Galapagos Islands

Spanish is the official language of the Galapagos Islands, but English is widely spoken.

Some Galapagos cruise passengers do suffer from sea sickness as the waters around the islands can be a little rough at times, in particular during August and September. If you are concerned about getting sea sick, please ensure that you bring motion-sickness remedies with you. You should also consider choosing a Galapagos cruise that is aboard a more stable vessel such as a catamaran or selecting a land-based island-hopping Galapagos tour. The waters tend to be calmer between January and April.

The Galapagos Islands are renowned for their wildlife with vast numbers and varieties found on the islands and in the waters surrounding the islands. There are whales, sharks, dolphins, sea lions and fur seals, bird species too numerous to mention ranging from blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds to penguins and hummingbirds, giant tortoises, turtles, iguanas and lava lizards. Some species are seen only at certain times of the year.

The main considerations are type of ship, class of ship, duration of cruise and itinerary. The different ship types are:

• Motor sailboats
• Catamarans
• Yachts
• Cruise ships

The classes of boats are:

• Standard
• Superior
• First Class
• Luxury

The main differences between the classes are space (cabins and common areas), private or shared facilities, experience of the guides, quality and quantity of food, availability of facilities such as air-conditioning, hot water, swimming pools and Jacuzzis, which will all affect the cost.

Galapagos tours generally range from 4 to 15 days allowing for different budgets and time constraints. 4, 5 and 8 day Galapagos cruises are the most common options and will include different islands, some of which may hold more interest to you than others.

Although the larger vessels are often more luxurious and stable and offer more facilities, the smaller boats offer a much more intimate experience with greater flexibility and more time on the islands.

In general, crime is not a problem on the Galapagos Islands although petty crime may occur in the towns. We advise you to keep personal items and valuables locked away in bags in your cabins. Most animal life on the islands is docile with the exception of the larger sea lions and in particular the bulls, who will vigorously protect their females, and can inflict dangerous and potentially lethal bites. Do not snorkel close to sea lion colonies. There is a minimal danger from sharks but in general sharks will not attack unless provoked.

Some Galapagos cruises do offer internet facilities via satellite but please be warned that it is expensive.

Not all Galapagos tour itineraries offer diving as an option. If you are a keen diver then you may want to consider choosing a dedicated diving boat for your Galapagos cruise. These boats tend to have better equipment and dive masters and the itineraries are designed around visiting the best dive sites in the Galapagos Islands, in particular around Darwin and Wolf Islands. Alternatively you could add on a couple of days in Puerto Ayora at the end of a Galapagos cruise enabling you to include diving excursions, or it may be possible to arrange a diving excursion from your boat.

The Galapagos Islands currently use USD as their main currency.