How to Travel to Galapagos Islands

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A trip to the Galapagos Islands certainly is the adventure of an individual’s lifetime. Situated 1,000 kilometers from the Ecuador, the islands chain is made up of 13 large islands, five of which are inhabited. Find out more about the famous Islands by taking a excursion here!

The Island’s unique volcanic geology, and also its particular abundant nature have already been popular and studied by plenty of travelers, experts, and nature-enthusiasts. Researchers continue to be faced with the enigma of exactly how such a huge diverseness of species were able to develop in a exotic location such as the Galapagos Islands.

The Galapagos Islands definitely impact you profoundly. Take a trip with our company and have the vacation of your lifetime around sea lions, albatrosses, red sally light-foot crabs, and sneaky frigate birds. You could make your dream become a reality and contact us now!

When is a good time to go to the Galapagos?

Because of the confluence of cool water currents coming from the west and the south, the Galapagos has an uncharacteristically dry and moderate weather for the tropics and is usually classified as sub-tropical. This makes Galapagos travel a year-round holiday choice. Galapagos weather is considered tropical, cooled off by the Humboldt Current, and is also characterized by two main seasons:

The warm, wet period

Late December to June is definitely the warm and wet period, with March and April generally being the hottest and wettest months. Close to December, the trade winds fall down and the climatic equator adjusts south towards the Galapagos, causing the westward-flowing current to slow down, decreasing the upwelling and letting hotter water coming from the Panama Current to bathe archipelago. Galapagos weather conditions are characterized by rain clouds that form when the inversion breaks down, and the air warms and rises, resulting in frequent afternoon showers. Even during this season; interestingly, the low hills receive only minimal rain.

The colder, dry season

This season, also referred to as the “garua season” extends from the later part of June to December, when it is relatively cool and dry with additional cloudier atmosphere and occasional drizzle or mist (garua) through the day. August is the colder month. In this dry season, Galapagos weather conditions are nice, water temperature is lower and you will find frequently clouds around the higher hills. Visibility is generally decreased in the water as a result of plankton, but this mix of situations generates a much bigger activity in the water and food is abundant. Because Galapagos climate is not very hot during this time of year, it is also the reproduction interval for numerous sea birds and shore birds, iguanas, sea lions and fur seals.

El Niño and La Niña

El Niño is a dysfunction of the oceanic and atmospheric systems of the coast of Latin America that produces atypically hot water temperatures, a change in the course of the wind, changes in currents, and significantly increased rain. The increased rainfall results in the destructive inundating on the eastern Pacific, and, at the same time, creating drought in the western Pacific, all the way to Australia. This phenomenon is anticipated by checking variations in temperatures on the top of the sea, wind factors, and water flows near Ecuador and Peru.

In order to preserve the natural beauty of Galapagos Islands, the Galapagos National Park have reduced the amount of guests by requiring operators to wait for 14 days before returning to the same area. This means that many ships offer alternating itineraries to cover as many of their finest Galapagos websites as possible. Escape the crowds and explore the islands on a Galapagos Cruise in tiny classes and with experienced naturalist guides. All Galapagos small boat cruises have between 4-16 passengers, ensuring that a more personalized service and better experience.

The Galapagos Islands were first made famous when Charles Darwin established his ‘Theory of Evolution’ on his discoveries there. Made up of a bunch of approximately 13 volcanic islands, approximately 95% of the area is now a part of the Galapagos National Park system and declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A Galapagos cruise will provide a truly unique experience. In the stunning landscapes which resembles something from the Jurassic age, to the endemic wildlife with as much as 26 species native to these islands and in their natural habitat, there is nowhere else on earth like the Galapagos Islands.

How to Get to the Galapagos Islands

Not sure how to reach the archipelago? It is simple. Your destination is mainland Ecuador. Whether you’re traveling from the United States, Europe or any place else, you should book an global flight to Guayaquil or Ecuador’s capital, Quito. The Galapagos Islands is a world-famous travel destination renowned for being an isolated and pristine archipelago. Their isolation is just 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 at jet. There are no direct international flights to the Galapagos Islands. The only real daily flights to the Galapagos Islands leave in the cities of Quito and Guayaquil on mainland Ecuador. International travelers must ensure to arrive to the city in order to start their Galapagos experience. From both Quito and Guayaquil, there are daily flights connecting Ecuador with cities across the Americas and in Europe. Direct flights from the US cities of Miami, Houston, Atlanta, and New York arrive every day. From Europe there are direct flights coming in both Amsterdam and Madrid. Once on southern Ecuador, travelers carry on to one of two airports in the Galapagos Islands. The busiest airport in the Galapagos is on Baltra Island. The next airport is located on San Cristobal Island. Flights from Quito and Guayaquil fly daily bringing people to the enchanting islands. In the airports in the Galapagos, passengers transfer to their cruises or hotels in the port towns of their islands. When booking a cruise in the Galapagos, it is highly advised to book your flights together with the cruise. This guarantees an on-time entrance and avoids the chance of missing the cruise departure. Our expert trip advisors can help you organize every detail of your trip to the Galapagos Islands. Get in touch with them now to reserve your flights and cruise from Quito or Guayaquil. The flight from Quito the Galapagos is about 2.5 hours, and it takes a little less time out of Guayaquil. Once you get to the mainland, you are just a few 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!

Many tourists traveling in Galapagos are amazed to be greeted with desert-like vegetation–most are anticipating a continuation of the lush greenery they observed on mainland Ecuador. In reality, the majority of the archipelago’s land area is covered by the brown and gray vegetation often located in deserts. The Galapagos Islands are situated in the Pacific Dry Belt, also in average years just the highest altitudes of the larger islands receive enough rainfall to support tropical plant life.

Geologically talking, the islands are young, and a lot of the island’s vegetation reflects this fact; several species seem to be in the middle of the evolutionary process, which makes classifying them a difficult endeavor. To date, the islands are thought to be home to between 552 and 614 indigenous species of vascular plants and roughly 825 introduced species, nearly all introduced by humans. Over 100 of those introduced species have become established in the wild, with a lot of these extremely invasive and of big concern. Three introduced plant species have been eradicated. The disparity between species number on the Islands and the southern highlights the reality that the Galapagos Islands are separated from the continent by a hostile saltwater barrier decreasing the potential for birth and, once a plant has come, establishment is difficult due to the harsh surroundings. It’s worthy of notice that more than 30% of indigenous plant species found in Galapagos are endemic (not found anywhere else in the world).

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

The dry area is easily the most extensive zone in Galapagos and is comprised of plant species which are highly adapted to drought-like states, such as succulent cacti and leafless shrubs that blossom and grow leaves only 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 don’t rise in altitude above the arctic zone.

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