I can’t remember who first said, “Let’s go on a trip to the Galapagos Islands!” Our ski buddies from the US were visiting us in the UK, the wine was flowing and the wanderlust took hold. I do recall us all agreeing that we did not want to go on a cruise, the usual way to visit the Galapagos, and would much prefer a land-based trip.

It did not take long for us to find a multi-activity, island-hopping trip to the Galapagos. We would have the opportunity to stay on and explore three different islands, using a speed boat to transfer between them. The trip was activity based with lots of snorkelling, kayaking, biking and hiking. It suited us perfectly. In addition to staying in small hotels on two of the islands, we would also stay in community project accommodation on Floreana. This was a way of putting something back into the community as well as offering a different experience.

So we booked it!

Our trip to the Galapagos Islands was one of the most memorable travel experiences we have had.

Travelling to the Galapagos Islands

We travelled to the Galapagos Islands in November, the end of the “dry season” and just before the start of the “hot season”. All flights to the Galapagos fly from Ecuador and the flight takes a couple of hours. The number of people allowed to enter the Galapagos is restricted and carefully monitored.

There are two additional charges to enter the Galapagos Islands National Park: $20 for a Transit Control Card, payable at the airport before leaving Ecuador and a $100 fee for entry to the National Park, payable upon arrival. Both fees must be paid in cash.

There are strict regulations about what one may take, or more importantly, not take to the Galapagos. The ecosystem is very fragile so anything which might contaminate it is forbidden. This includes certain foods, seeds and plants. For the most up-to-date advice it is best to consult the official foreign travel advice for Ecuador and the Galapagos.

We flew to the tiny island of Baltra. There is very little on the island other than the airport. Our bags were checked again and sniffer dogs crawled over them to search out any forbidden food or plants. At this point, we met with our guide, Dario. We then took a short bus ride down to the jetty and caught a water taxi across to the nearby island of Santa Cruz.

Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz is the most populated island in the Galapagos and of the islands we visited, it was the busiest. We stayed in the main town of Puerta Ayora, which is right by the water. There is a real buzzy vibe in the town with lots of small shops, bars and restaurants, but it is not loud or rowdy in any way. We were scheduled to spend the first two nights on Santa Cruz and our small hotel, Hotel Coloma, was lovely. The tortoise-themed decor gave it a quirky character and the people were very friendly.

Rancho Primicias

Before heading to our hotel, however, the bus which collected us from the water taxi took us to our first stop for lunch. This was at Rancho Primicias, a tortoise conservation area. We saw several giant tortoises along the road as we drove to the reserve.  Lunch was great and afterwards, we had the opportunity to wander through the extensive park with Dario and see all the tortoises. They are enormous – and there were lots of them!

The giant tortoise is an endangered species and because tortoises can be vulnerable to unscrupulous people out to make a profit, as well as wildlife predators, they are looked after in a number of conservation areas. Although there appeared to be lots in this area, in the grand scheme of things, their numbers are still perilously low – but improving.

Our visit to Rancho Primicias was informative and fun. One cannot help but marvel at these wonderful creatures. Dario gave us lots of background information as we toured the site, but he was also mindful of making sure that we observed a strict 2m distance from the tortoises – and other wildlife later in the week. Wildlife is very precious in the Galapagos and it is cherished.

Tortuga Bay

On the first full day in the Galapagos, we hiked to Tortuga Bay to snorkel and kayak and hopefully to see some wildlife. The hike from our hotel took about an hour through a volcanic, rocky landscape peppered with all kinds of cacti and other vegetation.

The first wildlife we saw was iguanas – lots of them – just sunning themselves and minding their own business!

 We walked along the beach for another 15 minutes until we arrived at Tortuga Bay. Then it was wetsuits on and into the water to see what we could see. We were the only ones there when we arrived, but more people had arrived by the time we left.

We were pleased we had hired wetsuits. Given that we were on the equator, the water was surprisingly cold, but we quickly forgot about that as we saw sharks and turtles under the water. This was our first time in the water on the Galapagos and it was a magic experience – although, if I am honest, it paled in significance in comparison with some of our snorkelling experiences later in the week.

After snorkelling for the best part of an hour, we got out of the water and into the kayaks.

