Galapagos Islands

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

The entry fee to the Galapagos National Park was increased to $200 per person in 2024, up from $100, and the debate about whether this is appropriate is genuinely interesting. Critics argue it prices out lower-income travellers and creates a two-tier conservation site. The counterargument is that the islands receive 330,000 visitors per year and that high-cost, low-volume tourism is the only model that can protect them long-term. Given what you actually get, wildlife that has never learned to fear humans, marine life of extraordinary diversity, landscapes that look pre-human, the fee is not the barrier that makes Galapagos expensive. The airfare from mainland Ecuador, the liveaboard costs, and the overall week’s budget are.

The Galapagos make a specific promise: wildlife that has never learned to fear humans. Marine iguanas sunbathe on the path in front of you and don’t move. Blue-footed boobies perform their mating dances regardless of who’s watching. Sea lion pups approach snorkellers out of curiosity. This is not the wildlife you experience from a vehicle at a careful distance. Here, you stand in it.

Darwin arrived here in 1835 and the evolutionary story he built from the islands’ finches and tortoises remains the framework for understanding the place. But you don’t need to be a biologist to find this extraordinary. The animal density and the animal behaviour are accessible to anyone willing to make the trip.

Getting There and Around

Fly from Quito or Guayaquil to either Baltra (for Santa Cruz) or San Cristóbal. The flight is around 3 hours. There’s an entry fee of $200 per person (cash or card), plus a $20 transit card fee, collected on arrival.

Most visitors stay on Santa Cruz and take day trips to other islands. A second option is a liveaboard cruise, which covers more islands and is the way to see the more remote wildlife-rich sites. Liveaboard prices range from budget (around $150/day) to well-equipped expedition vessels ($400-600+/day). Cruises book out months in advance for the main season.

Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora is the largest town in the Galapagos and the main hub. The Charles Darwin Research Station, where the captive tortoise breeding programme has been operating since 1965, is a 15-minute walk from the main dock. Giant tortoises here can be seen at very close range, adults weigh over 200kg and live well past 100 years.

El Chato reserve in the highlands is where wild giant tortoises roam in open grassland. The drive up takes about 45 minutes. You walk among them freely. This is the best tortoise experience in the islands.

Tortuga Bay, a 2km walk from Puerto Ayora, has flat-calm turquoise water ideal for snorkelling with marine iguanas, sharks, and rays. The beach is extraordinary.

Key Wildlife by Season

Blue-footed boobies breed year-round but are most active June through August. Waved albatrosses nest on Española Island from April through December, a spectacular colony of around 35,000 birds, accessible only by liveaboard or day tour. Penguins (the only tropical penguins on earth) live year-round around Isabela and Fernandina. Whale sharks pass through from June through November.

Snorkelling and Diving

The underwater wildlife is as impressive as the land-based. Sea lions play around snorkellers, marine iguanas graze on algae below the surface, Galapagos sharks cruise the shallower reefs, and turtles are everywhere. Equipment hire is available in Puerto Ayora.

Diving requires certification and booking through one of the local operators. Darwin Island and Wolf Island (liveaboard only, 36 hours from Santa Cruz) are considered among the best dive sites in the world for whale shark aggregations.

Where to Stay

Puerto Ayora has accommodation across all price ranges, from hostels (around $30/night) to small boutique hotels ($100-200). Hotel Finch Bay on the water is the best of the mid-to-upper range options. On San Cristóbal, the lodges near the main beach are quieter and the island has good snorkelling directly accessible from town.

Practical Notes

• Tour operators are required for visits to most sites. Independent hiking on the trails is strictly controlled.
• The Galapagos Conservation Trust recommends choosing IGTOA-member operators for both land and liveaboard tours.
• Plastic bottles are restricted. Bring a reusable water bottle.
• June-November is cooler, clearer, and the best season for whale sharks and sea birds. December-May is warmer, calmer seas, and better for snorkelling visibility.