Travel Guide to Galapagos Islands

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Galapagos cruise vacation really should be on top of virtually all peoples destination checklist. For numerous, the Galapagos Islands appeals to some interest to those in search of one of the handful of surviving impressive animals encounters on the planet. Having a primitive, natural beauty and wonderful fauna, the isolated Galapagos Islands must be traveled to by yacht, and particularly, a luxury ship giving the finest degree of comfort on-ship. Traveling in a Galapagos small catamaran means that you will get entry to several of the finest visitor sites, some of which are closed to greater cruise ships.

Galapagos Islands Monthly Weather Averages

The Galapagos Islands, based on the Pacific Ocean, about a thousand kilometers west of Ecuador, have a very unusual climate, warm and semi-arid, that has a hot and relatively rainy period coming from January to May, and a cool and dry season, as well as foggy and misty, coming from July to November.

The surroundings of the Galapagos are barren, except in the bigger islands, which usually receive more abundant rainfall. As was already observed by Charles Darwin, who as we know examined the details of the species located in the islands, their climate is much cooler than an individual could anticipate from a location located near the Equator, as a result of Humboldt Current, which reaches the area right after flowing in the ocean west of South America. Anyway, here the climate is not the same from one year to another, since there are different sea currents that encounter or alternate in the region (additionally there is a hot current from Central America, that flows at no great distance and is extra active on the years of El Niño), therefore the climate is hard to foresee.

The warm period, from January to May, is alternatively the time of rains, although normally the rains aren’t copious, and in any kind of event they occur in the shape of afternoon showers, which do not eclipse too much the sun’s rays. The rainiest month is March.

On the coasts, the rainfall amounts to lower than 500 millimeters (20 inches) per year, so it’s not copious. Here is the common rainfall in Puerto Baquerizo; we could notice the simple fact that in the hot period, few millimeters per month accumulate, due mainly to drizzle and dew development.

However, visitors head to the beach locations during the rainy period of time, simply because, it is the one in which the water is definitely the most warm.

It must be stated that rainfall is unpredictable, and can become more abundant in the years of El Niño. During the most strong El Niño years, such as 1982-83 and 1997-98, the climate of Galapagos turns into tropical, having high temperature ranges and copious precipitation. In the years of La Niña, alternatively, the rains become a little more rare, and there is a decline in both air and ocean temperature.

When you should go

Typically, the Galapagos may be visited throughout every season. However, the optimum time to travel to Galapagos, if you also desire to swim and sunbathe, runs from February to May, because it is the most warm and sunniest, even though there may be several downpours or severe storms in the evening.

The cool season, from July to November, can be suggested to explore the outdoors, because it very rarely rains on the plains and the temperature is nice, even when you need to take into consideration mists, haze and foggy air. From September to November the water could be a little challenging, and this situation may upset those that are afflicted by motion sickness, during catamaran trips from one isle to the next.

What clothes you should pack

From December to May (hot cycle): light outfits, a light sweatshirt for the evening hours, light raincoat or outdoor umbrella for bad weather showers; sun hat (in the end, we are at the Equator). For walking in inland hills and the Vulcan Wolf, a bit warmer sweatshirt and raincoat, hiking footwear.

From June to November (low-temperature period): light clothes, sweatshirt and light jacket for the night.

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

Picking a Galapagos Cruise

There are several factors to take in to consideration when choosing a Galapagos Cruise: Boat size: a smaller boat provides a more romantic encounter while a bigger ship moves less from the water for people prone to sea sickness. A catamaran will offer the benefits of both alternatives.

Sail boat vs motor boat: all boats need to utilize their motor to maneuver between visitor websites, so a sailboat might be more quaint, but you’ll be using the motor any time you’re transferring.

Cost: you get what you pay for in the Galapagos in the form of a more comfortable boat and higher quality manuals.

Plan ahead if you wish to see during the peak tourist times. Visiting outside of these periods will still offer lots of adventures and wildlife experiences, but prices might be lower with fewer other tourists around.

With minimal variation in air and water temperatures throughout the entire year, and numerous species that are not migratory, an Isabela Island cruise is a fantastic experience at any moment. Generally, however, the waters are better between January and March, making this a perfect time for enthusiastic snorkeling fans. The driest months are generally between August and December, perfect for beach lovers.

Visit the Galapagos in January to watch green sea turtles arriving and laying eggs on the beaches, and in April to find the eggs. July is the prime month for seeing whales off the western coast of Isabela Island. Bird spotters will probably prefer to see Isabela Island between August and March, once the range of migratory birds is at its summit. October is the breeding interval for fur seals, whilst brown nodes are sexually active in November. December is the best month should you want to witness the hatching of giant tortoises.

Before linking any Galapagos cruises, you will first need to create your strategy to mainland Ecuador. International flights usually arrive in the nation’s capital city of Quito, though it’s also possible to take an overseas trip to Guayaquil. Flights to the Galapagos Islands leave every day from both Quito and Guayaquil.

Baltra Island has the biggest airport around the Galapagos Islands, but flights also arrive at San Cristobal Island. Your tour operator will normally arrange transportation from the airport to a cruise departure point from Baltra or from San Cristobal. Isabela Island Tours normally depart from Puerto Ayora, an important port on Santa Cruz Island.

Galapagos Animals

The Galapagos penguin is the only available from the northern hemisphere and to breed in the tropics.

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

The endemic Galapagos fur sea lions would be the smallest among the world’s seven species of such animals

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

Galapagos has among the world’s rarest ecosystems in which the herbivores at the top of the food chain are reptiles.

Galapagos Swallow-tailed gulls are the sole gulls in the world to feed at night time.

The Galapagos boasts the world’s largest and only red-footed booby colony.

There are 23 species of reptile from the Galapagos and all but two of these are endemic to the archipelago.

The Galapagos is one of the few regions of the planet where turtles are still a common sight.

At 30cm in length and using a massive set of venomous jaws, the endemic centipede (Scolopendra galapagoensis) is among the Islands’ most feared animals.

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

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