The ULTIMATE Galápa-guide!

All the information below is from my trip in May 2024

Just a couple of absolute UNITS

The Galápagos Islands, a volcanic archipelago off the coast of Ecuador famous for its endemic species of plants and animals such as the giant tortoise pictured above (left). My favourite place in the world and a popular destination on people's bucket list but an overwhelming trip to plan by yourself. I have created The ULTIMATE Galápagos Guide to help you cut out the extra costs of a travel agent or organised tour group so you can explore the islands freely and cost effectively. Let's goooooo!!!

Things to Note!

• NO REASON TO TOUCH - Do not even THINK about touching any of the wildlife. You are clearly told to stay at least 2m away and not use flash photography. Locals will reinforce the rules if they see you getting too close for pictures and such, so back up! There's a reason the nature is well preserved here and we want to keep it that way.

• TOURIST CARD! - Before getting on your Galápagos flight, you need to get a tourist card which you can get at Quito or Guayaquil airport for $20. In Quito, as you walk in, there's a fancy desk area next to the doors where you can get it and you need to show them your flights and accommodation info as well as how long you will be staying there. Since my trip, I have heard you now have to complete this procedure online 24 hours prior to your flight.

• CURRENCY - US Dollars are used across the islands.

  There are ATMs on Santa Cruz & San Cristóbal but I could only take out $200 at a time and was charged $5 per transaction which was annoying when I had to do 3 transactions for $600. I recommend getting the cash prior to your trip.

• ENTRANCE FEE! - When I went, you needed $100 for the entrance fee, but since August 2024 that has now increased to $200pp and you HAVE TO PAY IN CASH on arrival. Card is NOT accepted.

• HOW MUCH $$ - Depends on how much you have booked beforehand. I pre-booked some activities such as diving, and was sent a link to pay by card however if you're booking ferries and tours once you are there, you're going to need to pay with cash. Depending on the tour, prices can range from $50 to $250pp (this is based on the things I did). Ferries cost between $40 to $60 dollars depending on which island you are going to. You have to pay for taxis with cash and need lots of $1s and $5s for the 'mini ferries' and island entrance fees. To get to and from your main ferry, you will be taken on a small local boat and each captain will charge you $1 in cash so it's better to have exact notes as they often don't have change for big notes. You also have to pay an entry and exit fee for each island, which is $1 for Santa Cruz and San Cristobal but $10 for Isabela. Shops on Isabela also require small notes as a few places did not have change for $20 and there is no ATM on this island. I took out $600 to use on Isabela and used less than $200 for restaurants and drinks over 5 days.

• CARD? - Most restaurants and hostels/hotels took card on Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal and a handful of restaurants in Isabela too, however my hostel on San Cristóbal took cash and some restaurants across the islands only work in cash but are good are telling you that before you sit down to order anything.

• FERRIES - It is better to book your ferry a few days beforehand as they get booked up quickly. I recommend to book them once you are on island as there are lots of companies and on the day of your trip it can get confusing with the amount of operators at the dock with some even showing up late. At least if you book with someone on island you know where their shop is to ask questions or you can get the seller's number when you book to contact them if anything goes wrong. If it's necessary, due to your flights or activities booked, you can book a ferry beforehand, I asked my hostel to do this once but again, was very confused and worried about missing it as the operators information was unclear due to the hostel booking it for me. The ferry journeys from both San Cristóbal and Isabela to Santa Cruz take roughly 2 hours.

• HAGGLING - Nope. All operators will not go under a certain price and this is to ensure all tour companies have equal opportunities to sell and aren't being undercut. At most they'll knock off $10 to $20 dollars but then will ask you, for example, to sit out of 1 out of 3 snorkel spots during that tour and not tell anyone else. Just don't bother, it's a holiday of a lifetime, enjoy every inch of it!

• PORT OF ENTRY/EXIT - To remove the cost of an extra ferry and maximise travel between the main islands, most people will enter from either Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport (GPS) or San Cristóbal Airport (SCY) and exit from the other.

• When booking flights or looking at maps and addresses, it can get a bit confusing so let me break it down:

  • Isla Baltra - The island that houses the main airport (GPS), which will come up when you're booking your flight. You can't stay on this island as it's just a way to get to Isla Santa Cruz.

  • Islas Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal and Isabela - The names of the main islands

  • Puerto Ayora - The main town on Santa Cruz

  • Puerto Baquerizo Moreno - The main town on San Cristóbal

  • Puerto Villamil - The main town on Isabela

  • The main towns are where the ferry terminal, restaurants and tour operators are. When looking up locations on island, you'll get better results if you look up results for the town rather than the island, for example; place_Puerto Ayora instead of place_Santa Cruz.

