Galapagos activity & wildlife vacation, land based

Environment

While they provide one of the best wildlife vacations in the world, the fragile nature of the Galapagos Islands means that each and every visitor should ensure that their visit does everything possible to maintain and preserve this stunning destination. Boats are very closely controlled by the Galapagos National Park Authority, which is one of the great advantages of cruising on the live aboard yachts in the islands. Land based tours of the Galapagos are subject to few such controls and can therefore be a source of some concern to those who care about a, and want to protect, the Galapagos Islands.

This therefore makes the choice of operator all the more important when booking a land-based vacation to the Galapagos instead of a cruise. Our local partners have impeccable credentials in working in sensitive environments and supporting local community projects which ensure responsible, sustainable and positive tourism.

All of your guides on this vacation are fully authorised and trained by the National Park Authority, so that you get the most out of your time on the islands, but also to ensure that the impact of your visit is minimised. The longer your stay on the islands, the better. Fewer flights means less risk of invasive species arriving into the islands and disturbing the unique native species.

Community

It’s easy to forget that the Galapagos Islands have a significant human population (approximately 25,000), who live alongside the remarkable wildlife species. On a land based trip you are also going to have far more interaction with the human side of the Galapagos Islands, which makes for an arguably more ‘complete’ experience of the Galapagos. Many who travel by cruise boat spend no more than an hour or two in an inhabited town (such as Puerto Ayora), but on this trip, as well as in Puerto Ayora, you will stay in two much quieter towns, more like villages really. The vacation provides direct economic benefit to the inhabitants of the islands, as you stay in small, locally owned and run hotels and inns, eating out in a range of local restaurants.

Our local partners on this tour have both a commitment to the sustainable nature of the trip from a community perspective, as well as extensive experience of working with community projects in the islands. These projects include working with farmers and other workers to support non-exploitative means of income. They have a multi-award winning track record of working hand in hand with both local and indigenous peoples in Ecuador and Galapagos to create outstanding travel experiences which benefit both those in the visited-areas as well as the traveler.