The Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are located 1,000 km (621 miles) from the coast of Ecuador and are part of this tiny but megadiverse South American nation. It has become one of the main tourist attractions of the continent because its unique wildlife, distinctive geology and pristine status as a protected National Park.

The Islands receive about 200.000 visitors per year and are a preferred bucket list destination. Its interesting volcanic geology, as well as its rich flora and fauna have been admired and studied by numerous travelers, scientists, and nature-lovers. 

Charles Darwin is one of the most famous visitors of the archipelago. His Theory of the Evolution was born in part by his observations of the endemic fauna and discovering how members of the same species adapt from island to island.

How to get there

To get to the Galapagos Islands, visitors must take a local flight from one of these cities in mainland Ecuador: Quito or Guayaquil. From Quito the flight takes about 2 hours and from Guayaquil about 1.5 hours.



Tourists are advised to stay a night prior and a night after their Galapagos cruise in either of the two cities to prevent missing flight connections.

Tour options in Galapagos

The two most common ways to visit the Galapagos Islands is by staying in a hotel in any of the populated islands (Land Based Tours) or embarking in a liveaboard Naturalist (or Diving) cruise.

Land based package visitors engage in daily tours to nearby visitor points and islands, while cruises allow tourists to visit many more and further away islands.

Tourist activities

While on a Naturalist Cruise the most common activities tourists engage are: Snorkeling, trekking, swimming and kayaking. Only specially appointed cruise boats are allowed to offer diving, and they mix this activity with the others previously described.

When to go

Being a prime world destination, there's actually not a high nor a slow season in the Galapagos Islands. Also, being located in the equator means there is no mayor difference in weather throughout the year and despite being located in the tropics, the Islands' micro-climate is mainly dry. However, regarding the weather, there are 2 distinct periods:

• The wet (rainy) season from December to May and has warm waters.
• Dry season from June to December with cool waters brought by the Humboldt Current.

Rainfall ­
(in) ­	2.4	4.6	4.0	3.0	0.6	0.2	0.3	0.2	0.2	0.2	0.3
(mm) ­	60	117	100	73	15	5	8	5	5	5	8

Islands of the archipelago and visitor points

Visitor sites by Island:

Galapagos Wildlife by Island and Visitor Point:

Galapagos Facts & Figures