Galapagos Islands - World Class Wildlife Viewing

The Galapagos Islands are a group of islands straddling the equator about 1000km from the coast of Ecuador. All of the islands are part of a national park, and possess a huge array of magnificent wildlife experiences. From sea lions to turtles, exotic birds and Darwin's finches, the Galapagos Islands have everything a serious nature lover could want. The Galapagos Islands are a must-see destination for anyone backpacking in South America, and simply cannot be missed!

How does a trip to the Galapagos Islands work?

The Galapagos Islands are part of a national park, and visitors cannot travel around them independently. Instead, you must book a tour with a registered guide, who will both teach you about the flora and fauna of the islands, and make sure you stick to the designated areas!

If you want to maximise your Galapagos experience, you have to jump on a boat. You can generally take a three or seven night trip, but if you have traveled all the way to the Galapagos, you really should take the longer option.

Return flights to the Galapagos Islands from Quito or Guayaquil cost around US$340, and a budget 7 night boat trip (about 10 passengers, and including all meals etc) will cost around US$800. The Galapagos Islands are not cheap, but it is worth every cent! Boats can be booked at the numerous providers in both Quito and Guayaquil. Booking tours online from overseas will be much more expensive.

Once on the boat, prepare yourself for one of your peak life experiences. Each day will usually consist of three activities. Either visits to two different islands with differing animals and one snorkeling session, or one island visit and two snorkeling sessions - say one with huge marine turtles and the other with sea lions! Amazing. The boat will often travel at night while you are sleeping, and you will get your breakfast wake up call anchored off an exciting new island - probably with a world class beach!

Oh, and you can arrange scuba diving trips from your boat at any destination on your itinerary - just make sure to arrange it before you depart.

Happy sailing!

The Galapagos Islands are not just home to the world’s best wildlife viewing, there is also a Spanish school to brush up on your language abilities!

This school based on the idyllic Galapagos Islands is perfect for the traveler wishing to visit this paradise of amazing flora and fauna and improve their Spanish abilities at the same time.

One week will cost you around $2300 and the price goes down slightly for subsequent weeks.

The fees include 4 hours of Spanish lessons per day, and wildlife excursions with guides every afternoon and on the weekend. All meals and first class accommodation are also included. Check out their website for more information!