Ecuador
Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands: Ecuador's National Park by Boat
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What to Expect
Galápagos cruises travel between islands on boats authorized by the national park, and every visit to a protected area is made with a park-authorized naturalist guide. There is no single port: your boat's itinerary sets which islands you visit.
- The islands are a province of Ecuador, with a little over 33,000 residents in 2020. The capital is Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on San Cristóbal.
- About 97 percent of the land is national park. The rest is the inhabited areas of Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Baltra and Isabela.
The Galápagos on Your Own
Your boat's itinerary decides which protected areas you visit with a naturalist guide. Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristóbal both have sights you can reach on foot or with a short ride.
- Puerto Ayora: The Charles Darwin Research Station, on the shore of Academy Bay in Puerto Ayora, has a natural history interpretation center.
- Tortuga Bay: Near Puerto Ayora, a path of about 2.5 kilometers leads to Tortuga Bay, where marine iguanas rest on the lava rocks and a separate cove is used for swimming. The path is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., and you sign in and out with the park service at the start. Check before you go.
- Puerto Baquerizo Moreno: Near the town are Cerro Tijeretas, a nesting colony of frigatebirds, and a statue of Darwin where he first came ashore in 1835. La Lobería, a sea lion colony, is about ten minutes away by bus.
- Keep your distance: Stay at least 2 meters (6 feet) from wildlife, in town as on the trails.
- Watch the clock: The Galápagos keep a time one hour behind mainland Ecuador, so check flight and boat times against the same clock.
- Getting back on time: Be back at the dock by the time your boat gives you. It will not wait for anyone touring alone.
Fees and Entry
Everyone traveling to the Galápagos needs a Transit Control Card, which cost USD 20 in 2024. The national park charges a separate entrance fee on top.
- Buy the card at the departure airport before you check in for your flight, and keep a copy. Since May 2025 it can also be bought online before you travel.
- At the counter at the departure airport, show the card, a valid passport and your return ticket.
- The national park entrance fee for non-resident foreign visitors over 12 was set at USD 200 in 2024, up from USD 100. Foreign children pay half that, and children under 2 are exempt. Check before you go.
- Visitors may also be asked for proof of accommodation, a return flight to the mainland and travel health insurance. Confirm what applies to you with your cruise line.
- Ecuador's official currency is the US dollar.
Park Rules
The park's rules exist to keep wildlife wild, and your guide will hold the group to them. One of them is distance: stay at least 2 meters (6 feet) from animals, even when one walks toward you.
- Never feed wildlife, and do not use flash when you photograph animals.
- Do not bring food, animals or plants into the islands.
- Do not buy souvenirs made from black coral, shells, lava rock, animal parts or native wood.
- Take all your trash with you, back to the boat or to a populated area.
History
The Galápagos were found by accident in 1535 and spent three centuries as a stop for pirates and whalers before Ecuador claimed them. Darwin's visit in 1835 made them famous, and since 1959 most of the land has been a national park.
- Found by accident, 1535: Fray Tomás de Berlanga, Bishop of Panama, reached the islands on March 10, 1535, after currents pushed his ship off course on the way to Peru. His account is the start of the islands' written history.
- Pirates, 1620s to 1720s: Pirates working the Spanish trade routes used the islands as a hideout and a source of giant tortoises for food.
- Whalers, from the 1780s: British and then American whalers followed. Between 1784 and 1860 whalers took more than 100,000 tortoises from the islands, and a post box on Floreana that crews used to leave mail for passing ships is still a visitor site.
- Ecuador, 1832: Ecuador annexed the archipelago on February 12, 1832.
- Darwin, 1835: HMS Beagle arrived on September 15, 1835. Darwin went ashore on San Cristóbal, Floreana, Isabela and Santiago over about five weeks, and On the Origin of Species, published in 1859, tied his name to the islands.
- The national park, 1959: The national park and the Charles Darwin Foundation were both set up in 1959, and the research station on Santa Cruz was dedicated in 1964.
- World Heritage, 1978: UNESCO listed the islands as a World Heritage Site in 1978, and the marine reserve was created in 1986.
- Under pressure, 2007 to 2010: UNESCO placed the islands on its list of World Heritage in Danger in 2007, citing invasive species, tourism and overfishing, and took them off the list in 2010.
- To learn more ashore: The Charles Darwin Research Station on Academy Bay in Puerto Ayora has a natural history interpretation center about the islands and their conservation.
The Galápagos with Children
The Galápagos suit children who can walk a few kilometers and follow a guide's instructions, because most visits mean landing from a boat and keeping to marked trails. Giant tortoises are the easiest wildlife for younger children to enjoy up close.
- Younger children: Giant tortoises can be seen at the El Chato and Rancho Primicias reserves on Santa Cruz, and at La Galapaguera, a breeding station and sanctuary on San Cristóbal.
- School age: The path to Tortuga Bay near Puerto Ayora is about 2.5 kilometers long, with marine iguanas and crabs on the rocks at the end, so it suits children who can manage that distance and the walk back.
- Teenagers: Boat trips from San Cristóbal visit Kicker Rock, the split remains of a lava cone, and Isla Lobos, where blue-footed boobies nest.
- Fees: Foreign children pay half the park entrance fee, and children under 2 pay nothing.
- Ground rules: Children need to keep 2 meters from animals and must never feed them, so go over the rules before the first landing.
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