The Charles Darwin Research Station

We visited the Station and found it to be really interesting, not least because it is possible to see various types of Galapagos Tortoise and at every stage of development.

One of the main attractions is “Lonesome George” a giant tortoise from Pinta Island and the last of his kind. Sadly, he died in 2012, but he was preserved and is on display here.

Floreana Island

The second island we visited was Floreana. It took about two and a half hours by boat to get there and we were advised to take seasickness tablets. As the sea seemed quite calm though, Peter and I decided to risk it. It was a trouble-free voyage!

We were collected from the jetty in our fully air-conditioned bus! This converted truck was fairly normal on our trip in the Galapagos Islands.

Floreana is a completely different island from Santa Cruz. Only about 150 people are resident on the island, the roads are sandy tracks and there are no shops. There is one bar, which opens when people roll up – and it is a great bar, right on the beach!

The Community Project Accommodation on Floreana

Accommodation is limited on Floreana and we were to experience community project hospitality. We had a similar social enterprise or “homestay” experience on a trip to Cambodia a few years ago and really enjoyed it. Basically, people in the community provide rooms in their homes, so the group is separated out and distributed around the village. All meals are served in different homes so the work and the benefits are spread around the community. Peter and I stayed in a specially constructed wooden guest house with an ensuite shower room. It was lovely!

All our meals were served in the gardens of local people. It is an interesting experience and a way of putting something back into the community as opposed to simply staying in a cabin on a cruise ship and eating on board.

Snorkelling and hiking on Floreana

On Floreana we did more snorkelling at different points around the island, including the volcanic “black beach”, and we saw lots more turtles and iguanas.

The Galapagos Islands are home to the world’s only marine iguanas. They have evolved to swim and take food from the floor of the sea. Some of them are quite brightly coloured, which was a surprise.

We also hiked highlands of Floreana where a precious fresh water source is located. It is also a conservation area for giant tortoises – and there were lots of them!

The History of Floreana

Our guide, Dario, shared some of the history of Floreana with us. In the early 20th century, strange disappearances among the few inhabitants led to stories of intrigue and murder. He also shared the story of Patrick Watkins, an Irish man who was marooned on Floreana in 1807 and is widely thought to be the first inhabitant of the Galapagos.  He survived because he found water and foraged for food. Dario would have us believe that Patrick Watkins was the inspiration for Robinson Crusoe. I did not point out that actually, Daniel Defoe wrote Robinison Crusoe about a hundred years before Patrick Watkins was marooned!

Isabela Island

The third island we stayed on was Isabela, the largest of all the Galapagos islands. Again it took almost three hours by the same boat to reach Isabela from Floreana and again, Peter and I opted not to take sea sickness tablets. All was well!

We really enjoyed Isabela and I would say that this was my favourite island.

The roads were sandy and traffic calming was a rope across the road. There were a few shops, bars and restaurants, but it was not as busy as Santa Cruz.  It had real character and felt “unspoiled”. We also had the best experiences here!

Accommodation on Isabela Island

We stayed in a small hotel in Puerta Villamil, the main town on the island. It was clean and comfortable, but lacked the quirkiness of the hotel on Santa Cruz or the quaintness of our hut on Floreana. Apart from breakfast, we ate in local restaurants.

The Sierra Negra Volcano

The Sierra Negra Volcano is an active volcano on Isabela. It last erupted in 2018.

On our first morning on Isabela, we hiked up to the caldera of the volcano, the largest of all the calderas in the Galapagos. It was a relatively straightforward hike and well worth the effort. It was an amazing sight, the lava field stretching out before us with a clearly defined rim.

Afterwards, we caught the bus part of the way down to the town, and picked up bikes to cycle the rest of the way. As it was mostly downhill, this was an easy option.

A Natural Aquarium

The boat took us out along the coast of Isabella for almost an hour and then anchored in the lava tunnels. We could already see all the sea turtles in the crystal clear water, hundreds of them! Over the side we went and led by our guide, Michael, we snorkelled through this amazing natural aquarium.

The turtles were completely unphased by us and sometimes it was difficult to get out of their way.

On to the lava 

We clambered on to the lava fields to gain a different perspective of Los Tuneles. What a fabulous landscape!

 Standing on the lava bridges and looking down into the tunnels, we could see the turtles and sharks swimming beneath us.