Galapagos Cruises 2023

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Galapagos cruise trip could be on top of almost all peoples destination checklist. For several, the Galapagos Islands offers a prodigious amount of interest to those looking for one of the handful of remaining gorgeous wild animals encounters in the world. Having a ferocious, organic beauty and remarkable fauna, the remote Galapagos Islands must be visited by yacht, and specifically, a high end ship supplying the ideal amount of comfort on board. Taking a Galapagos little catamaran means that you get access to some of the finest visitor sites, some of which are forbidden to bigger cruise ships.

Galapagos Weather by Month

The Galapagos Islands, situated on the Pacific Ocean, about a thousand kilometers west of Ecuador, enjoy a particular climate, warm and semi-arid, that has a very hot and comparatively rainy couple of years from January to May, as well as a dry and cool time period, but also cloudy and misty, through July to November.

The surroundings of the Galapagos are dry, except in the bigger islands, which usually receive far more considerable rain. As was already observed by Charles Darwin, who as you may know observed the peculiarities of the species located in the islands, their weather conditions are much cooler than a person would likely assume from a location situated close to the Equator, due to the Humboldt Current, which usually gets to the region right after moving in the ocean west of South America. However, here the climate is variable from one year to the other, as there are diverse water currents which encounter or alternate in the region (additionally there is a warm current coming from Central America, which usually runs at no great length and is much more active on the periods El Niño), therefore, the weather conditions are tough to estimate.

The hot period, from January to May, is on the other hand the rainiest period, although most of the rains are usually not copious, and in any kind of occasion they take place in the form of mid-day showers, that do not overshadow too much the sun. The rainiest month is March.

On the coasts, the rainfall comes down to lower than 600 millimeters (20 inches) annually, so it’s not copious. This is the average precipitation in Puerto Baquerizo; we could notice the fact that in the dry period, only a few millimeters per month accumulate, thanks to mainly to drizzle and dew configuration.

When you should go Generally speaking, the Galapagos may be visited throughout the year. However, a good time to visit Galapagos, in case you also desire to swim and also take sunbathes, runs from February to May, because it’s the hottest and sunniest, even though there might be a few rains or thunderstorms in the evening.

The cool season, from July to November, is often suggested to discover the outdoors, because it very rarely rains in the plains and the temperature is nice, even though you must take into mind mists, haze and cloudy skies. From September to November the ocean can be a little rough, and this situation may affect those who have problems with motion illness, during catamaran trips from one isle to another.

What to pack

From December to May (warm period): light clothes, a lightweight sweatshirt for the evening hours, light raincoat or umbrella for rain showers; sun hat. For hiking in inland hills and the Vulcan Wolf, a bit more comfortable sport shirt and raincoat, walking shoes.

From June to November (cold period): light outfits, sweatshirt and lightweight jacket for the evening hours.

For the ocean, gear for knee boarding, water shoes or rubber soled footwear.

The Galapagos were discovered by chance in 1535 by Father Tomas Berlanga, Bishop of Panama.

Because of the long distances involved, the only practical approach to explore the Galapagos is by live-aboard boats, which traveling between islands, mostly at night, and make various stops each day. More than 80 vessels are licensed to operate in the archipelago and there are an infinite number of combinations of stops and paths. Most cruises go ashore twice per day: 10 full days on the boat typically means 20 coast landings, 10-20 snorkels, and several panga rides (pangas are little, open outboard-powered ships) to approximately 10 different islands.

Exploring on your own is much harder. Getting around separately is tricky and all traffic should be accompanied by a qualified naturalist guide at all landing sites. However four islands (Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana and Isabela) have hotels of varying dimensions and criteria and a few vessel operators offer day-trips.

Following in Darwin’s footsteps involves a trip from Quito or Guayaquil, on the mainland, to Baltra or San Cristobal. Some cruises leave from Baltra (the pier is a five-minute drive in the air terminal).

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

Wildlife actions diverge, and every month has its highlights. By way of instance, green turtles start their own egg-laying in January; penguins socialize with swimmers on Bartolome largely from May until the end of September; humpback whales start to arrive in June; July through the end of September is the ideal period for most seabird action; 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 happening.

The hot, humid, slightly rainy season (with occasional tropical showers) is from December to May (March and April are usually hottest and wettest). 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), so this period is ideal for snorkeling.

