Best Galapagos Islands to Visit

What are the best Galapagos Islands to visit? Before taking the bucket list trip, ask yourself this question. There are a few things to consider when choosing which Islands to visit. To help you plan your visit, continue to read for more information and ideas about what the Islands have to offer.

Choosing the Best Galapagos Islands

Choosing the best Galapagos Islands requires knowing a little about them. There are 127 islands, islets, and rock formations. However, 18 are major islands, and only four are inhabited. Most smaller islands are uninhabited.

They are islands in the eastern Pacific Ocean or archipelago. They are part of Ecuador and lie about 966 kilometers (600 miles) off the Ecuadorian coast.

Here’s a list of the major islands: Baltra, Bartolome, Darwin, Espinola, Fernandina, Floreana, Genovesa, Isabela, Machena, North Seymour Island, Pinzon, Pinta, Rabida, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago, and Wolf. Isabela is the largest island.

Before I tell you about our six days of cruising and adventures, here is a list of The Galapagos Big 15

The Galapagos 15

The Galápagos are best known for their diverse plant and animal species. We saw many endemic species that were not found anywhere else in the world. These include the giant Galápagos tortoise, the marine iguana, the flightless cormorant, and the Galápagos penguin. The Galápagos penguin is the only species in the Northern Hemisphere. The Galapagos islands are also known for its Big 15, and here’s a list.

Galapagos Tortoise
Marine Iguana
Flightless cormorant
Galapagos Penguin
Red-Footed Booby
Santa Fe Land Iguana
Galapagos Albatross
Blue-Footed Booby
Nazca Booby
Galapagos Hawk
Galapagos Flamingo
Galapagos Sea Lion
Greater Frigate Bird
Galapagos Fur Sea Lion
Land Iguana

The ‘star’ of the Galapagos is the Giant Tortoise. Here’s a fun fact: Early Spanish visitors thought the tortoise’s upper shell resembled a Spanish saddle called a ‘Galapagos,’ so they gave it this name. It later came to apply to the whole archipelago. For more information about the Galapagos Big 15, click on this link.

The best of the Galapagos Islands is the Galapagos Tortoise. It is the star of the show.

Hurtigruten Expeditions

My visit was one of three stops in Ecuador, including Qu ito and Mashpi Cloud Forest. I had a fantastic time and experienced some of the best Galapagos Islands. Metropolitan Tours and Black Travel Alliance arranged a six-day cruise on the ship Santa Cruz II through Hurtigruten Expeditions. For booking information, click this link.

Now, let me tell you about my experience with Hurtigruten Expeditions. We flew into Baltra Island and then transferred to the dock to board the cruise ship Santa Cruz II. The cruise line has been around for close to 130 years. Its specialty is sailing to naturally pristine and remote places in the world. As a passenger on the ship, be prepared to be active and explore the natural settings of all outings.

Baltra Island and Mosquera Islet

One of the best Galapagos Islands is Baltra Island. It is the gateway to the islands and one of the only two islands with an airport. After disembarking the plane, we transferred to the dock to board our ship, the Santa Cruz II.

Next, passengers had a welcome briefing and then lunch. After lunch, we visited Mosquera Islet, our introduction to the Galapagos Islands. After a wet landing on the islet, we walked on sandy dunes. Then, our guides led us past sea lion colonies.

The guides told us about the island’s marine and terrestrial ecosystems. They emphasized their fragility and said our walk was restricted to a few hundred meters.

During our visit and walk on Mosquera, we witnessed young sea lions on the sand and playful ones in the water. We even saw two bulls having a physical disagreement. Our stay on Mosquera Islet was about 90 minutes or more. As the sun began to set, we headed back to the ship.

Walk the white sand beach of Mosquera Islet.

San Cristobal Island (Galapaguera and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno)

San Cristobal Island is one of the best Galapagos Islands because of its landscape. On day two, our morning excursion was to the Galapaguera Island. This morning, we had a wet landing on a beautiful white sand beach. The water temperature was not too cold, and it felt just right.

