hotel in Quito or at the airport where there is luggage storage.
