Go to Galápagos Islands on a budget
It’s possible to explore this volcanic archipelago and its unique fauna without breaking the bank
The Galápagos Islands have a way of making you reconsider the way you look at the natural world — and they’ve been doing it for centuries. The islands that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection are biologically diverse and teeming with wildlife, most of which seem to have no fear of humans.
As my husband and I hiked along a volcanic formation known as Los Tuneles, we came within a few metres of a blue-footed booby nesting site. One might have expected the birds to become agitated by the intrusion, but even the mothers with new hatchlings didn’t seem to notice us.
As we continued to explore the islands, we discovered that this reaction was not unique to one species. Massive sea turtles swam near us while we snorkelled near Tintoreras, playful sea lions nipped at our flippers off the island of Santa Fe and giant tortoises relaxed in the bush just off hiking trails on Santa Cruz. Wildlife seemed to be everywhere and while we tried to maintain a respectful distance, sometimes the animals did not.
You don’t have to be an evolutionary biologist to be fascinated by the wildlife on the Galápagos Islands and, contrary to popular belief, you don’t need a big budget either. It’s possible to explore this part of the world and save money if you book a land-based itinerary. Some operators refer to this type of trip as island hopping. Basically, you use the inhabited islands as your home base and book day trips for a greater exploration of the national park.
CRUISING OR ISLAND HOPPING?
Cruising is the way Darwin visited the Galápagos Islands and it remains the most convenient way to explore them today, but there are advantages to land-based itineraries. The most obvious benefit is the fact that island-hopping itineraries typically cost much less than cruises. For example, a seven-day island-hopping itinerary starts at US$1,371 per person including tours, accommodation and meals with Rebecca Adventure Travel (rebeccaadventuretravel.com), the company we used. Flights and park fees are an additional cost.
The other advantage lies in the fact that land-based itineraries give you more time to explore the inhabited islands and interact with the locals who live there. It’s easier to experience the local culture and to see more of the inhabited islands when you are staying there.
The main disadvantage of land-based itineraries is that it can be challenging to explore some of the more remote uninhabited islands of the national park. You can spend as much as two hours each way to get from your home-base island to another island and seas can be rough — depending on the season. You may decide as we did to forgo exploring some of the more distant islands and limit your exploration to locations closer to your home base.
SHOWCASE FOR BIODIVERSITY
Regardless of how you decide to do it, exploring the Galápagos is exciting. The islands are a showcase for biodiversity and just setting foot in a destination with so much natural history is a thrill.
We used Santa Cruz and Isabela as our home-base islands and explored both thoroughly as well as several uninhabited islands nearby. Isabela has a lovely trail system that takes you past wetlands and lagoons filled with Galapagos pink flamingos and other birdlife. There’s a giant tortoise breeding centre where you can learn more about these unique creatures and we also saw several in the wild. Be sure to watch for Darwin’s finches as you hike around. Darwin noticed differences in the beaks of finches on different islands and surmised that the tiny birds had adapted to the environment — the beginnings of his groundbreaking theory.
The two highlights of Isabela Island were kayaking in the bay of Puerto Villamil and a day trip to Los Tuneles. During the kayak trip, we found ourselves in the midst of a booby feeding frenzy and it was very exciting. And Los Tuneles is one of the most beautiful snorkelling spots in the Galapagos.
The Charles Darwin Research Station was a highlight of Santa Cruz. It’s a great place to learn more about the flora and fauna of the islands and to see several species of giant tortoises. Other highlights there included a tour of the highlands to see giant tortoises in the wild and a day trip to Santa Fe Island to snorkel with sea lions.
You can’t see everything on a one-week island hopping itinerary, but we saw enough to leave us feeling inspired by the natural world. In that sense, we, like others before us, followed in Darwin’s footsteps.