• There's a lot of free snorkelling spots and although you can rent a mask and snorkel from shops on island, I recommend taking your own so you can go whenever you want, avoid rental prices (usually $5 per item per day) and don't have to worry about getting the gear back on time (usually a 5pm cut off). Most activities require a guided tour however snorkelling is one where there are free spots dotted around the islands.

Santa Cruz - Puerto Ayora

Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks (Mosquera dive site)

Santa Cruz is the most accessible Galápagos island with direct ferries to San Cristóbal, Isabela and Floreana as well as day trips to Pinzón, Santa Fé and Daphne. The most popular way onto Santa Cruz is via the airport on Isla Baltra, therefore transport links from the airport to Puerto Ayora are frequent and efficient.

To The Town!

There is an ATM in the arrivals hall, so if you don't have much cash at this point, it's best to take some out as you'll need it to get to the town.

1. Once you exit the airport, there is a stand to the left where you can buy a $5 bus ticket which takes you to Baltra ferry dock, it takes about 10 minutes. The bus crew take your luggage and put it into the luggage hold and will usually wait until the bus is full or no more passengers are exiting the airport before heading off. As we were driving through the slightly drier landscape I spotted my first land iguana which was so cool.

2. At the ferry dock everyone gets off the bus and starts looking confused so here's how you can go from sheep to shepherd. The ferry crew take all the bags from the bus's baggage hold and start putting it on top of the ferry (it's safe), so don't start huddling to collect your bags. The ferry is literally less than 15m away so don't worry about anything getting lost as you can see the crew put your bag on the luggage cart. There is a stand right in front of you as you get off the bus but ignore this, it's for passengers heading back to the airport to buy their bus ticket. All you have to do it line up near the ferry and wait to be let on.

3. Once on, you will be charged $1pp (here's where the exact small notes come in handy) which will be collected by a member of the crew and they're really good at remembering who's paid, who hasn't and who needs change, so don't be alarmed if they walk off with your $20, they're just collecting everyone's small notes to give you your change.

4. About 10 minutes later you will arrive on Santa Cruz where all the bags will be taken off the ferry and you can grab your luggage. Here you have 2 options to get to Puerto Ayora; a bus or a private taxi. The bus costs $5 and takes 45 minutes however you're not entirely sure when it will leave as it depends on how full it is and whether the driver waits for more passengers from other ferries. It makes 2 stops at Baltra Avenue and near the dock, so if your accommodation is far from here you'll have to get a taxi once you disembark. The private taxi takes you straight to your accommodation and charged $25 for one person and $30 for 2 people (I don't know the prices beyond that). It took about 35 minutes and the cars are usually nice pick up trucks with comfortable, spacious seating and AC.

Much Ado About Santa Cruz

If you're looking for a free activity, you can walk for 40 minutes along a quiet, brick paved road to Tortuga Beach. Whilst there is the option to take a $20 roundtrip boat, this limits your time at the beach as you have to follow the boats schedule and honestly the walk is so peaceful and worth it. At the start of the walk there is a small shed where a beach ranger will explain the map to you, general rules and where you're allowed to swim and snorkel. For the walk, I'd recommend slightly sturdier footwear than flip flops as the walk is long and I did have a lot of rubbing! Once I got to the beach it was completely empty (pictured above) but the waves were quite big making it a popular spot for surfing. If you keep walking 20 minutes along the sand you'll get to a smaller beach which is calmer to swim in and you can snorkel here. I went in the afternoon so the visibility was not great and there were quite a few people there, but I still managed to see some turtles, a sting ray, a baby lemon shark and even a baby hammerhead! You might have even better luck seeing things in the morning as there will be less people and you can maximise your day at the beach as it closes at 5pm.

As mentioned earlier you can book day trips to smaller islands around Santa Cruz, some of which include snorkelling. I personally did not do this as I managed to see everything I wanted to see whilst snorkelling in San Cristóbal and Isabela, so if you're tight on time or money you can skip the snorkel tours on Santa Cruz. Whilst some dive shops offer the option for you to snorkel off the boat, off of Santa Cruz the hammerheads were around 20m deep so you won't see them unless you're scuba diving and there is a higher chance to see them whilst snorkelling off of San Cristóbal.

