If you’re a lover of exotic species, unspoiled landscapes, adventure travel, and Charles Darwin, then the Galapagos Islands is the place for you!  This one-of-a-kind archipelago offers unique flora, marine and animal life, and a sense of nature undisturbed.  Where else can you swim with penguins at the equator?!

The Galapagos Islands are located off the coast of Ecuador in South America and right on the equator. They can be reached by flying to either Quito or Guayaquil, Ecuador then taking a domestic airline (Tame, LAN, or Avianca) to the islands. Your adventure will begin from there but first, it’s important to choose the type of itinerary and boat (best to see the majority of the smaller, uninhabited islands where wildlife flourishes) that best suits your adventure travel interests.

While you can stay on land (although this limits the islands you can visit due to travel distance), it’s better to book a cabin on a boat that will take you from island to island. There are several options available to you ranging from 6-20 people on board or up to 100 (small cruise ships).  As a licensed guide must accompany all visitors (most of the islands are part of a protected national park) when setting foot on the outer islands, my suggestion is to look for a boat with a smaller occupancy. That way you can have more personal time with the guide to learn more about each island’s animal and flora life, if that’s why you made the trip!

Boats normally move to another island overnight, allowing guests to wake up to a new setting each day.  And if islands are close together, they might move to a different bay or anchorage over lunch.  Most tour companies offer 5 or 7-8 night itineraries.  If you have the time, might as well choose the longer option which would make the overall trip 10+ days depending on where you are traveling from or if you decide to spend extra time in Quito or other South America countries.

Now, back to your arrival in and how to get to the Galapagos.  The majority of visitors fly into Baltra Island (from Guayaquil or Quito) which is a small island directly next to the main island of Santa Cruz.  There is another airport on San Cristobal Island but most of the tours/boats use Santa Cruz-Baltra as the start/end of their trip.  You will more than likely be met at the airport by a tour representative who will get you to the boat itself or deliver you to the dock close by (there is a small channel separating Baltra and Santa Cruz; as of a few years ago, no vehicle bridges connect them) where the crew meet guests.

Depending on your island itinerary and places/islands you want to see, you will more than likely visit, in no particular order: Santa Cruz, Floreana, Espanola, Isabela, Fernandina, Santiago, Bartolome, and/or Rabida.  Each island is unique in its own way with various things to do and see – some may have more wildlife, better beaches, snorkeling off-shore, or volcanic history – which will keep your interest peaked throughout the tour.  If you have the option to take a longer tour that goes around the largest island called Isabela, do it!  You will encounter less boats and people meaning more quality time for your group during the land/water excursions.

If you are animal lover, I hope it extends to reptiles because the Galapagos is known for its marine and land lizards.  Hundreds may be camped out on rocky outcrops getting sun or scurrying around the brush.  And one type are very good swimmers!  Harmless if given distance, lizards are found on most islands but especially on Fernandina.  We had to step around them as we disembarked on shore!  Plenty of seals around as well both in and out of water.  As you will have the opportunity to snorkel (if you like) several times, you may find yourself face-to-face with many of these creatures including penguins.  The Galapagos is the only place on the planet where penguins live close to the equator.

And for you birders out there, paradise awaits.  In addition to dozens of species that migrate or are only primarily found in this island chain, you should see flamingos, flightless cormorants, and blue-footed boobies that are both unique in their beauty and with regard to the latter, incredible at dive-bombing for fish!