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'Most visitors stand and stare in awe': The secret to exploring the Galapagos
The archipelago is one of the world's most diverse destinations for wildlife – let that be your guide
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You have to tread carefully in the Galapagos Islands. Within minutes of landing almost anywhere in the archipelago, you come face to face with some of the most fearless (and unlikely) animals on the planet. The trick is to avoid tripping over them. Most first-time visitors just stand and stare in awe. How on earth did evolution design a seafaring lizard, a dancing “booby” with bright blue feet, a bird that inflates its wrinkly throat sac into a bright red balloon, or a woodpecker finch adept at using tools?
The most celebrated wildlife-watching destination in the world – and the place that inspired Charles Darwin’s earth-shattering theory of natural selection – the Galapagos need little introduction. A volcanic land of stark, moon-like lava formations, lush green highlands, dazzling turquoise bays and tropical beaches, the “Enchanted Isles” flaunt wildlife at every turn.
Now, thanks to the abolition of the infamous red list, this offbeat Ecuadorian archipelago is back on the travel map. And “travel” is the pertinent word. Roughly 620 miles off the coast of Ecuador, and slap-bang on the equator, it isn’t exactly on the way to anywhere. You will never find yourself passing nearby and popping in to have a sneaky look.
Getting to the Galapagos involves flying long-haul to Quito or Guayaquil on the mainland, followed by a two-hour domestic flight to the Galapagos. Then you board a boat. This will be home for the duration of your stay. There are a few hotels – and you can take day trips in the company of licensed naturalist guides – but with 13 major islands, seven smaller ones and countless islets scattered over thousands of square miles of ocean, to experience the Galapagos at its best you need to be truly mobile.
Is it worth the palaver? Yes, it is. And by that I mean a resounding “YES!” in capital letters and with an exclamation mark.
In many ways, it is much the same wildlife wonderland as when Darwin first set foot there in 1835. There are more people, admittedly. The number of tourists has increased sevenfold in the past 30 years (to more than 270,000 a year) and, in certain places, at certain times, the well-worn paths can be as busy as high-street pavements. But the animals are still here, there and everywhere – and they are no more bothered by their modern-day human admirers than they were by Darwin himself.
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Tourism on today’s scale is undoubtedly a double-edged sword (there were no tourists at all during a four-month Covid lockdown early last year – how that affected the local wildlife is the subject of an ongoing study). No matter how well managed, large numbers of people inevitably cause a certain amount of disturbance. But the local economy is dependent on tourism and, without it, where is the incentive to protect albatrosses and iguanas? It’s a delicate balance and, I think, the Galapagos does it pretty well.
The islands have their fair share of conservation issues, but 97 per cent of the land area is safeguarded as part of the Galapagos Islands National Park. And a few weeks ago, Ecuadorian President Guillermo Lasso expanded the marine reserve around the islands by 23,000 square miles (making a total of 74,000 square miles).
There are about 80 licensed vessels to choose between (see below) and countless routes. The boats tend to travel at night, with two shore landings a day. Pick one with plenty of time in the water: the seas around the Galapagos are teeming with life and the snorkelling is terrific.
There are more than 60 approved visitor sites and where you go will influence what wildlife you are likely to see. I’d recommend planning according to the animals – many of which are found only on particular islands – rather than the sites themselves. Here is my personal top 10 wish list to get you started.
Galapagos penguin
Seeing a penguin in the tropics may seem about as unlikely as seeing a tiger on the Antarctic Peninsula, but, sure enough, there are a couple of thousand penguins on the Galapagos. Most breed on Isabela and Fernandina, where cool currents keep water temperatures comfortably low.
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Waved albatross
It’s worth visiting Española just to sit with waved albatrosses as they perform their bill-circling, swaggering courtship displays (rather like Samurai warriors performing Lord of the Dance).
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Scalloped hammerhead shark
Jumping into a sea full of sharks isn’t everyone’s idea of the perfect holiday. But the northern islands of Darwin and Wolf are among the best places to do it – and, to be honest, you will be missing out if you don’t. Why not dive with an enormous whale shark, while you are at it?
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Darwin’s finches
You can’t visit the islands without meeting one of Darwin’s famous finches. He speculated that the 13 species of these birds had evolved from a single species on the mainland – and this set the stage for his scientific breakthrough. Each has evolved to exploit a particular niche, with highly specialised feeding strategies and beaks. They are found throughout the archipelago, although some are restricted to certain islands.
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Galapagos giant tortoise
With their wizened heads, telescopic necks and toothless grins, Galapagos giant tortoises look like elderly ETs. Most get to celebrate their 100th birthday (the archipelago’s most famous resident, Lonesome George, passed away in 2012, aged 102). The best places to see them are the highlands of Santa Cruz and Isabela. Alternatively, go to the Charles Darwin Research Station on Santa Cruz – the place to learn about the islands’ natural history and the conservation work of the Charles Darwin Foundation – where there is a giant-tortoise breeding programme.
