Best Luxury Cruises in Galapagos 2023

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Galapagos cruise is generally on top of the majority of peoples destination checklist. For many, the Galapagos Islands brings a great amount of interest to those seeking one of the handful of surviving amazing animals encounters on the globe. With its raw, natural splendor and incredible fauna, the remote Galapagos Islands should be explored by ship, and specially, a high end cruise providing the finest standard of comfort on-ship. Taking a Galapagos small ship cruise ensures that you will get access to several of the best visitor sites, many of which are sealed to greater luxury cruise ships.

When is the best time to go to the Galapagos?

There are two periods: December to May is hot and wet and June to December is usually cool and dry. Annual precipitation in the lower regions is 2-4in and the temperatures can vary somewhere between 69°-84°F/21°-29°C.

The Galapagos’s climate is determined by marine currents. The sudden weather alteration a result of El Niño is generally disastrous: as many as 55% of sea lions and marine iguanas could die in the course of this time.

The convergence of three major oceanic currents creates an amazing mixture of sea life to Galapagos. Even being located in the tropics, the Islands’ micro-climate is remarkably dry. During the cool period, the Humboldt Current brings relatively cold waters, which usually creates thermal inversions that impede rain fall.

At this time, a fine mist called “garua” is formed as cold, moist air just over the water meets a superior level of air that is heated up by the sun.

‘El Niño’ can be described as a rare event that happens about every 5-7 years. The southeast trade winds slacken and cause the marine temperatures to elevate considerably provoking stormy weather and rainfall.

Galapagos Islands Cruise Itineraries

Every licensed vessel sailing the Galapagos follows a 15-day route established and approved by Galapagos National Park. Throughout this period, a boat might not go to the exact same site twice, with the exception of the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz. How lines segment the 15 days may vary, but four-, five- and eight-day options are the norm. Passengers can often combine these segments into 11-, 12- and 15-day cruises.

All ships basically follow the identical protocol, regardless of itinerary: Island visits and water-based activities are done throughout the day, and also the majority of navigation is done immediately.

Since the method of cruising has been standardized, picking the proper itinerary includes a whole lot to do with cruisers deciding which visitor websites are in their must-visit lists. Port research — especially photo searching — is key. Remember the longer the cruise, the further west the boat will reach. That’s not to mention the western islands are better — it’s an issue of personal taste. If you cruise is also an important consideration.

There’s one main exception: “Live aboard” ships carrying experienced divers are the only craft to visit the northern islands, Darwin and Wolf, prime spots for ski lovers. In Darwin, where there is no landing website, schools of hammerheads are known to congregate.

Galapagos cruises are usually paired with land-based visits to Peru’s Machu Picchu, the Ecuadorian rain forest or other South American hotspots. Most passengers will spend a day or two exploring Quito or Guayaquil pre or post-cruise. It’s basically necessary, provided the flight logistics.

Plan ahead if you wish to see during the high season. Visiting out of those periods will still provide plenty of adventures and wildlife encounters, but costs may be lower with fewer other tourists around.

With minimal variation in air and water temperatures throughout the entire year, and many species which are not migratory, an Isabela Island cruise is an excellent experience at any moment. Generally, but the waters are better between January and March, making this an ideal time for avid snorkeling fans. The driest months are generally between August and December, perfect for beach lovers.

Pay a visit to the Galapagos in January to watch green sea turtles arriving and laying eggs on the shores, also in April to see the eggs hatching. July is the prime month for visiting whales off the western coast of Isabela Island. Bird spotters will likely prefer to visit Isabela Island between August and March, when the range of migratory birds is at its summit. October is the breeding interval for fur seals, whilst brown nodes are active in November. December is the best month should you wish to see the hatching of giant tortoises.

Before joining any Galapagos cruises, you will initially need to make your strategy to mainland Ecuador. International flights generally arrive at the country’s capital city of Quito, even though it’s also likely to take an international flight to Guayaquil. Flights to the Galapagos Islands leave every day from the Quito and Guayaquil.

Baltra Island gets the busiest airport around the Galapagos Islands, but flights also arrive at San Cristobal. Your tour operator will normally organize transportation from the airport to your cruise departure point from Baltra or from San Cristobal. Isabela Island Tours normally depart from Puerto Ayora, a significant port on Santa Cruz Island.

Many tourists in Galapagos are amazed to be greeted by desert-like vegetation–most are expecting a continuation of the lush greenery that they witnessed on mainland Ecuador. In reality, the majority of the archipelago’s land area is covered by the brown and gray vegetation often found in deserts. The Galapagos Islands are situated in the Pacific Dry Belt, also in typical ages only the highest altitudes of the bigger islands get enough rainfall to support tropical plant life.

The flora of Galapagos could be grouped into three significant vegetation zones: the coastal zone, the arid zone, and the humid highlands.

Coastal plants are found in the narrow zone close to the shore and are distinctive because of their tolerance to salty conditions. Mangrove trees are among the most common plants found within this zone, and they serve a significant role since the breeding sites for many birds, like pelicans and frigate birds. They also give much needed shade regions for iguanas and sea lions, in addition to refuges for sea turtles.

The dry area has become the most extensive zone in Galapagos and is comprised of plant species which are highly adapted to drought-like conditions, such as succulent cacti and leafless shrubs that blossom and grow leaves just in the brief rainy season.

Located above the dry zones are the very lush and green, humid zones. The humid zone is only located on the bigger, larger islands. The majority of islands in the archipelago do not rise in elevation above the arid zone.

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