Galapagos Land-Based trip with kids (6&8)
For a long time, the Galapagos felt completely out of reach because I thought it was only possible to visit by booking incredibly expensive cruises. I could not have been more wrong. It is so much easier to plan and cheaper than expected, yet it easily became one of our favorite destinations of all time.
We did a land-based trip from May 19 to June 1. Overall, I was thrilled with our itinerary and wouldn’t change much! Here is the breakdown of our route, daily activities, and accommodation reviews.
The Route & Logistics
Quito (3 nights): Flew in here first before heading to the islands.
Santa Cruz (3 nights): Took a 7:00 AM flight from Quito.
Isabela (3 nights): Took the morning ferry from Santa Cruz.
San Cristóbal (4 nights): Flew directly from Isabela to San Cristóbal to save an entire day on transfers. Flew home from here.
Island-by-Island Breakdown
Santa Cruz
Activities: Visited Los Gemelos and El Chato on the way from the airport. Did Tortuga Bay the next day, followed by the Charles Darwin Research Station and Las Grietas on our final day.
Where we stayed: An Airbnb right by the entrance to the Tortuga Bay trail. It was great—clean, nicely decorated, very spacious, and highly recommended.
Isabela
Activities: Rented bikes and rode out to the Wall of Tears. Did the Los Túneles tour (with Agora Tours) and hiked Sierra Negra (also with Agora). In between, we hit Playa de la Concha and the flamingo lagoon.
Where we stayed: Casa de Marita. Right on the beach and perfectly located within easy walking distance to the pier, Concha de Perla, and the town center.
San Cristóbal
Activities: Mostly just relaxed. Spent time at Playa Mann, Playa Punta Carola, and Tijeretas (visited twice).
Highlands Tour: Took a taxi tour (recommended by our hotel) to El Junco Lagoon, the Giant Tortoise Breeding Center, and Puerto Chino Beach.
Where we stayed: Hotel Pimampiro. The owners were absolutely amazing, but it was a bit too far up the hill for our liking. Taxis are dirt cheap at $2 per ride, but I still would have preferred to stay closer to the center.
What We Skipped (and Why)
I originally planned to do Kicker Rock and the 360° Tour, but we decided to pass on both. The waves were pretty rough during our stay, and several tours were being canceled anyway. Kicker Rock made me a bit nervous due to the open ocean conditions and strong currents. Plus, spending an entire day on a choppy boat with kids didn't sound appealing. No regrets on skipping them!
Feel free to ask any questions
Because videos say more than a thousand words, I’ll try sharing a quick reel from Isabela in the comments. I originally wanted to add it directly, but my post kept getting deleted