Alternative ways to explore “The Enchanted Isles”
For decades, yachts and ships have been the primary vehicles for exploring the Galapagos Islands. Each morning we would travel from the yacht to the shore of one of the islands via a panga – an inflatable boat also known as a Zodiac. On the shore, our naturalist guide would take us on a slow hike, taking his or her time to point out the creatures who reside there, as well as the geological history of each island. At the end of our trek, we returned to the yacht for lunch. The yacht would then move to another location and, in mid-afternoon, we would embark on another beach for our afternoon excursion.
More recently, an alternative way to venture among the Islands has emerged with the creation of a few small lodges, scattered among the Islands. This allows travelers to explore in day trips, either on the island on which the lodge is located or on motor launch visits to nearby islands. While the excursions remain essentially the same, these island-based itineraries offer some unique advantages. The first is that the dates of your visit are more flexible because the yachts and ships must adhere to a fixed scheduled that is set by the Galapagos National Park. Secondly, the per day price of land-based tours tend to be less than those using the yachts and ships. And the third advantage is very important to some travelers. For those who tend to experience seasickness, the land-based tours offer relief from the symptoms of seasickness.
While the majority of travelers who visit the Galapagos Islands will travel among the islands on board a yacht or ship, we are grateful that attractive alternatives are now available. If you’d like to learn more about either, or both, of these alternative ways to explore the Galapagos Islands, please click here and we will quickly respond.
