Cruises to the Galapagos
Cruising to the Galapagos Islands
Most people who visit the Galapagos Islands fly there and then get around by boat. You can fly to Quito, Ecuador, which is the main portal for international flights, and then either fly or take a bus to Guayaquil, which is the main flight portal to the Galapagos. From Guayaquil you get to the Islands themselves. All flights to the Galapagos themselves go through Guayaquil. If you want to take a cruise from Guayaquil to the Galapagos, it usually takes about half a week and the cruises are not luxury transportation but rather basic accommodations.
There are private companies that offer Galapagos cruises with a naturalist theme, and adventure activities. There are yacht charter companies if money is no object, and you can get to the Islands in full style, eating gourmet meals and even enjoying naturalist instruction and talks as you make your way to the Islands to view the wildlife.
For divers, there are live-aboard charter boats that specialize in transporting scuba enthusiasts to the best dive spots. Their vacation packages usually combine accommodations, inter-island travel, meals, and dive excursions all into one price for a complete diving vacation in the Galapagos Islands.
Cruises around the Galapagos Islands
To see as much of the Galapagos Islands as you possibly can in one vacation, take a multi-day boat tour. You can spend a whole week, if you like, on a small boat cruising amonst the various islands, making pit stops here and there. Some cruise companies offer these multi-day packages where you sleep on the boat. Keep in mind that the waters can be choppy at any time of year, so if you don't relish the idea of spending many days on a small boat rocking in the waves, you might want to try another option.
This option would be a multi-day boat tour that stops at islands with hotels each night for a complete tour package. It costs more than a boat-only cruise but this way, you get to hop around from island to island, but you get a break from the boat. Choose anywhere from a five day to a two week day cruise, whatever suits your desires. What a great way to see the Islands!
A third option for inter-island cruising is to go your own path and use public inter-island boats and single island-to-island trips. You get the freedom you need to spend as long as you want on each island and if you stick to the major islands, it can be cheaper. Cruises or trips to the less-travelled islands are more expensive. You can also find group tours to popular destinations and keep a small budget this way.
Types of Galapagos Cruise Boats
There are five types of cruise boats offering their services to travellers in the Galapagos Islands. They are listed below in ascending order from cheapest and most basic to most expensive and luxurious.
- Economy Boats are small, carrying only about a dozen people, and you will sleep dorm-style. You will share a bathroom, and there is no hot water. There will be a Naturalist on board, of the Naturalist 1 type.
- Tourist Boats are a little bigger than economy, perhaps 15 or 16 people, and you get private showers, albeit cold water showers. There are more choices in meals and there will be a Naturalist II on board.
- Tourist Superior cruise boats have Air Conditioning and hot water showers, which Tourist Boats don't have. You will dine on much better food and have more menu choices and your guide will be of the Naturalist II or III class. There will perhaps be diving excursions available, too.
- First Class cruise boats are much nicer and have Naturalist III guides on board.
- Luxury boats have everything you could imagine, sometimes absurdly luxurious and extravagant. Pull out all the stops, empty your bank account, and cruise in total luxury around the Galapagos Islands.
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