Classic Galapagos Island hopping









Description of Classic Galapagos Island hopping
Perhaps the world's foremost destination for wildlife watching, and the inspiration behind Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution, the Galapagos Islands are an awe-inspiring archipelago of biodiversity. On these isolated isles you'll discover plant and animal species that simply don't exist anywhere else, some as uninhabited as the day the Beagle first weighed anchor here.
On this eight day, island-hopping tour of the Galapagos, we visit three of the main islands, San Cristobal, Santa Cruz and Isabela, travelling between them using speedboat transfers and staying in comfort class hotels.
Our tour begins on the island of San Christobal, where you will have free time to visit the Interpretation Centre or enjoy some sun on the beautiful Playa Mann beach if you like. We'll spend a whole day snorkeling and exploring the stunning marine life around Kicker Rock, where sharks and rays swim, before continuing on to the island of Santa Cruz. And it's here, on the Santa Cruz Highlands, that you'll meet the famous Giant Galapagos Tortoises.
We then transfer to Isabela island, where we visit the colourful residents of the Flamingo Lagoon. Isabela is also the site of Los Tuneles, a sea sanctuary considered as one of the world's best spots for snorkeling. Lava flows have produced unique geological formations creating the ideal habitat for a wide variety of marine species. We'll also enjoy a kayak excursion of Puerto Villamil Bay.
Departure information
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Reviews
1 Reviews of Classic Galapagos Island hopping
Reviewed on 20 Jan 2023 by Ian Defty
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Meeting so many wonderful people and seeing so much of the Galapagos and the fantastic wildlife both on land and whilst travelling between and around the islands.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
WiFi is generally not fantastic around the islands but go with the flow and just accept it. Its nice to be off the grid sometimes. Take cash, whilst some places will take credit card the locals understandably prefer cash and many places will only take cash. There are ATM's on the bigger islands but it is definitely best to be prepared. Things are not excessively expensive.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
We made time to interact with as many locals as we were able. we respected the area and people who live there and this is reflected in how clean and tidy the Galapagos were. Every trip was taken with a national park guide who was able to answer questions not just on our trips but all aspects of the islands.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
Fantastic. It was so well organised by the Team. We were met punctually at every detination or for each tour and dropped back to our hotels after each tour. The hotels were well chosen. All were near the centre of things or near to the sea. We received a message each day to remind us of timings etc of the next days activities and we felt that we were being well looked after and that there was always somebody to contact in case of changes etc. There was also plenty of spare time built into the schedule so we could spend time exploring or relaxing ourselves. We'd definitely travel with Responsible Travel again.
Responsible Travel
Planet
Wildlife: The wildlife of the Galapagos Islands region is very important to us and we are committed to conserving it. We strongly encourage our guests to follow our lead and the instructions that our guides give them as soon as they arrive on the island. We have local naturalist guides that are bilingual certified and trained to protect the environment but also to allow our guests to get to know more about the wildlife of the region. In this way, our travelers can explore the possibility to live in balance with nature as they enjoy a unique experience.Transport: The transportation in the Galapagos is designed and regulated by the National Park in a way that reduces the emission of carbon as much as possible. One example of this is the fact that there are only limited departure times between Islands. There are only 2 times a day when a limited amount of boats can depart from one island to the other guaranteeing the low degree of pollution with the transportation. There is one departure in the morning and another in the early afternoon. Sometimes we get questions from people asking if they can just go to another island at a different time but then we explain this is not possible because it is regulated by the National Park. These might create complications in some of our operations but we understand and have committed to the fact that working in these natural environments means also putting the preservation of nature as a priority. Another example of how the pollution of transportation is reduced is the regulation of boats that we use. Every boat is regulated and has to follow certain criteria of quality in order to operate. The boats that we work with have all been authorized to operate in the Galapagos so therefore we guarantee to follow the guidelines established by the National Park that works together for the preservation of the natural areas.
People
Friends & neighbors: That people that work with us at the Galapagos Islands are local people that know how and where to find all things local. We support and promote the use of local restaurants and hiring local people to the hotels that we use as well as for the activities of our tours. In this way, tourism becomes one of the main sources of development in the Island and that is how with every traveler we contribute to this unique place in the world.Local crafts and culture We sustain jobs and cultural diversity by supporting local craft makers and artisans and promoting cultural attractions. Apart from encouraging our guests to buy local products and stimulate the local economy we also advise them that there are some products sold illegally and that are harming the natural environment. There are banned substances that are illegal to commercialize so our guides explain not to take or buy any of the products or souvenirs made from banned substances, including black coral, shells, lava rock, animal parts, or any native wood or vegetation prior to leaving Galapagos. This is illegal and is reported so we make sure that our guests know about this in order to prevent any problems with the law but especially to prevent any form of contribution to harming the National Park.
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