Ecuador’s famous Galapagos Islands are best known for their incredible wildlife. At Destination Ecuador, we want your first experience on arrival to be able to get up close and personal with some of the Islands’ fantastic animals, so on our unique, land-based Galapagos trips, our first activity has you diving right into water activities.

After you arrive at Baltra airport (one of the world’s ‘greenest’ airports, according to CNN), you will visit the airport’s VIP lounge where you will have a chance to get a cool drink, change into your swimming clothes and lather on some sunscreen. You will then transfer to Santa Cruz Island where you will board your boat for water activities!

You will have the chance to snorkel, kayak and stand up paddleboard in the pristine turquoise waters of the Itabaca Channel that separates Baltra and Santa Cruz. Your expert guide will determine the order of the water activities based on ocean currents and weather. You’ll have the chance to see all sorts of marine life, fantastic Galapagos birds and learn about the mangrove forest ecosystem.

On our most recent visit to the Channel, we saw white-tipped reef sharks, green turtles, countless colorful tropical fish, blue-footed boobies, brown pelicans and more. We cruised along the tangled mangrove coastline in our kayaks and peered down into the crystal-clear water to see sharks swimming placidly below our boats. There was never a dull moment!

Jumping straight into the water not only washes the travel away, it inspires immediate awe – the wildlife is as fearless and interesting as you’ve heard! It’s the perfect introduction to the Galapagos.

If you’d like to learn more about our land-based adventures, take a look through our website, or email our sales team for detailed
itineraries.