The Galapagos Islands are a true paradise for nature loving travelers as they offer them the chance to find one of a kind flora and fauna. The most popular are the giant tortoises that joined Charles Darwin, and the blue footed boobies, as the unusual color of their feet catches everyone’s attention, but of course they are not the only ones
These islands can be reached by plane from either Quito (2h 15m) or Guayaquil (1h 30m); Baltra is the point of entry in Santa Cruz Island, the main one where most hotels and attractions are located. However, you can also fly into San Cristobal Island for a similar rate.
There’s two ways to enjoy the islands, by cruise (or boat) or staying at a hotel in one of the islands, both have their pros and cons depending on what you wish to do during your visit. So we have detailed them below so that you can compare and see which one you would prefer:
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PRO |
CON |
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BOAT |
You get to visit more islands within the park in a shorter amount of time.
More islands mean more sites, more fauna and flora species, and also more activities. You get to cruise around Galapagos Islands! |
They have fixed date departures (only certain days of the week).
They need to be booked well in advance. They are more expensive (depending on the type of cruise can cost twice as much as a hotel stay). |
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HOTEL |
You can start your visit any date you want as they have daily departures to nearby islands.
They are less expensive than a cruise. You can hop around and stay a couple of nights in one island then onto the next. |
You will only get to visit the islands closer to the one you are staying in.
Depending on daily weather conditions they decide what island will be visited on the day, so if you are looking to see a particular species of fauna or flora, then you might miss it. |
In both options the minimum amount of days that we recommend for this visit is 4 days, although there are shorter trips available, considering that you will have to fly in and out of the islands any less than 4 days will not allow you to fully enjoy them. If you have more time available then we would definitely recommend a week here.
Links: Galapagos Tours