Some from my travel group did a two-mile hike, swam, snorkeled, or relaxed on the beach. Others did a more strenuous and longer 4.5-mile round-trip hike. I chose the shorter walk to explore the terrain, birds, and whatever other species we could observe. Some of my travel mates took a longer hike to discover giant tortoises.

During my hike, I observed several finches, tiny lizards, and a couple of small tortoises. Once we returned to the beach, I observed iguanas who blended in with the black lava rocks. They hurried along the coast and in between the rocks. Soon, we headed back to the ship for lunch.

After lunch, we had a dry landing at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. We drove 40 minutes to Cerro Colorado. We visited the Pto—Baquerizo Moreno Tortoise Breeding Center. Our time was limited because we arrived close to the center’s closing time. However, we were able to see and learn about the breeding process of the beloved giant tortoises.

Santa Fe Island and South Plaza Island

Santa Fe Island and South Plaza Island are the best Galapagos Islands because of the sea lions, iguanas, and prickly pear cactus plants.

Our morning excursion was to Santa Fe Island. After breakfast, we took a dingy to another white-sand beach. Sea lions greeted us. Next, we grabbed a morning walk and observed land iguanas endemic to the island. We walked among the giant prickly pear cactus. It was a fantastic walk and experience. One thing for sure is that our walks were calorie-burning activities.

Our afternoon activity was a dry landing at South Plaza Island. There, we saw yellow-gray iguanas and more prickly pear cactus plants. On the shoreline, we saw more sea lion colonies, swallow-tailed gulls, and various bird species.

Santa Cruz Island

Santa Cruz Island is one of the best Galapagos Islands because of the Charles Darwin Research Station. After breakfast, we visited the giant tortoise breeding center at the Charles Darwin Research Station. At this center, research and conservation are priorities.

There, we learned about breeding tortoises and saw them in various stages of life, from babies to senior citizens. Fantastic work is being done at the Charles Darwin Research Station.

Espanola Island (Punta Suarez and Gardner Bay)

Espanola Island is the best place in the Galapagos to see marine turtles, fur seals, and red-green-black marine iguanas. I was awed by the number of different-colored iguanas we saw while visiting the Islands. There is so much to see and learn.

Gardner Bay was the afternoon excursion. I did not attend this activity because I chose to relax on the ship. However, others in my group did experience kayaking and snorkeling.

Santa Cruz Island (Eden Islet) and North Seymour Island

On our last day cruising, I rode in a glass-bottomed boat for the morning activity. In contrast, others chose to kayak, snorkel, or paddle board. Santa Cruz Island is one of the best Galapagos Islands if you love deep snorkeling. The water is crystal clear, and you will see beautiful sea creatures.

During the afternoon excursion, I visited North Seymour Island. It was an exciting sight because the setting reminded me of an apocalyptic movie set. The ground was dusty and reddish, along with dry vegetation. We did see marine iguanas, blue-footed boobies, and frigate birds. Also, closer to the ocean, we witnessed plenty of sea lions basking in the sun.

Add Santa Cruz Island and North Seymour Island to your list of the best Galapagos Islands.

Watching the Golden Hour on North Seymour Island, one of the best Galapagos Islands.

Cruising with Hurtigruten Expeditions

The best way to visit and experience the Galapagos Islands is by cruise ship. Witnessing the beauty of nature is well worth every moment. Cruising on the Hurtigruten Santa Cruz II ship was relaxing, active, and fun.

The crew was knowledgeable and ensured we were well taken care of. As someone who does not like being on ships, I always felt comfortable and safe. We were well fed with delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals. Alcohol and soft drinks were available. The ship has a workout, a library, a small retail shop, and laundry space.

Conclusion

Visiting the Galapagos Islands is a bucket list trip for many travelers. When choosing the best islands to visit, consider your interests and expectations. Remember, most excursions are physically active with walking, hiking, swimming, etc. With these things in mind, create your itinerary, and you will have great memories.