Top Things to do in Galapagos Islands
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The 10 Best Things to do in Galapagos Islands, Galapagos Islands
Abundant wildlife above and below the waves draws eco-tourists to Ecuador's Galapagos. Get up close on a stroll or in a Zodiac boat. Snorkel and dive with denizens of the deep, from sea lions to sea turtles at Santiago's Cousin's Rock. Hike by finches, flamingos and iguanas along the Darwin Trail. Admire Sierra Negra Volcano on Isabela. As visitor numbers are limited within the islands' National Park, book your boat tour through a tour operator. Visit January through April for the best snorkeling.
Restaurants in Galapagos Islands
1. Darwin Island
2. Parque Nacional Galapagos
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 103 reviews
The Galapagos National Park Directorate works to promote sustainable tourism in protected areas of Galapagos with a regional perspective, that ensures the conservation of ecological integrity and biodiversity of the archipelago and to contribute to an equitable socioeconomic development and solidarity of the local population.
Reviewed By SteveRainville99 - Orlando, United States
We had an incredibly awesome 4 days roaming the national park, as the wildlife is abundant, and all the cool birds flying around. Iguanas, Sea Lions, and Blue Footed Bobbies were my wife and I's favorites!
3. Darwin & Wolf Islands
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 50 reviews
Wolf and Darwin Islands, sometimes called Wenman and Culpepper, are two eroded volcanos located on a volcanic ridge.
Reviewed By J5694RXleer
My wife and I dove here in September 2020 on a 7-day liveaboard named the Humboldt Explorer. Darwin and Wolf Islands offer some of the best diving money can buy. While the wildlife sightings can certainly change from dive to dive, we saw whale sharks on nearly every dive at Darwin, hundreds of hammerheads, dolphins, sea lions, and a staggering abundance of fish. I myself am a marine biologist in the Caribbean and my wife is a SCUBA instructor, so we've spent quite a lot of time in the water...these were some of the most memorable and remarkable dives we've done. If you're a diver, I cannot recommend diving here enough. The amount of life and beauty of these places is incredible. That being said, this diving isn't for the beginner diver. Expect variable currents, thermoclines, variable visibility, and potentially rough conditions during pickup/dropoff. As for the Humboldt Explorer, their operation was top notch. I believe this was the first charter they've run since March 2020, due to COVID. Our guides, Jorge and Daniel were absolutely fantastic, bilingual and extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife. The panga drivers were incredibly talented and some of the most competent boat drivers I've ever encountered. The rest of the crew and chefs were also fantastic, friendly, and helpful. We felt very safe with regard to COVID and to overall safety during dives and time on the boat. Honestly, we were expecting that there would probably be a couple hiccups along the way, being the first charter they've run since March due to COVID, but there wasn't a single one. Simply, Humboldt Explorer is top notch operation that made it possible for us to have some of the best dives in our lives. I want to especially thank Jennifer, Jorge's wife, who helped us tremendously in order to get us to the Galapagos so we could do the charter. She helped set up/provide information to get the required COVID tests in Guayaquil prior to traveling from there to the Galapagos. Her recommendations for places to stay, things to do, and just her overall kindness truly made our trip possible. It would have been far more difficult for us to visit the Galapagos as smoothly as we did, with the COVID requirements/restrictions/closures, without her help. You saved our trip. A profound thank you!
4. Las Grietas
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,453 reviews
Reviewed By F336MVjohnd
From Puerto Ayora, take an 80-cent water taxi to Finch Bay, and then a walk past the German beach to get to this strikingly beautiful volcanic fissure that has connected out to the ocean... so it's also a great place for a swim. The water is cold... so you won't regret a wet suit. And do wear the snorkel mask as the view underwater is remarkable, and there are some interesting fish to see as well. The thing to be careful of here is that there are several pools separated by some very sharp and VERY slippery rocks. You CAN cross over them, but my wife and I each got several scrapes and bruises in the process. Also, there is no "life guard on duty". There is a guide who you sign in with at the top of the fissure... but if you need help it will be 10-15 minutes away, so do be careful if you venture past the first pool.
5. Galapagos Beach at Tortuga Bay
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,398 reviews
Reviewed By carlosvelascoteran
We went to Tortuga Bay on 2/21/2020. Day was sunny, warm. We walked from Puerto Ayora to Tortuga Bay, which by itself is a nice experience, looking at trees, iguanas and birds. We then got to the area of Tortuga Bay, which by itself has 3 separate segments, Playa Brava, Playa Mansa, and a small lagoon formed by a reef protecting it from the Playa Brava. The experience of swimming around iguanas and small "tintoreras" (sharks) was unbelievable. Water was refreshing. Birds were majestic. We have visited many places in the world, this was one of the best we have seen, highlighted by the successful way in which nature has been protected by the Ecuadorian government.
