How to visit the Galapagos Islands with a small budget

How to visit the Galapagos Islands with a small budget

We thought twice to write this post. The Galápagos Islands were once an exclusive travel destination, but are now on the abyss of mass tourism. We wondered whether posts like this once contributed to the devolution of this once departed paradise. But as we have already said in environmentally friendly tourism on the Galápagos Islands, an independent trip to the region is probably more environmentally friendly than a visit to a 100-strong cruise ship. If you always wanted to visit, you should do it yourself. Not only are they more flexible, but do not have to spend several thousand euros for your visit. So we saw the Galapagos Islands with a small budget and how they can do it.

1. Stick to the inhabited islands

It has a certain charm to visit the uninhabited islands-a kind of Isla-jurassic park charm-but this is only possible as part of a cruise (i.e. super expensive) and is also one of the more harmful aspects of tourism. The inhabited islands offer almost all of them in the region of domestic wild animals with the additional advantage that the uninhabited islands are as freely as possible.

Here you can see the famous animals in the area.

Blaufusstölpelphaben: Las Tintoreras (Isabela), Punta Pitt (San Cristóbal) Uninhabited: North Seymour, Española, Genovesa

fregattbügelbauht: Punta Pitt (San Cristóbal), dive at North Seymour (from Santa Cruz) uninhabited: North Seymour, Española

penguins inhabited: Las Tintoreras (Isabela), Floreana uninhabited: Bartolomé, Fernandina

giant tortoise: Charles-Darwin station (Santa Cruz), breeding centers on Isabela and San Cristóbal. Uninhabited: Española, Pinzon

Green Sea turtle: Tortuga Bay (Santa Cruz), dive at North Seymour (by Santa Cruz) uninhabited: Bartolomé, Gardner Bay (Española)

iguan truck: Meauishes on all larger islands; Landleguane at the Charles-Darwin station (Santa Cruz) uninhabited: sea lizards on all larger islands; Landeguane in North Seymour, South Plaza, Santa Fé

Seaster: All larger islands, especially La Isla de Los Lobos (San Cristóbal), South Plaza, La Lobería (San Cristóbal) uninhabited: all larger islands, especially champion

Haiebehen: Diving by North Seymour (by Santa Cruz), Leon Dormido (San Cristóbal) Uninhabited: Bartolomé

wave albatros inhabited: not possible uninhabited: only to be found on Española from April to November

2. Use public ferries to travel between the islands

It is certainly not luxurious and its lively water is enough to stir your strongest stomach, but the public ferry is the cheapest way to travel between the islands. As you can see from the list above, you can see the most wild animals in the region when visiting the main islands Santa Cruz, Isabela and San Cristóbal.

You can take a ferry between Santa Cruz and the other two islands. Tickets cost $ 30 per person and route and can be bought in respected travel agencies along the main streets. Simply avoid Galápagos Mockingbird on Santa Cruz because you have proven to be unreliable!

3. Consider draining from another island

We bought back and forth flights at the last minute (Guayaquil to Baltra in front of Santa Cruz, 1 hour 50 minutes) that cost $ 400 per person. You can also get a good discount if you book well in advance. Our friends in the airline industry tell us that five weeks in advance there is a good time to book.

To save an additional trip between the islands, you should fly to Baltra (Santa Cruz) and from San Cristóbal. In this way you do not have to fly back to Santa Cruz to fly down and save $ 30 per person (booking via skyscanner.net).

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3. Use bicycles to move up

bicycles are a cheap and environmentally friendly way of locomotion. There are several places along the main streets that you rent for around $ 7 per person for the whole day.

4. Expose cheap accommodations

You may have to stay outside the city center, but it is possible to find cheap accommodation on the Galápagos Islands.

We recommend:

Santa Cruzgalápagos Dove: 30 USD per night for a double room (10 minutes walk outside the city, but clean and comfortable with hot showers) Planet House: 50 USD per night for a double room (clean, comfortable, nice owner)

San Cristóbalcasa de Lewis: $ 40 per night for a double room. Hotel Mar Azul: $ 50 per night for a double room

Isabelahostal Cerro Azul: $ 45 per night for a double room Cabanas Tero Real: $ 45 per night for a double room

5. Fuel on lunch to

lunch is a big thing in Ecuador. Most local restaurants offer an “Almuerzo” for just a few dollars. As a rule, this includes a menu consisting of soup, main course and drink. Vegetarians should always inquire beforehand whether there is a suitable dish. If you fill out lunch in this way, you can take a small street snack in the evening (try the Charles Binford Road on Santa Cruz as a starting point).

6. Do only one tour per island

Most sights on the islands can be reached either by taxi or bike so that it is not necessary to buy an expensive tour. In terms of water -based activities, however, you will probably have to spend money. In this case you can get by with just one excursion per island.

We recommend: Santa Cruz: Diving North Seymour and Daphne Island (Academy Bay) San Cristóbal: Diving or snorkeling on the Leon Dormido Aka Kicker Rock (Wreck Bay Diving Center) Isabela: Snorkeling at Los Tuneles or if you really want to see penguins (Red Mann)

If you have a very scarce budget, you should maybe have it wait until the evening before or even until morning to see if you can take a bargain at the last minute. Don't be afraid to negotiate. When companies take a boat in both directions, it is in their best interest to fill the capacity!

total budget per person

Note: does not include international flights from and from Ecuador, similar to most cruise packages.

10-day trip:

• Return flight from Guayaquil to Baltra Island in front of Santa Cruz: 400
• accommodation for nine nights: $ 175 per person if it is shared by two people
• Essen: $ 150 (it is possible to eat for $ 15 per day)
• ferries: $ 120 for four trips by ferry
• Entry fee for water taxis and Isabela: $ 15
• Park entry: $ 100
• Immigration fee: $ 20
• Excursions: $ 250

Total: $ 1,230 per person (approx. 800 GBP)

Lonely Planet Ecuador & The Galapagos Islands also offers tips on how to visit the Galapagos Islands with a small budget.

Mission statement: Atlas & Boots

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