Galapagos the Enchanted Islands

Situated some 1000 km to the west of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands are the largest near-pristine archipelago in the world and a World Heritage Site, consisting of the Galapagos Marine Reserve and the Islands Biosphere Reserve. The Galapagos Islands are really special because of the amazing wildlife that you find there, most of it found only there: giant tortoises, marine and land iguanas, blue-footed, masked and red-footed boobies, flamingos, frigate birds, lava lizards, the Galapagos hawk, mockingbirds, sally light foot crabs. But even more amazing is that the wildlife is so easy to approach, some of it, such as sea lions, hawks and mockingbirds actually come to look at you. The islands are also one of the most active volcanic areas in the world.

The G alapagos Island is located right on the Equator. The tropical heat, however, is tempered by Pacific breezes. There are two seasons in the islands: the rainy and hot seasons; the rainy season and the dry season. Ocean currents are largely responsible for the climate of the islands. Though located on the Equator the temperatures are much milder than one would imagine due to the cold Humboldt Current traveling north from Antarctica.

The rainy season runs from November to June. Contrary to what the name might suggest, the weather is typically warm and sunny with daytime air temperatures between 77 and 87ºF (26-30ºC). The water temperatures reach a comfortable 75ºF (24ºC), and occasional tropical rainstorms can occur. February, March and April are generally considered the best months for visiting the islands: the weather is warm, the winds are light, the sea is calm, and the birds are nesting

From December to June humidity is high and average temperatures are in the 80s (ºF) (26º-30º C).

There may be occasional showers, but the days are generally hot and sunny. In the Highland areas, the temperatures will be fresher (4-5ºC cooler than on the coastline) and both cloudy and sunny skies will be experienced.

After April the weather becomes cooler. July to November marks the dry season. Temperatures become cooler (75-77ºF, 24-25ºC) and the skies cloudier although it seldom rains. Water temperatures drop to 70º F (21ºC) A sweater or jacket may be necessary on cloudy days and at night. August and September tend to be considered the "worst" months to visit when there is little sun, it can be quite cold, and the water at its roughest. In the Highland areas, the "Garua" (fine mist and cloud) season is experienced regularly over high ground at this time of the year.

Travel Facts

Air Flight Tickets

The prices of the yachts don´t include the airfare to the Galapagos: (at the moment )

Quito – Galápagos – Quito                     USD  420  RT / FF

Guayaquil – Galápagos – Guayaquil        USD  394  RT / FF

Quito – Galápagos – Quito                    USD  367 RT/ FF

Only from 1st of May to 14th June and from 15th September to 31st October be considered low season, and the airfare can be less. 

Galapagos National Park - Admission Fee US $100 per person. The fee must be paid upon arrival at the airport in Galapagos (the rate is subject to change without notice). 

Galapagos Transit card 

Every passenger travelling to Galapagos must pay a transit card USD 10 at the Airport before getting checked their luggage (the rate is subject to change without notice)

Luggage

No more than 20 kilos (44 pounds) of luggage (one suitcase) may be checked on flights to or from the Galapagos Island.

Additional luggage may be stored at your hotel on the mainland. These restrictions do not include small carry-on flight bags or camera cases

Passport

Passengers must travel to the Galapagos Islands with their passports.

Electric Current

110-AC. Electric shavers, hair dryers and any batteries can be accommodated.

Local Time

GMT minus 6 hours in the Galapagos Islands .   GTM minus 5 hours on mainland Ecuador.

Safety

All safety and fire prevention measures have been implemented on all vessels.

All safety equipment and systems on the vessels and ships according to the category are updated to the strictest international standards. Life jackets are mandatory for all "panga" (small boats linking the yachts and the shore) rides.

Meals

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Extra drinks such as wine, beer and other drinks are extra. Purified drinking water is supplied.

We recommend you to bring:

Clothes

For the daytime in the Galapagos, you will most likely want to be in shorts and a loose comfortable t-shirt or tank top. A wide-brimmed or long-billed hat and a pair of sunglasses are essentials for protecting face, eyes, ears and neck from the bright and scorching equatorial sun. For the evenings on some boats, particularly cruise ships, dinner can be a bit more formal, so a dress shirt or a simple sun dress might be a good idea. Most boats do not have any sort of dress code, and your daytime clothes will be fine. Consider bringing only one or two pairs of light pants to the Galapagos. They will be too warm usually, but you might want them for the plane and perhaps at night to enjoy the ocean nights. Also, bring a light sweater or sweatshirt so you won't miss magnificent nightly star-gazing.

You must pass through Quito, which is also on the Equator, but high in the mountains with a cool climate. Arriving at the airport dressed for cold weather is wise, so pack a jacket, preferably a waterproof one that can double as a raincoat in the islands.

Footwear
Without a doubt, Teva-style sandals are the most useful footwear you can bring to the island. They can be worn during dry or wet landing on the islands, protect your feet from the hot, harsh volcanic landscape and keep them cool. You might want the protection and support of tennis shoes or sneakers, but we would recommend that you bring your older broken-in pair than a new pair that will suffer the damage of saltwater, volcanic rock, and sand.

Sunscreen
we list sunscreen as its own section because its so important. The sun hits the equator hard and can burn you before you know it. We recommend SPF 45 waterproof sunscreen, and everywhere --don't forget the tops of your feet! Strong sunburn can be a debilitating condition --especially for those with lighter skin.

