roughly 600 miles

Boats navigating to the Galapagos archipelago regularly depart from Guayaquil. It takes 3 or more days by sea to reach the Islands. The boat sailing to the Islands from mainland Ecuador usually lacks the comforts found on cruise ships and touring yachts, most likely it is a cargo boat.

Your best bet for getting to the Galapagos is to fly into Baltra Island before taking a bus and ferry ride to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island, the most popular tourist hub. Another option is to fly into the capital of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island, but most cruises start in Santa Cruz.

The only way to get to the Galapagos Islands is to fly from Ecuador. There are two cities with airports that frequently fly into the Galapagos: Quito and Guayaquil. All flights are with either Avianca or LATAM, which are both reputable and reliable South American airlines.

Galapagos is not a cheap place, and it will most likely not be on your list of cheap destination any time soon, but there is a way to minimize the cost of traveling there while no sacrificing the experience.

A vacation to Galapagos Islands for one week usually costs around $774 for one person. So, a trip to Galapagos Islands for two people costs around $1,548 for one week. A trip for two weeks for two people costs $3,095 in Galapagos Islands.

The best time to visit the Galápagos Islands is from December to May. Though the Galápagos is beautiful year-round, these months offer temperatures ranging from the low 70s to mid-80s, making pleasant conditions for hiking and wildlife-spotting.

The Ecuadorian Air Force flies most of the air freight to the Galapagos and they charge close to $1 per kilo. Then too, the cost of land is higher in the Galapagos. Beds and bed linen will cost more, and once you open the kitchen many of the food ingredients will cost more than they would on the mainland.

If you answer this question with yes, then the Galapagos are definitely a must-see destination. However, if you don’t dive or do snorkeling, then I would say that the Galapagos are not worth the trip, unless you’re an absolute fanatic about sea-lions, tortoises and iguanas (or volcano landscapes).

5 days

97% of the land area of the Galápagos Islands have been designated a national park since 1959 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a result, the Galapagos Islands have become a privileged somewhat overrated tourist destination, affordable only for the rich, mostly elderly first-world tourists.

Is the Galapagos Safe To Visit? The Galapagos is an extremely safe travel destination. very little crime occurs in the islands and because tourism plays an important role in the economy of the islands and the Galapagos National Park, strict rules are in place when it comes to migrating to the islands.

At least 33 species of shark have been recorded in the waters around the Galápagos Islands, including the recently discovered Galápagos ghostshark. One of the most common shark species seen in the Islands is the Galápagos shark, but confusingly this species is found throughout the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Galapagos snakes are all endemic to Galapagos. There are five different species and all of them inhabit the dry zones of the islands, however they do not inhabit all of the Galapagos islands. Galapagos Snakes can be slightly poisonous to humans and may use venom to kill its prey.

Vaccinations. There is no vaccination requirement for traveling to the highlands, coastal and Galapagos regions of Ecuador. However, when traveling to the Amazon jungle, ask your doctor about vaccines like typhoid, hepatitis A, diphtheria, and yellow fever.

Despite being found on several islands across this range, different crocodile groups haven’t evolved into completely unique species—the way Darwin’s finches evolved on the Galápagos Islands. That suggests the crocodiles are somehow island hopping, keeping the overall gene pool well mixed.

Although the snake is an accomplished hunter, they are nonvenomous and therefore not threatening to humans, although their bite is still painful. Southern black racer (Coluber constrictor priapus) with a raised head.

Rattlesnake speeds have not been specifically measured, but they likely travel at about 2 to 3 miles per hour in very short bursts. The average human could easily outrun a rattlesnake.