Galapagos Islands

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  Blue Footed Booby on Espanola

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  Galapagos - Punta Pitt, San Cristobal Island

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  Galapagos - giant tortoise

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  Galapagos - Bartolome Island

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  Galapagos crab

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  Galapagos - beach at Cerro Brujo, San Cristobal Island

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  Galapagos - sea lion

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  Galapagos - Bartolome

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  Galapagos - fish in clear water

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  Galapagos - Leon Dormido (Sleeping Lion) rocks

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  Galapagos - Punta Pitt

Crystal clear waters teeming with colourful fish, strangely fearless animals and dramatic volcanic landscapes

“To discover the Galapagos we must come in a humble spirit, not to dominate the environment, nor exploit its resources, not to regulate the natural creation but to find a niche in it for ourselves” – so wrote John Hickman in his illuminating book ‘Galapagos, the enchanted islands’, first published 1985. Ever since Charles Darwin first visited the Galapagos Islands with Captain Fitzroy in 1835 and subsequently developed his theory of the Evolution of Species, the archipelago has been a source of wonder and amazement to mankind.

What is it which makes the Galapagos islands so special? To be sure, it is the giant tortoises, marine and land iguanas and many species of bird that have evolved in such a distinctive fashion distinguishing them from their forbears on the mainland, but also the extraordinary volcanic landscapes, the range of climate bio-zones and above all, the endearing tameness of the wildlife.

UNESCO declared Galapagos a World Natural Heritage Site in 1978 and a World Biosphere Reserve in 1985. Our guests sometimes express concern about the impact of tourism on the fragile ecosystem and increasing pressure on the natural resources in the islands, but the Ecuadorean government working in conjunction with the Park Authorities have over the years implemented very strict regulations to ensure that the number of boats and visitors is controlled and that any further damage to the unique ecosystems is minimised. This in turn has allowed them to tackle the threat from invasive species such as rats, wild cattle and goats which posed a far greater threat to endemic species and sponsored the work of the Charles Darwin Research station where careful selective breeding projects have rescued species of tortoises and iguanas from the jaws of extinction.

There are more than 100 boats which offer cruises but these do vary in standards and we offer a selection of only the very best. We can arrange cruises for as little as four nights to as much as two weeks on small exclusive motor yachts or catamarans, with a maximum of 16 passengers – or on larger boats for those with less good ‘sea legs’. Alternatively we can offer land-based options, staying in luxurious hotels on Santa Cruz Island, with day trips to neighbouring islands. Or we can suggest the combination of a few days on a boat and a few days in a hotel.

We normally recommend that our guests visit for seven nights and that it is not really worth going for anything less than five days. These extra days give you an opportunity to really explore beyond the main island and take in the less known Western itinerary.

However you do it, a visit to Galapagos is truly something not to be missed. The experiences are second to none: Swimming and playing with young sea lions whilst snorkelling; watching entranced as blue-footed boobies go about their ritual mating dance; getting up close to a giant Galapagos tortoise and being scared as it ‘hisses’ at you; photographing a pair of curious Galapagos Hawks which are gliding in the wind; being shocked about almost treading on a giant iguana that refused to move off the path; being amazed at how bizarre the male frigate birds look with their red throat sack fully inflated…. These are just a few of the myriad of wonderful memories we have from Galapagos.

We could go on, but if a picture speaks a thousand words, take a look at our Galapagos Wildlife Gallery.

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