Travel Guide to Galapagos Islands 2023

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The Galapagos islands, positioned nearly 600 miles west of the region of Latin America, is very probably the absolute best destination to observe evolution throughout their purely natural glory.

Named, in Spanish, after the animal that’s definitely the most well-known of the island archipelago: The Galapagos Tortoise; the Galapagos boasts numerous clusters of little dainty islands all of which are created of below surface volcanoes eruptions.

Located directly on the equator, the Galapagos gains all the rewards of such a overseas position because all the 16 islands have sunny weather conditions all year long! If that wasn’t sufficient they are in the crossroads for 2 essential trade winds: The North East trade winds (from North and the South East winds (from South America). These winds are in all probability precisely what initiated the influx of self-sufficient life on the island chain – and are thought to have been the agent responsible for the huge woods spreading over the higher hills of the islands.

These island of significant natural splendor have triggered the evolution of several diverse, and exclusive, habitats that have in turn helped (or otherwise pushed) the local wildlife, both plant life and animals the same, to evolve in a manner that to put it simply has some researchers astonished.

The rest of the Galapagos archipelago is yet another scenario of unusual, inter-dependent, not to mention breathtaking wildlife.

Galapagos Islands Weather Annual

Galapagos is a location that could be been to anytime. There’s two seasons. The warmest is between December to May when the sky is always clean as well as the sun shines powerfully. If you love to dive, the perfect time to travel is between June and November as the climate is a little cold, you could a far better chance to observe the Galapagos’ famous ocean life.

Galapagos Islands Cruise Itineraries

Every accredited vessel sailing the Galapagos follows a 15-day route approved and established by Galapagos National Park. During that period, a boat might not visit the exact same site twice, with the exclusion of the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz. How lines segment the 15 days may vary, but four-, five- and – eight-day options are the standard. Passengers can frequently combine these segments into 11-, 12- and 15-day cruises.

All boats basically follow the identical protocol, irrespective of itinerary: Island visits and extra-curricular tasks are done throughout the day, and also the majority of navigation is done immediately.

Since the method of cruising continues to be standardized, choosing the right itinerary has a lot to do with cruisers determining which visitor sites are on their must-visit lists. Port research — especially photo searching — is essential. Keep in mind the longer the cruise, the further west the ship will reach. That’s not to mention the western islands are far better — it is a matter of personal taste. When you cruise is also an important factor.

There is one major exception: “Live aboard” ships carrying seasoned sailors are the only craft to see the northern islands, Darwin and Wolf, prime places for scuba enthusiasts. At Darwin, where there is not any landing site, schools of hammerheads are known to congregate.

Most passengers will spend a day or two exploring Quito or Guayaquil pre or post-cruise. It is basically necessary, given the flight logistics.

The Way to Get to the Galapagos Islands</h3

The Jose Joaquin de Olmedo International Airport at Guayaquil (GYE) receives flights out of 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 from the U.S. through Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Miami and New York; from Europe through Madrid and Amsterdam; and from many major cities in Central and Southern America. We recommend you to arrive at Ecuador at least two days ahead of your Galapagos Cruise begins and grab your international flight home at least two days following your stay in the Galapagos. You can take benefit of these two times by visiting Quito, Guayaquil, or their environment. Once you have your trip to mainland Ecuador, getting into the Galapagos Islands is easy. Located almost 1,000 kilometers (600 miles) off of Ecuador’s coast, the only way to travel is by airplane. Whether Quito or Guayaquil, there are numerous 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 will be the airlines which operate these routes. If you are flying from Quito, you will most likely have a short stop in Guayaquil in 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 coming times to the Islands based on cruise/program plans.

Many visitors traveling in Galapagos are amazed to be greeted with desert-like vegetation–most are anticipating 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 located in deserts. The Galapagos Islands are situated in the Pacific Dry Belt, and in typical years only the greatest altitudes of the bigger islands receive enough rainfall to support tropical plant life.

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

Coastal plants are observed in the narrow zone close to the coast and are distinctive due to their tolerance to sour conditions. Mangrove trees are among the most common 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 provide much needed shade areas such as iguanas and sea lions, in addition to refuges for sea turtles.

The arid 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 flower and grow leaves only in the short rainy season.

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