Dreams of The Galapagos
I have always dreamed of visiting the Galapagos Islands, home to unique exotic wildlife found nowhere else on Earth. When I finally booked my trip to this remote island chain off Ecuador, my excitement was through the roof. The Galapagos Islands are famous as the location where Charles Darwin developed his theory of evolution after encountering the Archipelago’s diverse species. Also, when in Ecuador, the hype for the Galapagos is off the charts! I couldn’t wait to see the animals and landscapes that played such a pivotal role in natural history firsthand.
Getting There: Fees, Flights, and Preparations
Arriving in the Galapagos can be complicated, with various fees, flight logistics, and entry requirements that trip up unprepared visitors. My first hiccup happened when checking in for my flight in Ecuador. I had failed to book an ongoing flight out of the Galapagos. The check-in attendant informed me I needed proof of onward travel to enter the islands. I also had to pay a $20 national park entry fee and get my luggage inspected for invasive species. After scrambling to buy an extra flight and get stamped into the parks system, I was finally on my way. Yet upon arriving onto the Galapagos, you need to pay another $100 fee for “park preservation”.
Exploring Santa Cruz
I based myself first on Santa Cruz Island, home to the largest city in the Galapagos, Puerto Ayora. With its souvenir shops, restaurants, and small hotels, Ayora has a very touristy vibe. I paid a local tour agency to book several day trips including snorkeling with sea turtles, spotting white tip reef sharks and penguins, the giant turtle ranch and viewing the lava tunnels hidden beneath the island. Each adventure revealed new sides of this diverse landscape and ecology.
One highlight was visiting the Charles Darwin Research Center just outside Puerto Ayora. Its exhibits profiled Darwin’s epoch-making visit to the Galapagos studying its exotic wildlife. Just outside is a massive colony of black Marine Iguanas just sun bathing on a not-too-sunny day.
Island Hopping to Isabela
Next I caught a 2-hour ferry to Isabela Island for more adventures. Isabela had a sleepier, more remote feeling compared to Santa Cruz, with a wild landscape shaped by active volcanoes.
The snorkeling trip to Las Tintoreras was another highlight, where I spotted a sea lion chasing white tipped reef sharks through a channel of swirling lava rock. Later, I jumped in again to swim through an underwater lava tunnel, witnessing sea turtles and rays gliding silently through the shadows. Each swim revealed new magical sights and even some adrenaline when the sharks ventured a little close!
On the last day, I hiked up the crater of the massive Sierra Negra Volcano and walked out onto the lava fields, feeling like I had stepped onto another planet.
Impressions and Issues
I was initially shocked by the amount of garbage and litter along the roads, despite the high park fees for entering the islands. More investment is clearly needed in infrastructure and especially environmental education for locals if the Galapagos’ ecology is to remain protected. But the commitment of our guides and conservation efforts from groups like the Darwin Center also gave me hope.
The Galapagos Islands exceeded my expectations and imagination. While reaching this isolated destination takes effort and money, I couldn’t recommend it more highly for adventurous travelers who want to glimpse wondrous landscapes and exotic species that seem almost extraterrestrial in their uniqueness.
Afterwards, it was time to conclude my trip in Ecuador, by heading back to Quito, and then flying down to Lima Peru for a 8-month long staycation.
Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, share it with someone who loves travel.
As always,
Your travel buddy
Leonidas
AI Disclaimer
In the hopes of efficiency, I used Claude.AI to write a blog post based on my Video Review of Galapagos, Ecuador, which you can check out here.
The AI was used to write the blog post, but Leonidas still had to edit it for truthfulness, relevance to my personal adventure (the AI likes to invent a lot of things I didn’t do) and ensuring it all made sense 😉
More Links
- Galapagos Islands – Wikipedia
- Galapagos Islands – Google Maps
- Costa Rica & The Capital of San Jose
- Living in Medellin Colombia For 3 Months
- Florianopolis – The Best Place In Brazil