The trendy, drier, windier season (with intermittent drizzle or mist) is from June to November. Sea temperatures in this time of year drop to as much as 66F (19C) and visibility often goes down to 30ft-50ft, while sea swells can make some landings catchy.

Everyone of the Galapagos’ official guest websites has something unique to offer, but travelers will have the ability to experience the greatest strikes — sea lions, marine iguanas, lava lizards, endemic birds — about the majority of islands. Listed below are a few of the most well-known spots.

Santa Cruz includes the Galapagos’ most populous “city,” Puerto Ayora, also is the island chain’s most important tourism hub. The island offers people the sole opportunity to experience the Galapagos’ inside high-lands, one of a few areas to see giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The Charles Darwin research center, a visit to which is contained on every cruise, can be located here.

South Plaza encompasses less than one-tenth of a mile in area and is among the Galapagos’ tiniest visitor websites. But the very small island, which was formed by volcanic uplift, makes a powerful impression with its color-changing ground vegetation, sea birds and colony of Galapagos land iguanas. The successful male iguanas could be seen standing guard in front of a cactus tree, waiting patiently to offer a hungry female with a piece of prickly fruit.

Rabida: creates a bold statement when you arrive during its iron-rich red beach. Just inland is a brackish lagoon where people often see flamingos, heads plunged submerged to scoop up crustaceans and algae with their bowl-like beaks.

Espanola is the southernmost island, home to the famed waved albatross, a child-sized bird with an eight-foot wingspan. According to the Galapagos Conservancy, every year the entire planet’s population of adult Waved Albatrosses returns to Espanola during the nesting season from April to December. “Spiritual experience” is a frequent descriptor.

Fernandina, the Galapagos’ youngest and westernmost island is best known for its not-infrequent volcanic eruptions, the most recent of which was in 2009. It’s located at the locus of the “hot spot” which created, and is still creating and shaping, the Galapagos. As visitors step across lava flows and about the massive population of land iguanas, they develop a firsthand comprehension of the ancestral roots of those islands.

Floreana is the place you can find the Galapagos’ famous barrel-mailbox at Post Office Bay. For centuries, those visiting the famed Ecuadorian isles relied upon the unspoken duty of pirates and whalers to get letters to a planned destination. A mariner would render a dispatch, then pick through the stack for missives he can personally deliver (travel schedule permitting). The tradition continues today; cruise passengers visiting the site may depart and take postcards out of a (modern) barrel. Floreana is home to the Galapagos’ famous barrel-mailbox in Post Office Bay. For centuries, those visiting the famed Ecuadorian isles relied upon the unspoken responsibility of pirates and whalers to Puerto Villamil and Nearby Areas – Isabela Island Cruises take in a variety of interesting points around the massive island. Puerto Villamil is a little vent in the south east of the island, and it’s home to the clear majority of the island’s inhabitants. It’s possible to enjoy this fishing-community vibe, sample tasty freshly caught seafood, participate with all the merry kids, shop for souvenirs from the colorful stores, and admire the islets that dot the coast. Stroll along the boardwalk, leading through mangroves, and see flamingos, gallinules, whimbrels, and much more. The Tortoise Breeding Center sits in the end of the boardwalk, helping to conserve sea tortoises. The harbor is often full of small luxury yachts and other sailing vessels, many of which take passengers on thrilling Galapagos cruises.

Galapagos Animals

The Galapagos penguin is the sole to be found in the northern hemisphere and to strain in the tropics.

A Galapagos tortoise can weigh up to 595lb (270kg) using a carapace length of 4ft (1.2m) and outlive many humans.

The endemic Galapagos fur sea lions are the smallest among the world’s seven species of fur sea lions

The Galapagos Islands are home to the world’s biggest cormorant and the only one unable to fly.

Galapagos has among the planet’s rarest ecosystems where the herbivores at the peak of the food chain are reptiles.

Galapagos Swallow-tailed gulls are the sole gulls on earth to feed at night .

The Galapagos boasts the world’s biggest and just red-footed booby colony.

The Galapagos is one of the few regions of the world where turtles are still a frequent sight.

In 30cm in length and using a massive pair of jaws that are venomous, the endemic centipede (Scolopendra galapagoensis) is one of the Islands’ most feared animals.

A lichen survey in June 2010 from the Charles Darwin Foundation uncovered more than 60 brand new species in the Galapagos with an estimated ten species new to science.

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