Must See Places Galapagos

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Visit Galapagos Islands Ecuador can be an undeniable Eden, some of the most awesome wildlife on the globe is found in the Galapagos Islands. A holiday to Galapagos is the adventure of their existence for almost all visitors. The wild animals in Galapagos that you will encounter cannot be found any place else, but here marine and land wildlife and wild birds are more approachable.

There are plenty of Boobies, giant tortoises, iguanas among others, will be found really close throughout your tours. If you are into knee boarding or diving, sea lions will be actively playing with you and under them, turtles and tame sharks may be found.

When is the best time to travel the Galapagos?

The Galapagos Islands, situated in the Pacific Ocean, around a thousand kilometers (600 miles) west of Ecuador, have a very peculiar climate, warm and semi-arid, which has a hot and relatively wet season from January to May, plus a dry and cool season, but also foggy and misty, through July to November.

The landscapes of the Galapagos are dry, with the exception of the larger islands, that get more abundant rainfall. As was already mentioned by Charles Darwin, who as we know analyzed the peculiarities of the species located in the islands, their climate is cooler than one would expect from a place situated near the Equator, due to the Humboldt Current, which usually touch the location after running in the water west of South America. Regardless, here the weather is varied from one year to another, since there are different water flows that encounter or alternate in the region (additionally there is a warm current from Central America, which usually flows at a little range and is more powerful on the periods El Niño), therefore, the weather is hard to forecast.

The warm period, from January to May, is on the other hand the time of rains, although normally the rains are not copious, and in any kind of event they happen in the form of afternoon rains, that do not eclipse excessively the sun. The rainiest month is March.

On the coasts, the rainfall comes down to under 500 millimeters (20 inches) each year, so it’s not copious. This is the regular precipitation in Puerto Baquerizo; we could notice the reality that in the dry period, not many millimeters per month accumulate, due mostly to drizzle and dew development.

It needs to be said that rainfall is unpredictable, and may be a little more abundant in the years of El Niño. During the most serious El Niño years, like 1982-83 and 1997-98, the weather of Galapagos turns into tropical, having higher temperatures and also copious precipitation. In the years of La Niña, instead, the rains become more rare, and there’s a decline in both air and sea temperature.

When to go

Generally speaking, the Galapagos can be traveled to throughout the year. However, a good time to visit the islands, in case you also would like to go swimming and take sunbathes, runs from February to May, because it’s the most warm and sunniest, though there may be some downpours or thunderstorms in the morning.

The low-temperature season, from July to November, is usually encouraged to explore the outdoors, since it almost never rains on the flatlands and the temperatures are enjoyable, even if you need to take into consideration mists, haze and gloomy air. From September to November the ocean could be a little tough, and this may upset people that suffer from motion sickness, during catamaran trips from one island to the other.

What equipment you should pack

From December to May (hot season): light clothing, a light sweatshirt for the night, light raincoat or umbrella for bad weather showers; sun cap (after all, we’re at the Equator). For trekking in the hills and the Vulcan Wolf, a bit more comfortable sport shirt and raincoat, walking footwear.

From June to November (cool period): light clothes, sweatshirt or sweater and lightweight coat for the evening hours.

For the ocean, gear for surfing, water shoes or plastic soled footwear.

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

Due to the long distances involved, the only sensible way to explore the Galapagos is by live-aboard ships, which travel between islands, mostly at night, and create various stops each day. Over 80 vessels are licensed to operate in the archipelago and there are countless combinations of stops and routes. Most cruises go ashore two times per day: 10 total days on the ship typically means 20 shore landings, 10-20 snorkels, and many panga rides (pangas are small, open outboard-powered ships) to about 10 distinct islands.

Exploring on your own is considerably more difficult. Getting around independently is tricky and all visitors should be accompanied by a licensed naturalist guide at all landing websites. However four islands (Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana and Isabela) do have hotels of varying sizes and criteria and a few boat operators offer day-trips.

Following in Darwin’s footsteps calls for 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 go from Puerto Ayora, the tourist hub on Santa Cruz and a comparatively crowded city, with a bank, ATM machine, taxis, pubs and even a cinema.

GalapagosInformation.com provides a variety of tailor-made live-aboard tours on a lot of different vessels carrying from 4 to 16 passengers.

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

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 are usually calmer and clearer at this time of year (using 60ft-80ft visibility typical) and the water temperature averages 79° F (26°C), so this period is best for snorkeling.

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

Everyone of these Galapagos’ official visitor sites has something unique to offer, but travelers are going to have the ability to experience the best strikes — sea lions, marine iguanas, lava lizards, endemic birds — on the majority of islands. Listed below are a couple of the most well-known spots.

Santa Cruz features the Galapagos’ most populous “town,” Puerto Ayora, also will be the island chain’s main tourism hub. The island offers visitors the sole opportunity to experience the Galapagos’ inside high-lands, among a couple places to spot giant tortoises in their natural habitat. The Charles Darwin research center, a visit to which will be included on each travel, is also situated here.

South Plaza encircles less than one-tenth of a mile in area and is one of the Galapagos’ tiniest visitor websites. Nevertheless, the tiny island, that was shaped by volcanic uplift, makes a strong impression with its color-changing ground vegetation, sea lions 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 using a piece of prickly fruit.

Rabida: creates a bold statement when you arrive during its iron-rich red shore. Just inland is a brackish lagoon where people often visit flamingos, heads plunged underwater to spoon up crustaceans and algae using their bowl-like beaks.

Fernandina, the Galapagos’ youngest and westernmost island is famous for its not-infrequent volcanic eruptions, the latest of which was in 2009. It is located at the locus of this “hot spot” which generated, and is still creating and shaping, the Galapagos. As people step across lava flows and about the massive population of land iguanas, they gain a firsthand comprehension of the ancestral roots of the islands.

Floreana is the place you can find the Galapagos’ famous barrel-mailbox in Post Office Bay. For centuries, those visiting the famed Ecuadorian isles relied upon the unspoken duty of pirates and whalers to get letters to an intended destination. A mariner would leave a dispatch, then select through the stack for missives he can deliver (travel schedule permitting). The tradition continues today; cruise passengers visiting the site may leave 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 things around the massive island. Puerto Villamil is a small port in the south of this island, and it’s home to the clear majority of the island’s inhabitants. You can take pleasure in this fishing-community vibe, sample tasty freshly caught fish, engage with all the merry children, shop for souvenirs in the colorful stores, and admire the islets that dot the coast. Stroll along the boardwalk, resulting through mangroves, and see flamingos, gallinules, whimbrels, and much more. The Tortoise Breeding Center sits at the end of the boardwalk, helping to conserve sea tortoises. The harbor is frequently filled with small luxury yachts and other sailing vessels, many of which take passengers on exciting Galapagos cruises.

Most of tourists in Galapagos are surprised to be greeted by desert-like vegetation–most are expecting a continuation of the lush greenery that they witnessed on mainland Ecuador. In fact, nearly all the archipelago’s land area is covered by the brown and gray vegetation often found in deserts. The Galapagos Islands are located in the Pacific Dry Belt, also in average years just the greatest altitudes of the larger islands receive enough rainfall to support tropical plant life.

The flora of Galapagos can 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 coast and are distinctive due to their tolerance to salty conditions. Mangrove trees are one of the most frequent plants found in this zone, and they serve a significant function since the breeding sites for many birds, like pelicans and frigate birds. They also give much needed shade areas such as iguanas and sea lions, in addition to refuges for sea turtles.

The dry region has become easily the most broad 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 just in the short rainy season.

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