Galapagos Islands Travel Guide Book

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Set around the equator, some 600 miles from the South American coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands can be the crown’s treasure of the natural world.

A trip to this amazing Galapagos island chain lives up to dreams of a protected place separated from the common headaches of the world. The atmosphere is are usually bright and sunny, along with the marine breezes generate that appropriate air environment that can immediately calms down the whole body. The water is an ever-inviting light green, matched by prolonged soft sand beach locations of crystal white, red, dark and green. You can find crystal coves and protected mangrove lagoons, in addition to massive cliffs and caves.

We have the best compact ships and yachts supplying unparalleled entry to the very best places within the archipelago and also the optimum standard of comfort and safety. This company is specialized in the best experience, that includes hikes, swimming, surfing and sea windsurfing. You will learn about the exceptional behavioral and specific attributes that species has evolved to adjust to the rare conditions on each island. Since livestock have developed in the absence of humans and other large predators, so you are able to commune securely with amazing and weird animals that have virtually no fear of humans. Discover among cinder cones, white and black beaches, rocky cliffs and vibrant undersea environments.

When is the best time to go to the Galapagos?

The Galapagos Islands, positioned on the Pacific Ocean, around a thousand kilometers west of Ecuador, have a peculiar weather, tropical and semi-arid, with a hot and comparatively wet couple of years from January to May, and a dry and cool season, but also foggy and misty, coming from July to November.

The surroundings of the Galapagos are dry, except in the bigger islands, which receive much more abundant rain fall. As was already mentioned by Charles Darwin, who as you may know observed the peculiarities of the species living in the isles, their climate is cooler than one could be expecting from a place located at the Equator, due to the Humboldt Current, which often gets to the location after circulating in the ocean west of Latin America. Regardless, here the weather is variable from one year to the other, as there are different sea flows that meet or take turns in the area (there is also a hot current coming from Central America, which usually runs at a little distance and is far more powerful in the years of El Niño), which means weather conditions are difficult to predict.

As said before, in this island destinations there is two seasons: a warm season from January to May, having highest temperatures around 29/30 °C (84/86 °F), as well as a fairly cool season coming from July to November, called Garua, having daytime temperature ranges around 24/25 °C (75/77 °F). In the latter, night-time temperature conditions stay acceptable, approximately 18/19 °C (64/66 °F), however you will find frequently mists, which result in the condensation of very small drops (called garua from which the season takes its name), and the sky is typically covered by very low clouds (due to the thermal inversion created by the cool marine current). This interval is the very least stormy of the entire year in shorelines and plains (considering that the Garua doesn’t produce substantial rain accumulations), while on inland hills and mountains, there might be quite a few tremendous rains. The highest peak is the Vulcan Wolf, 1,707 meters (5,600 feet) high, situated on Isabela Island.

The hot period, from January to May, is alternatively the time of rains, although most of the rains are usually not abundant, and in any event they happen in the form of mid-day rains, which do not eclipse too much the sun’s rays. The rainiest month is March.

On the coasts, the rainfall comes down to under 600 millimeters (20 inches) annually, therefore it is in no way considerable. Here is the common precipitation in Puerto Baquerizo; we can notice the fact that on the dry season, not many millimeters per month accumulate, because of mostly to drizzle and dew configuration.

It should be stated that precipitation is unpredictable, and may be a little more rich in the years of El Niño. Through the more intense El Niño years, such as 1982-83 and 1997-98, the weather of these islands turns into entirely tropical, with higher temperatures and also considerable rainfall. In the periods of La Niña, on the other hand, the rains are more rare, and there is a decrease in both air and sea temperature.

When to go

Generally, the Galapagos could be visited throughout the year. However, the perfect time to go to the islands, if you also desire to go swimming and also take sunbathes, runs from February to May, because it is the hottest and sunniest, though there might be several downpours or thunderstorms in the afternoon.

