How to Get to Galapagos Islands

How to Get to Galapagos Islands by Air

The easiest way to get to the islands is either from Guayaquil or Quito on mainland Ecuador. There are flights from these cities to Isla Baltra or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on Isla San Cristobal. From Baltra you can take a ferry or a bus to Puerto Ayora on Isla Santa Cruz, which is a good place to go to if you haven't already booked your tour. Being one of the main cities, Ayora is flushed with good tour operators.

By Sea

A number of cruise operators ply their ships to the region.

Getting Around Galapagos Islands

Many luxury cruises include the Galapagos in their tour itinerary. While signing up for one of these is a very comfortable way of making your way around these stunning islands, it isn't the ideal way of getting a feel of the islands. Independent travellers who can choose between day tours and overnight tours stand a better chance of really getting to know the Galapagos. Day tours take off usually from Porto Ayora or Puerto Baquerizo Moreno and involve travelling from site to site in the course of the day and returning to base for the night.

Constraints of time mean that you will in all likelihood miss far-flung islands like Isabela and Fernandina. Overnight boat tours do not have the same limitations so you'll not only be able to visit more sites but also spend more time on each. These tours are usually 4-day or 8-day tours. Most tour boats, day and overnight, take groups of between 6 and 16 people.