Here are some of the answers to the most frequent questions that tourists ask before and during their stay in the Galapagos Islands:
We recommend you to wear comfortable clothes such as beach shirts, shirts, shorts, shoes, hiking shoes, light coats (windbreakers), hat, glasses. Also, do not forget your sunscreen, mosquito repellent and sunburn creams (the sun is deceptive).
Having a unique ecosystem, you must be very careful with the food that enters the islands. Check the following link for more information: List of products allowed in Galapagos.
In Galapagos there are two seasons of the year:
It is worth mentioning that all the islands of the archipelago have their charm, but over time, Santa Cruz Island has become a strategic place for tourists when they want to know Galapagos. This is because the island is located in the middle of the archipelago, a location that makes it attractive and strategic in relation to costs and mobilization times to other islands.
If you have no idea how to start to know Galapagos, in the following link you will find a very useful guide to organize your trip to the islands: What can you do in the Galapagos Islands?
Any tourist who wishes to enter the archipelago must pay an entrance tax to the Galapagos National Park and the Galapagos Marine Reserve. The value to be paid is set in the Special Regime Law for Conservation and Sustainable Development of the province of Galapagos. Keep in mind that this tax must be paid in cash. The following values are values that may be subject to change:
Foreign tourists not resident in Ecuador over 12 years old | US $100 |
Foreign tourists not resident in Ecuador under 12 years old | US $50 |
Foreign tourists not resident in Ecuador, over 12 years old, nationals of one of the countries belonging to the Andean Community of Nations or Mercosur * | US $50 |
Foreign tourists not resident in Ecuador under 12 years of age, nationals of one of the countries belonging to the Andean Community of Nations or Mercosur * | US $25 |
National or foreign tourists resident in Ecuador, over 12 years old | US $6 |
Domestic or foreign tourists resident in Ecuador, under 12 years old | US $3 |
Tourists, foreign students not resident in Ecuador who are enrolled in national educational institutions | US $25 |
* MERCOSUR States Parties: Argentina, Brasil, Paraguay, Uruguay. | |
* CAN Member States: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Perú. |
Note: National or foreign tourists under 2 years of age are exempt from the payment of this tax. (Source: Income tax)
Likewise, we also tell you APPROXIMATE prices of some services you will find on the islands:
On the other hand, if you want more information about visit sites and their costs, in the following link you will find a very useful guide to organize your trip to the islands: «What can be done in the Galapagos Islands?»
To enter the Galapagos Islands you must consider the following documents:
Being a unique place in the world, this archipelago has many conservation rules that must be followed to avoid any type of sanction (Source: Galapagos National Park).
If you have no idea how to start to get to know Galapagos, in the following link you will find a very useful guide to organize your trip to the islands: What can you do in the Galapagos Islands?
Yes! On the Santa Cruz Island you can find the following banks: Banco del Pacífico, Banco del Pichincha, National Development Bank. Even so, we recommend you always carry cash (small denominations), since the number of ATMs is very small.
It depends a lot on the season and the promotions that airlines usually offer in low seasons and with limited time. But more or less the price of a ticket for a foreigner could range from $ 350 and for a national to $ 200 . Do not forget that these are approximate prices, for more exact values consult your preferred airline.
The only currency that is handled on the islands is the US dollar.
The archipelago has a total of 13 major islands, 9 minor islands and 107 rocks and islets. Within which only 4 islands are populated: Santa Cruz Island, San Cristobal Island, Isabela Island and Floreana Island.
Yes, totally! Galapagos is very safe, yet we recommend you always pay attention to your belongings.
There are 2 ways to travel between the populated islands of Galapagos. The first one is through a small plane with ticket prices close to $ 200. And the second way is through seaboats with ticket prices approximate to $ 30. These are approximate prices, for more exact values once on the island you can approach to any travel agency and request such information.
If you want more help and have more questions that do not appear in this list, do not hesitate to write to the following email: maytenusgalapagos@gmail.com It will be a pleasure to help you!
Maytenus Galapagos is a hostel for families who want to discover Galapagos.
You can find us directly on Airbnb, Booking y TripAdvisor.
We are a family resident in the Galapagos Islands for more than 30 years. We have dedicated most of our lives to the conservation of the archipelago in institutions such as the Galapagos National Park and the Charles Darwin Research Station.
Maytenus Galapagos ®
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