The cool period, from July to November, is often highly recommended to explore nature, since it hardly ever rains in the flatlands and the temperatures are pleasurable, even if you have to take into account mists, haze and foggy air. From September to November the sea can be a little challenging, and this situation could upset people who suffer from movement sickness, during boat travels from one isle to another.

What equipment you should pack

From December to May (hot season): light clothes, a light sweatshirt for the night, light raincoat or outdoor umbrella for rainfall showers; sun hat (after all, we’re at the Equator). For hiking in the hills and the Vulcan Wolf, a bit more comfortable sport shirt and raincoat, walking footwear.

From June to November (cool season): light clothes, sweatshirt and lightweight coat for the evening hours.

For the ocean, gear for scuba diving, water shoes or plastic soled footwear.

Picking a Galapagos Cruise

There are several factors to take in to consideration when choosing a Galapagos Cruise: Boat size: a smaller boat provides a more romantic encounter while a bigger boat moves less in the water for people prone to sea sickness. A catamaran tends to offer the benefits of both alternatives.

Sail boat vs motor ship: all ships will need to utilize their motor to travel between visitor sites, therefore a sailboat might be more quaint, but you are going to use the motor most any time you are transferring.

Price: you get what you cover in the Galapagos in the kind of a more comfy boat and higher quality guides.

The Way to Get to the Galapagos Islands</h3

The Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport in Guayaquil (GYE) receives flights from U.S. cities of Miami and New York, European cities of Amsterdam and Madrid, and major cities of Central and South America. Mariscal Sucre International Airport of Quito (UIO) receives flights from the U.S. via Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami and New York; from Europe through Madrid and Amsterdam; also from many major cities in Central and Southern America. We recommend you to arrive at Ecuador at least 2 times before your Galapagos Cruise starts and catch your international flight home at least two days following your stay in the Galapagos. You can take profit of both of these times by visiting Quito, Guayaquil, or their environment. Once you have your trip to mainland Ecuador, becoming into the Galapagos Islands is simple. Located nearly 1,000 km (600 miles) from Ecuador’s coast, the only way to travel is by airplane. Whether Quito or Guayaquil, there are several flights every day that require passengers to the archipelago. You can land on Baltra Island or at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island. TAME, AVIANCA and LAN are the airlines that operate these paths. If you’re flying from Quito, you’ll most likely have a brief stop in Guayaquil on your way into the islands. Reserve your Galapagos tour before you purchase flight tickets to make sure correct dates. Check with your Galapagos cruise or tour company for advice on booking your trip to the Galapagos including optimum coming times to the Islands according to cruise/program plans.

Galapagos Facts

Abundant wildlife, traffic can get up close and personal to some of the planet’s rarest animals. The Galapagos was home to the sole surviving giant Pinta tortoise, “Lonesome George” which sadly died in June 2012. The convergence of three important oceanic currents brings an unbelievable mixture of marine life into Galapagos. The endemic Galapagos marine iguana is known as the only lizard to swim in the ocean. Darwin’s research in Galapagos led to the revolutionary book of The Origin of Species.

In 1978 UNESCO nominated Galapagos since the very first World Heritage site. The movie Captain and Commander was filmed on the islands of Bartholomew and Santiago. The title ‘galapagos’, a classic Spanish word for ‘saddle’, was originally employed by Bishop Tomas and his crew to describe the giant tortoises but the name stuck. Due to the early presence of both Spanish and English inhabitants in Galapagos, the Islands now have both English and Spanish names.

Darwin sailed to Galapagos on board the HMS Beagle in September 1835, when he was 26 years old. Throughout the five weeks that he spent there, he went to collect plants, rocks, insects and birds. He observed the odd life forms and their adaptations to the harsh atmosphere. He noticed that it was possible to differentiate which island a tortoise came from by the shape of their shell. His most well-known study is of the several species of finches that prompted his groundbreaking theory The Origin of Species, published in 1859.

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