The short answer to the question of “do you need to cruise the Galapagos Islands?” for all my TL;DR friends is: No, you technically don’t need to…but I really think you should. Let’s dive into why.
A little bit about the Galapagos Islands
The archipelago known as the Galapagos Islands consists of over 127 islands, islets, and rocks. For most people, the natural first question is, “How many islands are inhabited in the Galapagos?”
Great question, I would love to tell you. (I really hope you imagined that sentence in Elyse Meyer’s voice…)
Out of the whopping 127 pieces of “land”, only 4 islands in the Galapagos are inhabited: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela, and Floreana.
And of those 4 inhabited islands, you can only fly into 2 of them from mainland Ecuador. The two islands you can fly into from the mainland are Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal.
For more information about things you should know before visiting the Galapagos Islands (and details like how do you get to the Galapagos Islands), check out this post.
Why are you boring us with this information, Jenn? We just want to know if you need to cruise the Galapagos…
I’m so glad you asked!
Can you see everything in Galapagos if you stay on land?
Yes…but also no. (I’m super helpful here, I know😂)
You can technically do all the things you may do on a Galapagos cruise if you decide to omit the Below Deck lifestyle and opt for a land based trip instead: hiking, snorkeling, seeing some amazing animals, maybe diving if that’s your jam.
In terms of whether or not you’ll see the same variety of animals…You’ll absolutely see the ever lovable sea lions, probably some marine iguanas sunning themselves, and you may even catch a glimpse of a sea turtle in the ocean. If you know where to look, the odds may be in your favor and you’ll get to see some baby black tip reef sharks by the pier in Puerto Ayora.
But… I don’t think it will feel any different from any other trip.
And if you’re going all the way to the Galapagos Islands…don’t you want to do it right?
All of the things I listed above are like the quintessential Galapagos, so you’ll definitely check all the boxes. And while you can do day tours to a few of the closer uninhabited islands, you can only access the best ones, like Española and Fernandina, by going on a liveaboard cruise in the Galapagos.
Galapagos Islands is a once in a lifetime opportunity. (Unless you fall in love with it and make it your life’s mission to be there as often as you’re legally allowed to…)
I personally don’t think you get the true feel of Galapagos if you stay based on land for the duration of your trip. And if you’re only going to go to the Galapagos Islands once in your life, why wouldn’t you want to make the most of it?
One of the most beautiful things about the Galapagos Islands is that it is so incredibly remote, which means that unless you’re on one of the four inhabited Galapagos Islands, you won’t have any cell service whatsoever. Even on the inhabited islands, wifi is minimal at best and your cell phone service may work fine one hour but go out completely the next. By doing a cruise in the Galapagos Islands, you’ll be completely off the grid so you don’t even need to deal with the aggravation of the wifi fading as you’re trying to post to the ‘gram.
When was the last time you truly went off the grid?
I would venture to guess that it has been months, if not years…and I think it’s time for you to do it again. (Or maybe even for the first time…)
There is nothing else in the world like fully immersing yourself in the beauty and magic that is the Galapagos Islands. I realize that my connection to the archipelago goes much deeper than the average tourist, but I have yet to find a single person that has visited and hasn’t been in absolute awe of her majesty.
When you do a Galapagos cruise, the outside world ceases to exist. Without the distraction of texts, phone calls, pro sports, and social media, you’re able to better connect to the essence of the Enchanted Islands. As you navigate from one island to the next, you begin to understand the animals that call this incredible place home on an innate level. You start to be able to tell the difference between a friendly, chatty sea lion and a sea lion in distress. You find that you’re imagining yourself in the role as a naturalist guide because surely you can point out the different types of boobies just as well as anyone else, right? Maybe you even spotted the elusive Galapagos Rice Rat when your guide has never seen it in all their years working as a naturalist.
It’s just different when you can experience one uninhabited island after another without having any semblance of connection to the outside world.
Is it more cost effective to do a Galapagos cruise?
Depending on how many day tours you would do while based on land, no. It is not necessarily more cost effective to do a Galapagos cruise.
If you are doing an 8 day cruise in Galapagos, you’re looking at spending $4,000+. While that number is high, it’s also all inclusive. It includes your lodging, all your meals and snacks, all the activities you’ll do (snorkeling, hiking, kayaking), and your transportation from island to island.
Assuming you spent the same amount of time on land and only did day tours 4 or 5 of those days, you would probably be spending closer to $2,000.
It may be cheaper to do a land based Galapagos trip, but you definitely won’t get the same quality of a trip.
What is the best cruise in Galapagos?
I personally have only ever done cruises with Enchanted Expeditions.
In 2021 I did their “Tower” itinerary on their yacht Beluga. The Tower itinerary focuses on central and southern islands like Las Plazas, Española (my favorite island), and Floreana.
In 2022 I did their “Fernandina” itinerary aboard Cachalote. This itinerary focuses on the western islands like Isabela and Fernandina.
Most companies offer similar itineraries, and they each have their own pros and cons. I personally preferred the Tower itinerary (central and southern islands) because we saw a larger variety of islands and Española will forever be my favorite. I also have a letter waiting for me at Post Office Bay on Floreana Island that I’m itching to get back to🤪 At some point I’ll do a post comparing the two so you can decide which one would be best for you.
I hope to do more cruises in the future so I can give you a more well-rounded answer about what I think is truly the best cruise in Galapagos. But two other companies I have strongly considered are National Geographic (though their prices are a little insane for me) and Intrepid. I have a friend who has done some work with Intrepid’s Galapagos team and they have nothing but great things to say about them!
Group Trips for Women to the Galapagos Islands
Another great option is to join a group trip to the Galapagos Islands! Lucky for you, I know someone pretty great who will be hosting group trips for women to the Galapagos starting Fall 2023😉
Want to join me and other incredible women on the trip of a lifetime in the Galapagos Islands? Fill out this brief survey!
I’m SO excited to finally be able to announce these! I’ve spent so much time getting to know not only the islands but the people that call them home, and I know that I’ve built something truly unique. This bespoke adventure will include both a land and sea portion, and will give you the opportunity to get to know some of my favorite Galapagueñians and learn about what sets their souls on fire😍I hope you’ll be there to join me!