6. La Loberia
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 497 reviews
Reviewed By myom624 - Coquitlam, Canada
After about a 10-minute walk along the seaside trail from the entrance area was arriving at this crescent-shaped beach just with a "moderate length" of about 300 meters (or just about 200 meters of it in a crescent preceded by about 100 meters of a straight line) where unfolded in front of my eyes was an estimate of about 15 adult sea lions (& may be about the same number of tiny young ones) mostly on the sand but also some in the water, and yes that "amazing spectacle" (without exaggeration since it was really pretty much the "next-to-best" scene featured on my Galapagos tourist card which features a number of sea lions on the long Tortuga Bay beach on Santa Cruz which I found in reality was just with iguanas and no sea lions at all) was what made my "day trip" to this island "absolutely worthwhile" (and that despite a pretty limited time of only about 6 hours spent on the Island before returning to Santa Cruz); also quite enjoyable at this beach site apart from seeing the sea lions was the wide-open sea view (although this beach being nowhere in comparable length to the Tortuga Bay beach on Santa Cruz & the "long beach" on Isabela), and yes it's actually from the trail to it than from the beach itself I would say that the sea view is a "more mesmerizing" one (with also a "high ridge" at some distance seen past the water). Leaving Santa Cruz at about 6 45 am on the boat LP Andy II (a round trip ticket of about 70 US$ which you can just get on like the day before from the ticket office near the pier on the "west end" of Ave. Charles Darwin) for about a 2.5-hour ride with my arrival time shortly after 9 am at the boat dock of this island, it was also pretty easy to find a taxi on the waterfront street for just a 5-to-10-minute ride to this beach site (actually only after breakfast at a 2-storied restaurant just across the street from the boat dock). And with only somewhat over an hour spent at this site (won't need much more at this relatively small beach unless you plan to swim), I walked about 40 minutes back to the town's waterfront passing by: this island's airport (which is right alongside the "solitary road" leading from this site shortly after leaving), the nice "street art scenes" (featuring some Galapagos animals & such) along a street section, the big fish statue (a marlin or such with a long snout) at a small roundabout where nearby is also a playground with a big "bronze sea lion", and the sizeable "name sign" of this island (a beautiful one if you look closely with each letter kind of "artistically designed") which is displayed right on the waterfront. And yes, back on the waterfront with still about 2 hours to spend before the "return boat" at 3 pm, it was a nice time spent watching the boats in the water & the sea lions on shore (including those among the rocks around the boat dock where actually I saw just about the same number of them as had been seen at this beach site).
7. Reserva El Chato
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,900 reviews
Reviewed By Tempusfugit2015 - Roslyn, United States
Great place to see the tortugas in the highlands There us also a lava tube option You get a pair if boots to walk around It was drizzling so bring a poncho and water There are clean facilities and a restaurant avail
8. Isla Daphne Mayor
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
Daphne Major is a large tuff cone somewhat eroded by the sea. Although visiting requires a special permit, cruises commonly circumnavigate it for bird watching. Nazca boobies, red-billed tropicbirds, and blue-footed boobies can be found nesting here. It is the primary site of the Grants' 40-year study of evolution in Darwin’s finches demonstrating evolution occurring over short periods of time.
Reviewed By SteveRainville99 - Orlando, United States
We saw the island/volcano from our flight in, and definitely got us curious. We then sailed by it on our way to Bartolomé Island, and oyr guide Alejandro gave us some really cool insights on it. Two researchers scientists from the UK, a couple that are not in their late 70s early 80s, set up base there over 25 years ago, and studied the evolution of the Finch's beak. The views from the sky looking into it are just stunning!
9. South Plaza Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 32 reviews
Reviewed By 135robinp - Sydney, Australia
Of the two uninhabited Plaza Islands, South Plaza Island accepts visitors. Located (+ two hours by boat) off the east coast of Santa Cruz Island, it is one of the smallest islands in the archipelago covering an area of 0.13 sq km with a maximum elevation of 23 Meters. It is covered in red Sesuvium, a ground vegetation which changes color from green in the wet season. Very flat but with an incredibly rough terrain, we walked across this island - rated intermediate level! If you have access to a walking pole, take one. The Island has a dry landing. Mostly land iguanas are found here but South Plaza is also the only island where the hybrid Galapagos iguana is found. Bird species are plentiful and include the Nazca, Blue footed Boobies, swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropicbirds. We saw hundreds of birds flying near the cliffs, including pelicans and some smaller varieties trying to land in the wind, one I watched must have made a dozen attempts to land and kept missing. Rejoining our boat, which had to stay some distance from the coastline as there is a large amount of submerged volcanic rock which I could see (when snorkling later in a lovely sheltered cove) very close to our feet but we’d been told not to touch it as lots of barnacles which are very sharp. Our Boat then cruised along northern side of Santa Cruz (which is always clear) up the coast, passed several small beaches and left us at top of Santa Cruz and we took a bus the 42 km back to Puerto Aroyo (nearest town to our hotel) on an almost dead straight road.
10. Charles Darwin Research Station
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3,272 reviews
Headed by a team of more than two hundred scientists, educators, research volunteers and support staff, this world-wide foundation is dedicated to preserving the Galapagos ecosystems.
Reviewed By shannav227
Charles Darwin Research Station is the place to start your trip in the Galapagos. You get assigned a nature guide at the entrance, and they will walk you around and explain the history of Darwin and the animals of the Galapagos, with the main highlight being the Giant Galapagos Tortoise. You get the opportunity to see baby tortoises in the breeding center from each of the islands, as well as tortoises of all different ages. We enjoyed our time here.
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