A Galapagos holiday offers wildlife experiences that are uniquely and almost indescribably wonderful. Come face to face with some of the most compelling and unusual species on the planet that are totally unafraid of humans. From playful sea lions to centuries old giant tortoises, to diving marine iguanas, breeding boobies and iconic flightless cormorants to name but a few.
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We listen to you. We take the time to understand what you want your Galapagos trip of a lifetime to be. We then we use our decades of experience and unrivalled network of local contacts and team of top guides to make it happen. Find out more
Although the weather and temperatures in Galapagos don’t vary hugely, the islands do have two distinct seasons. These seasons are determined by the ocean currents around the Galapagos, principally the cool north-flowing Humbolt and the west-flowing Peruvian Ocean Currents both of which originate in Antartica.
Generally December to April are the warmest months with daily highs of between 26°C–31 °C (79°F –87°F) and the coolest from May through November with daily highs of between 24°C–26 °C (76°F –79°F) with August and September the coolest.
The islands only receive around 25 cm (10 inches) of rain per year, so it is rarely ‘rainy’ although you can expect some rain year round in the highlands of some of the islands.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Daily High ºC (ºF) |
29 (85) |
29 (85) |
31 (87) |
31 (87) |
27 (81) |
26 (79) |
25 (77) |
24 (76) |
24 (76) |
25 (77) |
26 (78) |
26 (78) |
|
Daily Low ºC (ºF) |
22 (71.6) |
24 (76) |
24 (76) |
24 (76) |
22 (71.6) |
21 (69.8) |
20 (68) |
19 (66.2) |
19 (66.2) |
20 (68) |
21 (69.8) |
22 (71.6) |
|
Sea Temp ºC (ºF) |
24 (75.2) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
25 (77) |
24 (75.2) |
23 (73.4) |
22 (71.6) |
21 (69.8) |
22 (71.6) |
22 (71.6) |
23 (73.4) |
23 (73.4) |
|
Rainfall mm (inch) |
68.6 (2.7) |
91.4 (3.6) |
94 (3.7) |
71.1 (2.8) |
33 (1.3) |
22.9 (0.90) |
15.2 (0.60) |
5.1 (0.20) |
5.1 (0.20) |
5.1 (0.20) |
7.6 (0.30) |
30.5 (1.20) |
The temperature of the air and water in Galapagos varies depending on the strength of the trade winds. December through March, the winds are at their weakest and the cooling currents subside and temperatures rise. The waters are warmest during this period (65-80F). In April, the trend begins towards stronger winds and cooler air and water temperatures with the strongest trade winds and coolest temperatures usually being in late September. In October the trend reverses and so the cycle begins again with the occasional appearance of the El Nino and La Nina phenomena.
The larger islands with volcanic peaks have a dramatic range of climactic zones (Isabela, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Floreana). Whilst the coastal areas are arid, and covered with plants adapted to desert conditions with very infrequent rain, the highland parts of these Islands receive moisture almost year-round in the form of garua (thick fog, mist or drizzle), which supports a lush forest area where all of the giant tortoises live.
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Be it a birding holiday, a multi-generational family holiday, a honeymoon or a special birthday trip we will use our decades of experience living and working in Ecuador and Galapagos, and unrivalled network of local contacts to create an exceptional holiday for you. Find out how to get to the Galapagos Islands.
The best way to start planning your Galapagos trip is to give us a call or contact us by email. We are always genuinely delighted to answer any questions and help get you started planning your trip. But in case it is helpful, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about travel to the Galapagos Islands.
A resounding yes! A cruise is the ultimate way to experience Galapagos. Cruising mostly at night between the islands Galapagos cruises ensure you maximise your wildlife viewing during the day and take you to the best and most pristine islands in the archipelago.
The next decision is then which Galapagos cruise is the right one. There is a huge amount of choice out there and it can be quite overwhelming. Some Galapagos cruises are very slick at marketing (though not always so good at delivering!), other Galapagos cruises don’t have such slick marketing, but are exceptionally good and conservation minded locally run operations that offer outstanding wildlife experiences.
Just looking online it is incredibly hard to decipher what actually is the best option for you. This is where Think Galapagos can help. Decades of living and working in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands means using our local knowledge we have handpicked the very best Galapagos cruises across a range of budgets.
All cruises are on small yachts, for 20 guests or less. They work with very good Galapagos National Park guides, have very good itineraries offering a fantastic mix of Galapagos wildlife and scenery and are locally owned operations where possible. We listen to what you want out of your Galapagos tour and then advise on which Galapagos cruises will be best for what you are looking for and find who has spaces around the time you want to travel.
There is no right answer to this question. Both the Eastern and Western parts of Galapagos are equally wonderful in their own way. Usually it comes down to personal preference as to which itinerary appeals most to you or if you have any particular wildlife you want to see one itinerary maybe better for you than another. Again we can help give advice on which itineraries will best suit what you are looking for in your Galapagos trip.
The Galapagos Islands lie 600 miles (1000 km) off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. Every Galapagos holiday starts and ends in mainland Ecuador. There are no direct international flights to Galapagos, so you need to take a domestic flight either from Quito, Ecuador’s capital city nestled high in the Andes, or Guayaquil, Ecuador’s steamy commercial capital on its coastal planes. There are now several flights each day to Galapagos which take around two and a half hours.
Galapagos has two airports that receive flights from mainland Ecuador, either Baltra islet which is close to Santa Cruz Island in the centre of the archipelago or San Cristobal in the Eastern part of the Galapagos. Once you arrive here and have passed through the Galapagos National Park controls and collected your luggage, your guide and the crew from your cruise will be there to greet you and take you to your yacht, and your Galapagos adventure will begin!
Pre-Trip Information
This downloadable pre-trip information document will help you plan for your Galapagos trip as well as answering some key questions you may have. Despite being quite long it is by no means exhaustive, so please do get in touch with any questions you may have and we would be delighted to help.
We could talk all day about how amazing the wildlife of the Galapagos are, and why they make for such an amazing wildlife holiday! Here we have narrowed down to four key points why we think this group of 127 islands, islets and rocks that emerged from the ocean floor only a few million years ago and are still forming today make for such a special trip.
What makes the Galapagos Islands truly unique is that they have remained isolated from predators (most notably humans) for most of their history. The result is a unique and diverse range of animals that are totally unafraid of humans. From breeding boobies, to flightless cormorants, to iguanas and giant tortoises, the fearlessness of the fauna here is astounding.
Each island is host to its own extraordinary mix of flora and fauna that has been blown or washed across from mainland South America and forced to adapt to survive. From the youngest Island Fernandina which is still being formed, to the oldest island Espanola formed 3.5 million years ago, each has its own unique landscape and set of ecosystems.
97% of the total land surface of Galapagos was declared National Park in 1959 and thanks to ongoing conservation work by the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station, the Galapagos remain largely the way Darwin saw them almost two centuries ago — a pristine natural habitat and an inspiration for anyone with a love of the natural word.
The Galapagos Marine Reserve is the largest marine reserve of any developing country and second largest in the world. It covers over 133,000 square klm (51,352 square miles) surrounding the archipelago. Sea lions, marine iguanas, rays, flightless cormorants, penguins, whales and dolphins are just some of the amazing underwater life found here with over 2,900 marine species identified according to the Galapagos National Park.
Think Galapagos is proud to be a member of Protected Trust Services (PTS). Our membership (No:5731) provides us with a trust account and insurance model which ensures all consumer money for bookings taken on or after 10th November 2021 is fully protected. To find out more click here.
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