Speaking of scuba diving!!! I've been a scuba instructor for a few years and have had the privilege of seeing some of the ocean's greatest wonders but nothing came close to the feeling I had of seeing a group of 15 hammerheads swim by so calmly. If you're a certified diver, diving off of Santa Cruz is a MUST DO. If you're not certified then this is definitely the most memorable place to learn! Gordon Rocks is a highly recommended dive site however many shops will advise against you diving here unless you are an advanced diver or have lots of experience due to the strong currents. The dive site I saw the school of hammerheads at was Mosquera, and we also saw a group of devil rays, a spotted eagle ray, a Galápagos shark and porcupine fish (one of my faves). I dove with Shark Bay Divers and I cannot recommend them enough. It cost $220 per day which included 2 dives, gear rental, lunch and snacks and as a vegetarian they catered well to my dietary requirements. Our guide Freddie was incredible and could spot a hammerhead in the cloudiest visibility. Shark Bay offer a cheaper price of $180 if you book the day before in person, however I would not risk doing this as they are a popular shop because of how great they are, so it's best to book your place beforehand and get in touch prior to booking as they go to specific sites of specific days. Their shop is located on the main strip which is where we met in the morning before they drove us to the Baltra crossing dock. During the dives the guides take photos and videos for you so if you don't have your own underwater camera, they happily share the photos with everyone once we're back at the shop.

 You've seen the photo and I know you're asking...giant tortoises. Depending on who you book with, the giant tortoise park costs between $40 and $55 which includes transportation (in my case it was a private taxi). It also included a walk through the lava tunnels which you may have guessed from the name, are natural tunnels formed by the flow of lava which created these underground passages. It's a short walk but very cool indeed however the tortoises are the main attraction and good golly are they HUGE! This tour included a guided walk learning about all things giant tortoise and if you're lucky, a great photo opportunity with the biggest, oldest tortoise there. There is a free opportunity to see giant tortoises in Isla Isabela so don't be too disheartened if you miss them in Santa Cruz.

 Now if you're into science, this last activity is for you. For $10 you can visit the Charles Darwin Institute (you have to have a guide) where you can learn about some of his work, the ecology of the islands and the adaptations of certain species found in the Galápagos. I was particularly fixated on the adaptations in iguanas (I won't get into it but it was sososo cool). They also keep some baby tortoises here as they are trying to conserve threatened species which they unfortunately couldn't do in the case of Lonesome George whose taxidermy body is on display in a special room (seen above). This tour is quite information heavy and involved walking around in the heat so it wasn't the best for young children or people who aren't that interested in the science. If all you want to do is see the tortoises or Lonesome George, you still have to pay for the guided tour. There is a rocky beach near the Institute you can visit called La Ratonera which was a quiet spot to sit and enjoy the waves and spot marine iguanas and sally lightfoot crabs.

I stayed at the Galápagos Dream Hostel which was expensive for a dorm at around $25 per night but the location was near the Puerto Ayora strip so everything was within walking distance and the rooms where clean with cosy beds and AC. Vegetarian food was easy to find as there are many restaurants but they cater to western taste buds so you won't find much traditional Ecuadorian food.

San Cristobal - Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

San Cristóbal houses the second airport of Galápagos (SCY) and unlike Baltra, you can walk from the airport into the main town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. On this island you are guaranteed to see sea lions as large groups of them occupy Playa de Los Marinos (pictured above). When I was there, this beach was covered with sea lions and it wasn't a beach you saw people on in order to maintain distance from the wildlife, however you can easily find a spot nearby to observe them.

If you're looking for a free snorkel spot, Playa Mann, La Loberia and Playa Punta Carola are your best options to snorkel with sea lions and marine iguanas. If you're looking for a tour then the 360 snorkel tour is popular as it takes you around San Cristóbal by boat to multiple snorkelling sites including Kicker Rock. Kicker Rock attracts many tourists as there is a high chance you will be able to see hammerheads and rays here whether you're diving or snorkelling, so be sure to book this activity beforehand and specify Kicker Rock as they go here on specific days and it gets booked up. I booked my day of diving for $220 through the dive shop Planet Ocean who supplied my dive gear, however on the day I was the only person from this shop as everyone else on the same boat as me had booked through Blue Evolution. Regardless of who we booked with, we had the same guide and at the end they ensured the gear was returned to the correct company so it didn't make much difference in terms of the actual dive. We were on a catamaran with one group for diving and one for snorkelling, and snacks and lunch were included. This day trip also included a stop over at Playa Cerro Brujo (pictured above) which was an empty white sand beach where we got to see some blue footed boobies! We had time to snorkel off of the beach and walk around, but beware of the horseflies! They are attracted to salt and attack you as soon as you get out of the water as the salt dries and their bites hurt a little. Take a towel with you to wipe off the salt or a bottle of fresh water to wash it off.