For the Water

A swimsuit or two is perfect for the water --the sun will dry them quickly and they are great for lounging around on the decks. If you have your own snorkeling equipment and you feel like bringing it with you, do so by all means. Often it is better to have your own equipment with which you are comfortable and certain of it fitting than renting from the boat or a shop. However, if you do not have your own, if your boat does not supply it, or you don't want to bring yours down, it is quite possible to rent from a shop in Quito. For those that like to spend hours snorkeling and diving deep, you might consider a shortly wet suit for the deeper 18-23 degree C waters, especially from July to September the temperate is colder.

Photography.-
Of course you will bring your camera! The Galapagos is one large photo opportunity after another, and you will return with many photos that can never be repeated. Frames will quickly fill with all the rarities, wildlife and oceanscapes you can dream of. For those that have quality 35mm cameras, bringing a wide-angle/macro lens and a 70-210mm zoom lens are advisable. The zoom lens will let you frame animals at any variety of distances, and reduce the amount of camera equipment you lug with you to the islands. A polarizing filter helps to reduce the glare of the sunlight on the water and make the dolphins more visible as well as helping with sunset shots. And if you do not have an underwater camera (as most of us don't), Kodak, Konica, and Fujifilm all make disposible ones -- they work surprisingly well and let you take photos of the sea lion you befriend or the sharks that make you look twice. It’s important to know,

Bringing video equipment, while adding more bulk, weight and worry, also means that you capture not only the image of the blue footed boobies, but their courtship dance. If you bring a tripod, make it a lightweight non-bulky one as you'll have to hike with it.

This is electricity 110 A-C

Accessories
Some other items that you might consider bringing are binoculars (7x25 are recommended), and extra camera batteries.

Money
The official currency on mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos is the US Dollar. It would be wise to already bring some Dollars in cash with you. You will want to have some cash on you while you are on board and in port to buy a t-shirt, a refreshing cola on deck, or an expensive roll of film, etc. The airports in Quito and Guayaquil, as well as the mayor hotels have money exchange facilities. There is a bank in Puerto Ayora (a typical stop on your itinerary) that can change your traveler's checks, give cash advances on most credit cards and ATM cardholders may be able to take out money. Carry your money, credit cards and the like in a money pouch (held close to your body).

Medication

First Aid kits are provided on all boats, but may not be completes or provide for those with special needs. Always travel with all prescription medicines that you may need. Special medicines you should consider bringing along are motion sickness medication (if your sea legs don't develop quickly), and aloe-vera gel (in case you forget our advice about sunscreen), Quito is at 9,500 feet, (3,000m) and some people experience symptoms of altitude sickness which in most cases can be remedied by drinking lots of water, getting lots of rest (which can be difficult when traveling), taking aspirin, or if you experience symptoms of mild headaches, DIAMOX, a drug that increases oxygen profusion is readily available in Quito pharmacies. If you experience severe headaches or respiratory problems, consult a doctor immediately.

Whatever else you would consider bringing on board a boat trip of equatorial islands for a week. Remember that you are on an isolated boat in isolated islands 600 miles from the nearest continent. So if there is something you can't do without and don't know if you can find it there, bring it.

Categories according to the international standards

According to the quality of the services offered on the yachts and cruises, we classify them, the quality and variety of the meals, the knowledge and training of the guides and in general the equipment and accommodation on board. If you want to book any cruises in Galapagos, please we suggest you first check our details about the category of the ships and cruises.

The cruises are biggest, their capacity is for more than 40 passengers until 100 passengers and facilities such us: Bar-Salon, boutique Jacuzzi. There are much different kind of cabins according to the location on the cruise and the comfortable details, air-conditioning, hot water etc. The itineraries give us the opportunity to travel to distant islands in less time.  

Luxury class yachts provide the best accommodation with additional services satellite telephone and TV/Video, the guides are Naturalist level III and it means they have scientific knowledge of flora and fauna and general biology. Besides they can be multilingual guides.

First class ships have capacity between 16 to 40 passengers their cabins are spacious and supply hot water as well as air-conditioning, satellite telephone and TV/video, comfortable loungers to enjoy the sun and some yachts have Jacuzzi.  Naturalist Guides level -  III with most knowledge, experience and with very good English speaking .  The meals are variety and very delicious – buffet every day.

Tourist class yachts are more spacious than in economy class, these are equipped with cabins with bunk beds, private bathroom with hot water, air-conditioning usually. All meals are served in form menus. It’s important the tourist class yachts not vary significantly from economy class boats with regard to size and service. The guide are Naturalist level II,   training and English speaking in general is good.  

Economic class yachts are small size and equipped with cabins, no spacious but with private bathrooms. The meals are good but not variety, the guide are Naturalist level II with training but not fluency English speaking.  In general there are good basic services, but these kinds of yachts are recommended for the budget trips.

Galapagos Activities and Operation:

Days of arrival and departure are counted as full days

The Galapagos tours start from Quito or Guayaquil and arrive in Galapagos normally at 11 a.m. – 12 a.m. local time. After airport check out and payment of entrance fees in the airport, you will be welcomed by your guide and transferred to the yacht (or to town) which is followed by the guides explanations and first day tour.
Some times the following day is normally early in the morning when the boat starts to sail on its way to the next island. Breakfast is served at about 07h30 followed by a disembarkation (wet or dry) at the shores of the island where the excursion will last for about 2 - 3 hours followed by usually swimming/snorkel time. Return to the boat. Lunch around 13h00. In the afternoon navigation towards the next point of visit with usually swimming and snorkeling activities also. Keep in your mind the schedule depends of each yacht and cruise.  Please note that there are ships which offer 8, 5 and 4-days cruises. In this case you will do the itinerary of the 8 days but passing Baltra or San Cristobal in order to pick-up and drop off the passengers who have reserved the short cruise. So it might be that you have some free time in the morning before lunch while the guide is at the airport.