Galapagos land based tours

Expect to get around the islands by car or on foot. On Isabela, you can embark on a 17km hike to the rim of the Sierra Negra volcano. On San Cristobal, you can take a steep walk to Cerro Tijeretas, an important nesting site for frigate birds. On Floreana, you might explore the tiny coastal village of Puerto Velasco Ibarra.

Snorkelling and kayaking are pretty much always included in land based itineraries. Sea kayaking, especially, lets you explore around the edges of islands where secret coves, beaches, solidified lava channels and mangroves appear, alongside cliffs and shorelines awash with frigate birds and blue footed boobies. Snorkelling might not get you quite as far, but it will place you in direct proximity to sea turtles, sea lions and parrot fish.

Volunteering opportunities are land based too. Whilst you’re here, spend your time contributing to conservation projects on the islands. Activities include replanting indigenous plants, clearing invasive species, and providing information to the public about local ecology.

Beware advertisements for cheap boat trips on your days off. If it seems suspiciously cheap, it may be compromising the environment, or exploiting its crew. Similarly, be wary of speedboats that travel too fast, causing excessive noise pollution and wakes. Make sure you ask the boat company for an environmental certificate from the national park authorities first.

Sample of the cruising times between the main Galapagos Islands, and the flight time from mainland Ecuador.

Santa Cruz – Floreana: 2hrs by boat Santa Cruz – Isabela: 2hrs by boat Floreana – Isabela: 2hrs by boat Baltra – Santa Cruz: 10 mins by boat Guayaquil (mainland Ecuador) – Galapagos: 1hr 30 mins by plane

“I took my binoculars but didn't use them at all because the animals are right in front of you.” – traveller Hannah Duncan on our Galapagos land based adventure holiday

By staying in hotels rather than on a boat, land based tours of the Galápagos dramatically cut the cost of a holiday. The money that you do spend goes into local businesses.
You’ll have the islands to yourself after the ships leave, and there are days off to do whatever you choose – from meeting the locals to relaxing on the beach.
You might not get as far from the main islands as you would on a liveaboard boat but you don't have to worry as much about sea conditions – which tend to be rougher from June to November.
Land based tours are also highly recommended for families, as they alleviate the pressure of being cooped up on a boat, and there are no rigid sailing itineraries so you can explore without worrying about getting back to the boat.

Cruise tourism in the Galapagos is heavily regulated, but it is much harder to put controls on land based tourists. The islands are vulnerable to overtourism – as more hotels are built, infrastructure such as waste disposal, cannot keep up and the resulting plastic pollution can have a devastating impact on endemic wildlife. By going with a responsible operator you can ensure that you are following the Galapagos National Park Directorate, and minimising the harm on the environment when you go.

If you're based on dry land on one of the inhabited islands of the Galapagos, you may be wondering how to see the archipelago’s famous wildlife. As you’ll be staying overnight in small towns, don’t expect to see too many animals hanging out by your front door. There will, however, be plenty of sea lions and marine iguanas, especially around the docks and beaches.

To see more, there are daily opportunities to get out onto the ocean by boat for animal encounters above and below the waves, by kayak and snorkel. You can also travel to more remote parts of an island, the deserted beaches and the volcanic slopes, on foot or by bus. You’ll see penguins, sea lions and white-tipped reef sharks around Bartolome’s Pinnacle Rock, pink flamingos at Punta Cormorant and giant tortoises at the Charles Darwin Research Centre on Santa Cruz. You’ll always travel with a professional wildlife guide. Your tour guides will have been certified and trained by the Galapagos National Park Authority which means that not only will you benefit from their expert knowledge of the wildlife that lives on the Galapagos but you'll learn more about the islands' human communities, too.

If your kids go all soft and squishy at the sight of a puppy imagine how they’ll buckle under the gaze of a wide-eyed sea lion pup or how excited they’ll be when they see a marine iguana snorting salty snot out of both barrels.

Going for land based in the Galapagos is great for families. Spend a little less and lessen the stress of getting too close to the edge of a cruise ship. By staying in a variety of self-catering villas and ecolodges, your holiday can be that bit more relaxed, and you can spend more time exploring without the worry of upsetting other passengers or sticking to strict itineraries.

Watch cruise ships depart and before you know it you’ll have the bays and beaches around Puerto Ayora all to yourselves – apart from the local sea lions, of course.

“Our family tours are only open to family groups – we don’t do couples or singles,” says Morag Prosser, from our partner ROW Adventures. “If you have a group of seven- to ten-year-olds, they run the tour at a pace that’s suitable for that group. The kids have other kids to interact and learn with, and you don’t have single adults chomping at the bit to move faster, feeling like the kids are holding them back and making parents uncomfortable.”

The wildlife is literally everywhere so unlike safaris, where you need to remain quiet whilst animals remain elusive, kids from as young as five years old can join a small group and explore with new-found friends rather than having to be hushed all the time.

“The wildlife, particularly, is what kids love,” says Morag. “The snorkelling with sea lions... most children will start off a little hesitant but our guides are in the water with them so they can begin to feel comfortable. It’s usually the parents who are more nervous about the sharks or sea lions, and the kids are having a blast!"

You can go on a land based holiday all year round. Between December and June is a good time to go: despite the occasional rain shower at this time of year, there are warmer sea temperatures and clearer underwater visibility. The majority of animals breed and nest during February, March and April, to coincide with spring flowers and insects, which makes for scenic hiking trips.

From June to November there can be rougher sea conditions, including strong currents, and this can mean some cruises stop. Land based travellers will have no such problems. If you want cooler temperatures and no rain, June to November can mean fewer crowds and no humidity, but there are certain months that are better than others.

“Land based trips are run throughout the year however, I'd advise avoiding July and August if you're not good with rougher and colder seas,” says Fausto Sarango at our partner Intrepid Travel. “Although it's a land based trip we travel between islands on speed boats which can bump around on heavy seas. There is no 'best time' for wildlife – you can see everything throughout the year.”