I stayed at Hostal Andry however I would not recommend it as the staff were quite unhelpful and uninterested. My room had these little bugs that would gather near the bin and I eventually had to the put the bin outside as the staff did nothing about it when I complained. The only good things about it was its location which is close to the sea lion beach and most of the restaurants. Again, vegetarian food was not a problem and honestly Giuseppe's had one of the best pesto based pizzas I've ever had!

Isabela - Puerto Villamil

Isabela is the largest of the Galápagos Islands and the one I was recommended to spend the most time on during my trip due to it being less touristy and a lot quieter. There is an airport (Aeropuerto de General Villamil) however this is just for flights between the other islands and it is about a 5 minute drive away from the town centre. The morning ferry to Isabela from Santa Cruz departs early around 6am so make sure you are on time! Once you get off of the ferry and have paid your entrance fee you have the choice of getting a taxi for $1 or $2 to Puerto Villamil or you can walk to the town in 15 minutes. Unlike in Santa Cruz, the taxis on Isabela are more basic pick up trucks with customers usually sitting in the back, however the drives are quite short. Whereas the other Galápagos Islands require you to walk a bit to get to the beach, Puerto Villamil beach fringes the town making it easy to get to. It was usually empty (pictured above) and although there are horseflies sometimes, it is a nice long beach to walk down.

If you missed the giant tortoises in Santa Cruz, you have the chance to see them whilst walking or cycling to The Wall of Tears. You can rent a bike for around $12 and visit view points along the way, and if you're lucky you will catch a giant tortoise out on the dirt road. There are signs along the dirt path so you will know where you can and can't turn off and most importantly, the way there is the same way back! I went in the afternoon and cycling during the hottest time of the day was not particularly hydrating, but we were able to see one giant tortoise out on the road and further up there were small mud pools with a few smaller tortoises in them. The morning may be better for spotting giant tortoises as it is cooler therefore more of them will be walking around.

If you're looking for a free snorkel spot, look no further than Concha de Perla which is only a 4 minute walk from the ferry dock and great for seeing sea lions, marine iguanas and rays at low tide. Its best to visit in the morning when there are less people there, I went in the afternoon and the visibility was poor and there were so many people jumping into the water the wildlife was scared off.

Isabela has many snorkel tours and when booking the morning ferry here, you can double it up with the Tintoreras snorkel tour, with the tour operator picking you up straight from the ferry dock and taking care of your luggage until you are back. On this tour you take a short boat ride to the Las Tintoreras Islet and snorkel at different spots around there. This tour is great for seeing penguins!

I did the Tortuga snorkel tour with Pahoehoe Galápagos Tours and they took us to 4 different snorkel spots with the last being the entrance of a small cave where we saw a huge school of fish, baby Galápagos sharks and curious sea lions who played around us the whole time. We also saw a hammerhead shark on this tour and some manta fins breaking through the surface. The tour included snacks and the vegetarian lunch option was so good! Another popular tour is Los Tuneles which includes an hour long snorkel where you can see some HUGE turtles (they were MASSIVE and I've seen some big turtles in my time) and pacific seahorses. On this tour we also visited interesting spots by boat such as lava formations where we saw blue and red footed boobies, Nazca boobies, frigate birds and penguins.

I stayed at Hostal Punta Arena where I booked a budget twin room but was given a room with a double bed instead. The rooms were spacious and clean with great AC. The only downside to this hostel was that it was a little further from the main town and I eventually moved to Hostal Galápagos by Bar de Beto which is just across the road from the beachfront. The lady who manages the hostel was very nice however the private room was quite basic. If you are staying here, make sure to let the owners know beforehand what time you will be arriving, otherwise you will end up like me, disturbing them down the road at Bar de Beto in the middle of the day so that I could check in. Food was not a problem here with many places to eat with vegetarian options and if you're looking for a good bar, try Pink Iguana.

Closing Remarks

Having looked at existing trip itineraries from group tour providers, the trip I planned by myself was cheaper whilst managing to include more activities. A lot of group itineraries included activities I recommended that you could do for free and had empty days where you can choose how to fill your time but overall the price of the trip was still more expensive than what I paid. I hope this post has inspired you to plan your own trip (if you want to) and given you all the information you need for a seamless experience. If you want to read more about the wonders of Ecuador click here!

No need to shell out for a trip to The Galápagos Islands!

Adios!