Best Galapagos tours for Families 2023

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Located down the equator, around 600 miles off the South American coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands really are the crown’s jewels of the wild world.

A visit to this enchanted Galapagos islands lives up to dreams of a sheltered spot separated from the typical troubles of society. The air is almost always full of sunshine, along with the ocean winds generate that most suitable air environment which automatically relaxes the entire body. The ocean is an ever-attractive turquoise blue, matched by extended sandy beaches of amazingly white, pink, brown and green. You will discover crystal coves and sheltered mangrove lagoons, in addition to massive cliffs and caves.

We have the best compact ships and boats offering you amazing connection to the very best locations inside the archipelago and also the optimum standard of safety and comfort. Our company is devoted to the best experience, which includes walks, swimming, scuba diving and sea windsurfing. You will learn the completely unique behavioral and physical aspects that species has evolved to adapt to the rare circumstances on each island. Because wildlife have developed without humans and other large predators, therefore you can connect securely with amazing and bizarre creatures which have absolutely no fear of human presence. Explore among lava flows, white sand beaches, rocky cliffs and rich undersea environments.

When is a good time to go to the Galapagos?

The Galapagos Islands, based in the Pacific Ocean, about a thousand kilometers west of Ecuador, enjoy a unusual weather, warm and semi-arid, with an incredibly hot and relatively rainy period through January to May, along with a cool and dry time period, but also cloudy and misty, coming from July to November.

The areas of the Galapagos are barren, except in the highlands of the larger islands, which usually obtain much more abundant rain fall. As was observed by Charles Darwin, who as we know observed the peculiarities of the species living in the islands, their weather conditions are much cooler than an individual would likely be expecting from a place based near the Equator, because of the Humboldt Current, which usually touch the location after circulating in the ocean west of South America. Anyway, here the weather is variable from one year to another, since there are diverse sea flows which meet or take turns in the area (additionally there is a hot current from Central America, that flows at no great distance and is much more powerful on the periods El Niño), which means weather conditions are hard to forecast.

As said before, in these islands there are two seasons: a hot season from January to May, having highest temperatures about 29/30 °C (84/86 °F), along with a reasonably cool season coming from July to November, called Garua, having daytime temperatures about 24/25 °C (75/77 °F). In the latter, night-time temperatures stay appropriate, approximately 18/19 °C (64/66 °F), but you’ll notice often mists, which result in the condensation of little droplets (called garua from which the season takes its title), and the sky is typically covered by very low clouds (because of the thermal inversion produced by the cool sea current). This period of time is the least rainy of the entire year in shorelines and plains (because the Garua does not produce considerable rain accumulations), while away from the sea hills and mountains, there may be many real rains. The highest peak is the Vulcan Wolf, 1,707 meters (5,600 feet) high, positioned on Isabela Island.

On the shorelines, the rainfall comes down to lower than 500 millimeters (20 inches) annually, therefore it is in no way abundant. This is the typical precipitation in Puerto Baquerizo; we can see the reality that on the dry period, not many millimeters (a few tenths of an inch) per month accumulate, thanks to mainly to drizzle and dew development.

It should be declared precipitation is unpredictable, and can be a little more abundant in the seasons of El Niño. Through the more serious El Niño years, for example 1982-83 and 1997-98, the weather of islands becomes absolutely tropical, with high temperature conditions and also plentiful rainfall. In the periods of La Niña, alternatively, the rains become a little more scarce, and there’s a decrease in equally air and water temperature.

When to visit Generally speaking, the Galapagos may be traveled to all year round. However, the best time to visit the islands, if you also would like to swim and sunbathe, runs from February to May, since it is the warmest and sunniest, however, there may be a number of downpours or severe storms in the afternoon.

The cold period, from July to November, is often encouraged to discover nature, because it rarely rains on the flatlands and the temperature is pleasant, even if you have to take under consideration mists, haze and cloudy air. From September to November the water can be a little tough, and this situation could upset those who suffer from movement sickness, during boat trips from one isle to the next.

What clothes you should bring

From December to May (hot period): light outfits, a lightweight sweatshirt for the night time, light raincoat or outdoor umbrella for bad weather showers; sun hat. For trekking in inland hills and the Vulcan Wolf, a bit more comfortable sweatshirt and raincoat, hiking shoes.

