6 Things You Need To Know Before Visiting Galapagos
As a wildlife enthusiast, I’ve dreamt of visiting the Galápagos Islands for a long time. However, it seemed like a difficult place to travel to - and I was intimidated to take the trip.
Now, after finally visiting the beautiful Enchanted Islands, I can’t recommend this destination enough. I’m here with everything you need to know before you book your journey to the archipelago.
1. Go with a tour group!
There are a lot of regulations and logistics involved in visiting the Galápagos Islands, and a travel group like Contiki or Adventure Journeys will help you through all of that. Going from island to island meant a lot of coordination, and it felt amazing to not worry about a thing.
When I went in July of 2023, our guides, James and Andres, catered to every need and want we had on our trip. For example, I told them that I was a wildlife photographer. The next day, they offered to paddle a kayak for me so that I could see penguins up close and bring my camera along without worrying about paddling! They knew all the best spots to go to see wildlife, and they made our trip so much better.
In addition to that, my best friend and I made amazing friends in our travel group, and that made the experience even better.
2. Bring CASH
The internet can be spotty on the islands, making it difficult to use credit cards. Bring plenty of cash to avoid any problems. Their currency is the US dollar!
Some of the more popular restaurants on Santa Cruz island will take credit card, so don’t leave your cards at home. Just use them when you can, and save the cash for the small gift shops or for the occasional $10 entrance fee to islands like Isabela.
3. ISLAND HOP
Each one of the islands in the Galapagos archipelago is different. Make sure you visit a few different islands to see all of the different wildlife and landscapes available on the islands.
Isla Isabela was my favorite because it gave us the best opportunities to see wildlife up close. On Isabela, we saw penguins, blue footed boobies, wild giant tortoises, finches, and all kinds of shorebirds. The main town on the island, Puerto Villamil, is not very big but it had great food and even an amazing brewery! I would highly recommend getting a coco loco (cocktail in a coconut) at a beach-front bar or trying the amazing beer at Zaroa Beer Garden. All of their beers on brewed on the Galapagos Islands!
Isla Santa Cruz houses the most popular hub of the Galapagos, Puerto Ayora. Most residents of the Galapagos Islands live in this town and it is bustling. You arrive to the island by boat and are welcomed by crowds of sea lions along its rocky, volcanic shores. On Santa Cruz, you can go to Playa Tortuga Bay - a secluded beach that gives you the opportunity to experience pure tropical desolation. There is nothing there but you, the ocean, finches, and if you’re lucky, some great blue herons. In town, you can get amazing ceviche because seafood is a specialty on the islands. And lastly, you can visit the Charles Darwin Research Station! This place is incredible - it holds the taxidermy body of Lonesome George, the last Pinta Island tortoise to have ever existed, who died without ever reproducing in 2012. But don’t be too sad - the Charles Darwin Research Center spearheads incredible conservation efforts for the Galapagos Giant Tortoise, complete with a breeding center. If you visit on a Wednesday, you can see them feed the tortoises.
Isla de San Cristobal was the last island we visited on our trip, and it did not disappoint. On Santa Cruz, you can find another bustling tourist town complete with dance clubs! For sunset, the best place to visit is Playa Mann, where the sea lions lounge in the foreground of the setting sun. The crown jewel of Santa Cruz Island is Kicker Rock. Kicker Rock, or Leon Dormido (sleeping lion) was formed by the incredible volcanic activity of the Galapagos Islands - it is the remnant of compacted volcanic ash and rises nearly 500 feet out of the Pacific Ocean. It’s the most incredible place to snorkel, as you can find dozens of sea turtles, tropical fish, white tip sharks, and even hammerhead sharks there.
Each island of the Galapagos archipelago is unique, and that has caused all of the wildlife and ecosystems to vary greatly between each island. Because of that, it’s important that you don’t stay put at one hotel! Get out there and explore as many islands as you can in order to have the most magical experience possible.
4. DON’T. APPROACH. WILDLIFE.
Protect the amazing wildlife of the Galápagos Islands by keeping them wild! A minimum of 6 feet is required at all times from all animals. Even if they approach you, make sure that you back up!
I was lucky to have the most incredible encounter with a sea lion while snorkeling at Concha de Perla on Isla Isabela. While I was snorkeling, I felt a weird movement in the water behind me, and thankfully I had my GoPro recording because alas, it was a sea lion! Sea lions on the Galapagos are known for being incredibly curious and social. In fact, it’s one of the things that differentiates them from the sea lions you might find in California. However, the sea lion that was swimming with me kept swimming way too close! Even though I would have loved to make a sea lion friend, I knew the best thing to do was to back up, swim away, and give the wildlife space.
Most importantly, *definitely* do not touch them! Touching a baby sea lion can prove fatal for them, as it can interrupt their natural scent, causing their mothers to abandon them.
While you’re there, you might experience wildlife trying to get up close and personal with you - it’s one of the most fascinating things about the Galapagos Islands. Because the Islands are so uninhabited, the wildlife there has rarely felt threatened by people. But that doesn’t mean we should take advantage of it — Give wildlife space, never touch them, and respect their boundaries.
5. Pack lightly.
You’ll likely be taking boats and water taxis to get to most of the islands. Having a lighter bag makes it easier to carry your stuff from place to place, or even just up the stairs of your hotel.
If you’re going island hopping, as you should, you will likely have to take a speed boat between the islands. It’s a blast! But, the thing is, you have to carry your luggage to the water taxi, and then have that luggage transferred to the speed boat. And once you arrive at your destination, your luggage has to be loaded back onto a water taxi, and then you have to pick it up at the pier of whatever island you’ve arrived at. You can’t just check your bag all the way to your destination.
Because of this, I think it’s very important to pack lightly. On my trip, I only brought the essentials - activewear, bathing suits, and one or two nice outfits to go out to dinner in. My best friend spent almost the entire trip in her crocs, and I wore tevas the entire time. The thing with Galapagos is that it’s a place of adventure, excitement, and outdoor activities. Nobody expects you to dress like a supermodel, so leave the high heels or fancy button-up shirts at home.
6. Plan for an adventure.
Remember, the Galápagos Islands are a remote archipelago in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, are largely undeveloped, and vastly protected. This isn’t the place to go if you want to lay by the beach all day - you’ll miss out on the amazing wildlife and activities all around you!
That also means that regular mainland amenities might not be the norm. For example, most places on the Galapagos Islands ask that you do NOT flush toilet paper and instead put it in the garbage bin. That was hard to get used to, but it was important! We want to leave as little trace of our presence as possible on the islands and their fragile ecosystem.
In addition, WiFi and cell service can be spotty. Make sure that you download all of your important documents to your phone, and plan to not rely on the internet at all. I would challenge you to enjoy this — it feels amazing to disconnect for a bit, especially when you are exploring a unique paradise like Galapagos.
