Best Galapagos Cruise

Searching for the best rated Galapagos tour operator? Take a trip with us. Highly recommended in Booking.com. Have fun with the supreme traveling experience. The top rated company, multiple selections, luxury accommodations, trained guides. All Inclusive excursions, every month of the year. Book today. Best Galapagos Cruise.

The Galapagos, situated nearly 600 miles west from the region of South America, is very possibly the very best place to witness evolution in all of its natural magnificence.

Called, in Spanish language, after the animal which is without any doubt the most popular of the island chain: The Galapagos Tortoise; the Galapagos boasts quite a few groups of minor dainty islands which are born of undersea volcanoes eruptions.

Located on the equator, the Galapagos gains all the bonuses of such a overseas position because all the 16 islands have sunny weather conditions throughout the year! If that wasn’t good enough they are on the crossroads for 2 really important trade winds: The North East trade winds (coming from North & Central America) and the South East winds (coming from South America). All these winds are most likely what started the influx of sustainable life around the island chain – and are considered to have been the agent responsible for the large woods covering the higher slopes of the islands.

These island of extreme natural beauty have triggered the evolution of numerous diverse, and pretty extraordinary, habitats which have in turn made it possible for the local wildlife, both plant life and animals likewise, to grow in a manner that basically has many experts astonished.

The rest of the Galapagos island archipelago is yet another place of exceptional, inter-dependent, not to mention fairly breathtaking wildlife.

Galapagos Islands Weather

Thanks to the confluence of cold water flows coming from the west and the south, the Galapagos island chain has an infrequent dry and gentle weather for the tropics and it is in general considered sub-tropical. As a result Galapagos vacation a year-round family vacation possibility. Galapagos temperature is considered equatorial, cooled down because of the Humboldt Current, and is also known by two principal conditions:

The warm, wet period

Late December to June is considered the hot and wet period, with March and April typically being the hottest and wettest months. Around December, the winds fall down and the weather equator changes south in the direction of the Galapagos, causing the westward-flowing current to slow, reducing the upwelling and letting warmer water from the Panama Current to bathe archipelago. Galapagos weather conditions are known by rain clouds which form in the event the inversion layer breaks down, along with the air warms and rises, producing regular afternoon rains. Even in this season; but, the low hills get minimal rain.

The colder, dry season

This time of year, often known as the “garua season” goes from very late June to December, when it is relatively cool and dry with an increase of overcast skies and periodic drizzle or mist (garua) through the day. August is the colder month. In this dry season, Galapagos weather conditions are pleasurable, the water temperatures are lower and you will find typically clouds on the greater hills. Line of sight is usually lower in the water because of plankton, but this mixture of conditions generates a much bigger activity in the water and food is abounding. Due to the fact Galapagos weather conditions are not too hot during this season, it is also the reproduction time period for numerous sea birds and shore birds, marine iguanas, sea lions and fur seals.

The Galapagos were discovered by chance at 1535 by Father Tomas Berlanga, priest of Panama.

Due to the long distances involved, the only practical approach to explore the Galapagos is by live-aboard ships, which travel between islands, largely at night, and make various stops every day. More than 80 boats are licensed to operate from the archipelago and there are countless combinations of stops and routes. Most cruises go ashore two times per day: 10 full days on the boat typically means 20 coast landings, 10-20 snorkels, and many panga rides (pangas are small, open outboard-powered ships) to approximately 10 distinct islands.

Exploring on your own is considerably harder. Getting around independently is catchy and all traffic should be accompanied by a licensed naturalist guide at all landing sites. But four islands (Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana and Isabela) have hotels of varying dimensions and standards and a few boat operators offer day-trips.

Following in Darwin’s footsteps involves a flight from Quito or Guayaquil, on the mainland, to Baltra or San Cristobal. Some cruises leave from Baltra (the dock is a five-minute drive from the air terminal). Others move out of Puerto Ayora, the tourist hub on Santa Cruz and a relatively busy town, with a bank, ATM machine, taxis, pubs and even a cinema.

GalapagosInformation.com offers an assortment of tailor-made live-aboard tours on many different boats carrying from 4 to 16 passengers.