From June to November (low-temperature cycle): light outfits, sweatshirt or sweater and light jacket for the night.

For the reef, equipment for surfing, water shoes or rubberized soled shoes.

The Galapagos Islands are probably the most well-known wildlife-watching destination in the world. And no wonder it’s nearly impossible to exaggerate the sheer spectacle of the place that provided inspiration for Charles Darwin’s ground-breaking theory of natural selection.

This remote archipelago is a land of lava formations, cactus forests, lush green highlands, turquoise bays and quintessential tropical shores. But, on top of that, it is overflowing with wildlife at every turn. Within minutes -sometimes moments- of landing on this dot in the center of the Pacific Ocean, you may be face-to-face with more strangely fearless and curious animals than anywhere else on Earth.

Roughly 620 miles from the coast of Ecuador, and slap-bang on the equator, Darwin’s “Enchanted Isles” include a bunch of 13 “appropriate” volcanic islands (bigger than four square miles) plus six smaller islands along with at least a hundred islets. Each one has its own particular setting, identifying landscape and inimitable wildlife.

You can see everything from penguins living in the tropics and boobies with bright blue toes to tool-using woodpecker finches and male frigate birds turning their wrinkled throat sacs in to extraordinary, entirely inflated red balloons. 1 day you might be seeing time-worn giant tortoises from the misty highlands, and the next you might be snorkeling with playful sea lions in crystal-clear water. You could be sunbathing on black lava stones adjacent to prehistoric-looking marine iguanas or sitting together with waved albatrosses as they perform their bill-circling, swaggering courtship displays (they look rather like Samurai warriors doing Lord of the Dance).

There really is nowhere else quite like it.

All this said, 170,000 tourists visited the Galapagos past year so, unsurprisingly, it’s starting to feel a little cramped. It’s a high-profile place and a lot of individuals wish to see it. The consequence of such an onslaught is that wildlife tourism is more tightly controlled from the archipelago than anyplace else on the planet. You’re only allowed to visit tiny pockets of the national park, so you can disembark (from small ships) only at predetermined landing spots, you need to walk just on clearly marked trails in strictly disciplined little groups, also you ought to be accompanied by local accredited guides. Regulating tourism with this kind of military efficacy might feel extreme, but it is vital under the circumstances. In the end, however, there has to be a limit and at the not-too-distant future, guest numbers will need to be capped.

How to Get to the Galapagos Islands

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 in the U.S. through Atlanta, Dallas, Houston and New York; from Europe through Madrid and Amsterdam; also from several Big cities in Central and Southern America. We recommend you to arrive at Ecuador at least 2 days ahead of your Galapagos Cruise starts and catch your international flight home at least two days after your stay in the Galapagos. You can take profit of both of these days by visiting Quito, Guayaquil, or their surroundings. As soon as you have your flight to mainland Ecuador, becoming to the Galapagos Islands is easy. Located nearly 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) from Ecuador’s coast, the only way to travel is by plane. Whether Quito or Guayaquil, there are several flights daily 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 run these paths. If you are flying from Quito, you’ll almost certainly have a brief stop in Guayaquil on your way into the islands. Reserve your Galapagos tour before you buy flight tickets to ensure correct dates. Check with your Galapagos cruise or tour company for information on booking your trip to the Galapagos including optimal arrival times to the Islands based on cruise/program plans.

Most of tourists in Galapagos are surprised to be greeted by desert-like vegetation–many are expecting a continuation of the lush greenery that they witnessed on mainland Ecuador. In fact, the majority of the archipelago’s land area is covered by the brown and gray vegetation frequently found in deserts. The Galapagos Islands are situated in the Pacific Dry Belt, also in average ages only the highest altitudes of the bigger islands receive enough rain to support tropical plant life.

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

Coastal plants are found in the narrow zone near the shore and are distinctive due to their tolerance to salty conditions. Mangrove trees are one of the most frequent plants found within this zone, and they serve a significant role since the breeding sites for many birds, such as pelicans and frigate birds. They also provide much needed shade regions for iguanas and sea lions, as well as refuges for sea turtles.

The arid area is the most broad 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 short rainy season.

Located above the dry zones would be the very green and lush, humid zones. The humid zone is only located on the larger, higher islands. The majority of islands in the archipelago don’t rise in elevation above the arctic zone.

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