Galapagos travel and tours - Island hopping and getting around

You finally arrived in the Galapagos Islands, you got there!... Now what? How do you get around from one Island to another...?

If you arrived by plane (99% of the visitors do) you will either be on Santa Cruz or San Cristobal Island.

By far the best way to see the Galapagos Islands is on a small cruise ship or on a tourist oriented yacht. A cruise around the Islands allows you to wake up every day at a diferent visitor site, a diferent trail. You save travel time, you enjoy sailing and the life onboard. If you are planning to cruise the Islands, we recommend making your reservations well in advance.

Not everybody can afford a cruise around the Islands. There are many alternative ways of getting around the Galapagos Islands and its visitor sites.

Getting around the Galapagos Islands is easy to do -- bicycles, cargo boats, airplanes, buses, taxis, and other public transportation is available. If you are staying in one island, before you go anywhere, make sure you don't need a Naturalist Guide with you.

Most places in all the islands are prohibited for tourists and travelers who are not accompanied by a Certified Naturalist Guide. There are some transportation systems in place. Santa Cruz has a bus that takes travelers to the airport and up to the sink holes in the center of the island. There are regular ships that transport travelers to islands (check at the docks for arrival/departure times as they vary). The most important thing to keep in mind while you're getting around on during your holidays in the Galapagos Islands is that they are all protected. Keep on set paths and respect the islands.

The only places you can go on your own are the towns located on the Islands of Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela and Floreana... and some of the beaches of these same Islands.