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Marine iguana
The only seafaring lizard in the world is impossible to miss. There may be as many as 300,000 marine iguanas across the archipelago, loafing around in the sun on just about every rocky shoreline.
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Sally Lightfoot crab
You’re not going to fly halfway round the world just to see a crab. But of all the world’s crustaceans, these implausibly red, orange and blue coastal scavengers are worth a closer look. Rumoured to have been named after an exotic Caribbean dancer, they can be found in large gatherings on most Galapagos beaches.
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Flightless cormorant
It may seem like rotten luck to be a bird and yet not be able to fly. But flight is a means of escape, and one that the Galapagos flightless cormorant doesn’t especially need. Like the penguin, it breeds only on Isabela and Fernandina.
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Galapagos sea lion
As soon as you step into the Galapagos sunshine, you are likely to see a scrum of sea lions. They’ll be waiting for you – sprawled on the docks or commandeering the benches where tourists board their boats, and lounging around on beaches all over the place. They love snorkellers and divers, and are likely to treat you to some memorable underwater ballets.
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Land iguana
Not just one species, but three. The Galapagos land iguana is a familiar sight on several islands, while the near-extinct pink land iguana and the Santa Fé land iguana are found only on Isabela and Santa Fé respectively.
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Three top holidays to book
Cash rich – time poor
Mark Carwardine works regularly with Wildlife Worldwide as an on-board expert. Next year’s itineraries with him are sold out, but more are planned. In a similar vein is a First Class Galapagos Highlights cruise aboard the Beluga, a superior class motor yacht accommodating up to 16 passengers. It packs the classic experiences into a relatively short voyage, taking in Santa Cruz island (for the Charles Darwin Research Station, to learn about giant tortoises and land iguanas), Floreana (for its lagoon filled with pink flamingos and an opportunity to snorkel over a submerged volcanic crater off Punta Cormorant), Isabela (for penguins, green turtles and more) and Fernandina, with its heaving population of land iguanas. The trip culminates in landings on Santiago, Bartolomé and North Seymour, with the chance to see fur seals, sea lions, frigate birds, blue-footed boobies – and more penguins.
How to do it: From £4,075pp sharing, including seven nights, full board, in a twin-share cabin, return transfers between Baltra airport and the mainland, guided excursions and snorkelling equipment. Flights are extra (01962 302086; wildlifeworldwide.com).
Think bigger – and quicker
If you love cruising but don’t fancy being corralled with the same 15 passengers at close quarters for days, the boutique expedition ship Galapagos Legend (which accommodates up to 100 passengers) might be more your thing. The fastest cruise ship in operation around the Galapagos, it is unusual in having its own swimming pool, plus “toys” including a glass-bottom boat and kayaks.
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The tailor-made specialist Abercrombie & Kent offers an eight-day Discover Galapagos itinerary, which begins with a leisurely three days in Guayaquil, on the mainland, before guests fly to the Galapagos to join the ship. Islands en route include Santiago, Rabida, Isabela, Fernandina and Santa Cruz, while the wildlife highlights may well feature the bizarre yellow-crowned night heron, nine species of Darwin’s finches, flightless cormorants, Sally Lightfoot crabs, giant tortoises and vermilion flycatchers.
How to do it: From about £4,050pp tailor-made, including full-board accommodation, economy flights, excursions and drinks (01242 386476; abercrombiekent.co.uk).
Money – and time – no object
For those with a serious wildlife bent and more leisure, a 14-night Galapagos Wildlife Cruise from Exodus allows for a full exploration of the entire archipelago by combining the company’s usual week-long A and B itineraries to form a complete circuit of both the eastern and western islands. It includes two nights in Quito, Ecuador’s capital. Sailing on the Cachalote Explorer, a motor yacht sleeping 16, the cruise begins with either the Plazas Islands and Santa Fé (for the eastern group) or Chinese Hat and Rabida (for the western group), the dates of travel determining which come first. In addition to pelicans, penguins, blue-footed boobies, sea lions and marine iguanas, highlights include walks on a dark red beach, a vast lava flow and exposed coral that has been raised 12ft by volcanic upheaval. You may also see whales, dolphins, short-eared owls, yellow warblers and mockingbirds.
How to do it: From £7,999pp (£8,949pp with flights) for 16 nights, full board, in an en-suite cabin/comfortable hotel, including internal flights, transfers, a tour leader throughout, all listed activities and snorkelling equipment (020 3553 9822; exodus.co.uk).
Andrew Purvis