This area has been on my bucket list for along time. Probably because I was a biologist in a previous life. I am looking at a National Geographic ten day cruise of selected islands. Cost is 5K. Is anyone familiar with this cruise or other ones? Did you enjoy the islands? What was your most remarkable experience?
Yes, I went a long time ago. Must have been… 1983 or 1984. I went on a tour of Ecuador and the Galapagos offered through the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (the cruise was via Society Expeditions, but I am not sure if they are still in business). We flew to the Galapagos from Guayaquil and then cruised the islands in a 12-person yacht. The experience was amazing. They timed a route to pointedly avoid landing on beaches when the cruise ships were around, so it felt like we had the place to ourselves. Part of our tour group was two naturalists who told us all about the local fauna and flora. We got to swim with sea lions.
I still love looking at my pictures from that trip.
I bet that the National Geographic tour would be cool. You should go!
I’d love to go, too, and am posting just to be able to get notification of others’ replies.
Super awesome. The animals really are not afraid of you. Just wandering around the main island, I damn near tripped over a clutch of land iguanas camouflaged by the lava rock. Boobies all over the place. you can walk up and touch them (but don’t, it’s frowned upon). When snorkeling around that island with the crazy lava flows and the pointy rock, the seals will play with you.
The one thing I regret is not taking the trip to the top of the main island to look around for tortoises.
We are also looking for info – we’d love to take a family vacation there next year but there are a million tour operators – how on earth do we know who is the right one???
I am truly LMAO.
I went in 2011 with Active South America. It’s not cruise-based–you fly to the islands, stay in local hotels, and go from island to island on a small boat. I would highly recommend them (it’s called the Tortuga tour). It’s not luxurious, but that is part of the charm.
Misogyny Tours LLC. The best.