Best Galapagos Travel Guide 2023

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A trip to the Galapagos Islands certainly is the adventure of your entire life. Found 1,000 km from the Ecuadorian mainland, the islands chain is composed of 13 huge islands, five of which are populated. Discover more about the well-known Islands taking a vacation with our company!

The Galapagos Islands are blessed with pleasant climate all year round, consequently there is not any “best” time to visit the precious islands. Still, you should consider variables including peak season vs. low season along with the weather conditions. Whether the excursion is for you, your group, or your family, consider the best time to visit the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos Islands will undoubtedly impact you profoundly. Take a trip along with us and have the vacation of your life around fun sea lions, elegant albatrosses, fiery crimson sally light-foot crabs, and sneaky frigate birds. Make your dream become a reality and book with us today!

When is the best time to go to the Galapagos?

Due to the confluence of cool waters flows from the west, the Galapagos has an infrequent dry and moderate climate for the tropics and is commonly considered sub-tropical. As a result Galapagos vacation a year-round vacation option. Galapagos temperature is considered equatorial, cooled because of the Humboldt Current, and is also known by two main seasons:

The hot, wet period

Late December to June is considered the hot and wet season, with March and April typically remaining the hottest and wettest weeks. Close to December, the winds fall and the weather equator adjusts south toward the Galapagos, triggering the westward-flowing current to slow, decreasing the upwelling and enabling warmer water coming from the Panama Current to shower the archipelago. Galapagos weather conditions are known by rain clouds that develop when the inversion layer breaks down, and the air warms and rises, resulting in daily afternoon showers. Even during this period; interestingly, the small hills obtain only limited rain.

The colder, dry season

This season, also known as the “garua season” runs from later part of the June to December, when it is relatively dry and cool with an increase of cloudier air and periodic drizzle or mist (garua) through the day. August is the coolest month. During this dry season, Galapagos weather conditions are relaxing, the water temperatures are lower and you will find often clouds around the larger levels. Visibility is generally reduced in the water as a result of plankton, but this mixture of conditions brings in a lot more activity in water and also food is plentiful. Simply because Galapagos climate is not very hot during this season, it is also the breeding interval for several sea birds and shore birds, iguanas, sea lions and fur seals.

Galapagos Islands Cruise Itineraries

Every accredited vessel sailing the Galapagos follows a 15-day route established and approved by Galapagos National Park. Throughout that period, a ship might not visit the exact same site twice, with the exclusion of the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz. How lines section the 15 days can fluctuate, but four-, five- and eight-day choices are the standard. Passengers can often combine these segments into 11-, 12- and 15-day cruises.

All boats basically follow the same protocol, regardless of itinerary: Island visits and extra-curricular tasks are done throughout the day, and nearly all navigation is performed overnight.

All cruises begin or finish at one of two islands having a airport: Baltra, a U.S. military outpost during WWII turned Ecuadorian air base, or San Cristobal, the Galapagos’ second most populated island and home to the capital of the state, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.

Because the method of cruising has been standardized, choosing the proper itinerary includes a whole lot to do with cruisers determining which visitor websites are on their must-visit lists. Port research — especially photo searching — is key. Keep in mind that the more the cruise, the further west the ship will reach. That’s not to mention the western islands are far better — it is an issue of personal taste. If you rail is also an important factor.

There is one major exception: “Live aboard” boats carrying experienced divers are the only craft to visit the northern islands, Darwin and Wolf, prime places for scuba enthusiasts. In Darwin, where there is not any landing website, schools of hammerheads are known to congregate.

Most passengers will spend a day or two exploring Quito or Guayaquil pre or post-cruise. It is basically necessary, provided the flight logistics.

Plan ahead in the event that you want to see during the high season. Visiting outside of these periods will still provide plenty of experiences and wildlife experiences, but prices may be lower with fewer other tourists around.

With minimal variation in water and air temperatures throughout the entire year, and numerous species that are not migratory, an Isabela Island cruise is an excellent adventure at any moment. Ordinarily, however, the waters are clearer between January and March, which makes this an ideal time for avid snorkeling fans. The driest months are typically between August and December, perfect for beach lovers.

Pay a visit to the Galapagos in January to observe green sea turtles coming and laying eggs on the shores, and in April to find the eggs. July is the prime month for seeing whales off the western coast of Isabela Island. Bird spotters will likely prefer to see Isabela Island between August and March, when the number of migratory birds is at its summit. October is the breeding period for fur seals, although brown nodes are active in November. December is the best month if you want to witness the hatching of giant tortoises.

Before linking any Galapagos cruises, you will initially have to make your way to mainland Ecuador. International flights generally arrive in the nation’s capital city of Quito, even though it’s also likely to take a long trip to Guayaquil. Flights to the Galapagos Islands leave every day from the Quito and Guayaquil. Flights from Guayaquil are shorter, and many departures from Quito stop in Guayaquil in route to the Galapagos Islands.

Baltra Island has the busiest airport around the Galapagos Islands, however flights also arrive at San Cristobal Island. Your tour operator will typically arrange transfers from the airport for a cruise departure point from Baltra or by San Cristobal. Isabela Island cruises generally depart from Puerto Ayora, an important port on Santa Cruz Island.

Galapagos Facts

A bunch of wildlife, visitors can get up close and personal to some of the planet’s rarest animals. The convergence of three important oceanic currents brings an incredible mixture of marine life into Galapagos. The endemic Galapagos marine iguana is the only lizard able to swim in the sea. Darwin’s study in Galapagos resulted in the groundbreaking theory of The Origin of Species.

In 1978 UNESCO designated Galapagos as the first World Heritage site. The film Captain and Commander was filmed on the islands of Bartholomew and Santiago. The title ‘galapagos’, an old Spanish term for ‘saddle’, was originally used by Bishop Tomas and his team to spell out the giant tortoises but the name stuck. As a result of early existence of both English and Spanish populations 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 moved to collect plants, rocks, insects and birds. He observed the unusual life forms and their adaptations to the harsh environment. He noted it was possible to differentiate which island a tortoise came from by the shape of their shell. His most well-known research is of the several species of finches which inspired his revolutionary theory The Origin of Species, published in 1859.

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