Wildlife movements diverge greatly, and every month has its own highlights. For example, green turtles start their own egg-laying in January; penguins interact with swimmers on Bartolome mainly from May until the end of September; humpback whales start to arrive at June; July through to the end of September is the ideal period for most seabird activity; peak pupping for sea lions is around August, while their pups perform aqua-aerobics with snorkelers at November; and December is the month for hatching giant tortoise eggs. So, always there is something going on.

The seas tend to be calmer and clearer at this time of year (with 60ft-80ft visibility average) and the water temperature averages 79° F (26°C), therefore this interval is ideal for snorkeling.

The cool, drier, windier year (with intermittent drizzle or mist) is from June to November. Sea temperatures at the time of year drop to as much as 66F (19C) and visibility often goes down to 30ft-50ft, whilst sea swells may make some landings tricky.

How to Get to the Galapagos Islands</h3

Planning your trip to the Galapagos Islands? Not certain how to reach the archipelago? It’s simple. Your first destination is mainland Ecuador. Whether you are traveling in the USA, Europe or anywhere else, you need to book an international flight to Guayaquil or Ecuador’s capital, Quito. Their isolation is one of those qualities which make them so special. You may be wondering how one arrives at the islands. Charles Darwin went to the Galapagos Islands on the Beagle, but modern-day explorers arrive by jet. There are no direct international flights to the Galapagos Islands. The only daily flights to the Galapagos Islands leave from the cities of Quito and Guayaquil on mainland Ecuador. International travelers should ensure to arrive to the city in order to begin their Galapagos experience. From the Quito and Guayaquil, there are daily flights connecting Ecuador with cities across the Americas and in Europe. Direct flights in the US cities of Miami, Houston, Atlanta, and New York arrive every day. From Europe you will find direct flights from both Paris and Madrid. Once on mainland Ecuador, passengers continue to one of 2 airports in the Galapagos Islands. The busiest airport in the Galapagos is on Baltra Island. The second airport is located around San Cristobal Island. Flights from Quito and Guayaquil fly there daily bringing people to the enchanting islands. From the airports at the Galapagos, passengers move to their cruises or resorts in the port towns of their islands. When booking a cruise in the Galapagos, then it’s highly advised to reserve your flights along with the cruise. This ensures an on-time arrival and avoids the risk of missing the cruise death. Our expert trip advisors are able to help you organize every detail of your journey to the Galapagos Islands. Get in touch with them now to book your flights and cruise from Quito or Guayaquil. The trip from Quito the Galapagos is approximately 2.5 hours, and it requires a bit less time out of Guayaquil. Once you get to the mainland, you’re only a couple of hours away from seeing the blue-footed boobies and tortoises and swimming with sea lions. Come to the Galapagos, and discover a world unlike any other!

Giant Tortoises

The giant tortoises of Galapagos are one of the most well-known of the temples of the Islands. While giant tortoises once thrived on the majority of the continents of the world, the Galapagos tortoises now represent one of the remaining two types of giant tortoises in the whole world -the other band living on Aldabra Atoll in the Indian Ocean. The Galapagos Islands were known for their giant tortoises; the old Spanish word galapago meant saddle, a phrase early explorers used for the tortoises on account of the shape of the shells.

Even though there is a good amount of variation in size and form among Galapagos tortoises, two main morphological forms exist -the domed carapace (like their ancestral form) as well as the saddle-backed carapace. Domed tortoises tend to be considerably larger in size and don’t have the upward thrust to the front of their carapace; they reside on the larger, islands with humid highlands where forage is usually abundant and easily obtainable. Saddle-backed shells evolved over the arctic islands in reaction to the lack of available food. The front part of the carapace angles upwards, letting the tortoise to extend its mind higher to reach the higher vegetation, such as cactus pads.

Tours To The Galapagos Islands Best Galapagos Cruise

Galapagos Travel Tours Best Galapagos Cruise

Galapagos Sailing Charters

Cruises to the Galapagos Islands for 15 people November 2025

Galapagos Islands 5 Day Tours

Galapagos Island Tours Price