First 4 steps before going to the Galápagos Islands

Before deciding to go to the Galapagos Islands, there are a few things to be taken care of in advance. First, you need to get a transportation card and have the $100 ready for the entrance fee in cash. But otherwise, it won't be so difficult to enter, and you can enjoy this remarkable piece of nature.

How to get there?

The Galapagos can be reached with a cruise ship from the Ecuador coast or a plane. The lowest prices were the flights from Guayaquil to Baltra Airport (the small top island part of the main island Santa Cruz). We first found it a bit complicated because there were many things to do and plan before coming here, especially with the Corona restrictions. I would recommend asking your hotel about the current circumstances, and they should inform you how to prepare.

At the Airport Ecuador

Before going here and getting on your flight, make sure you have a hotel reservation and a return flight ticket. You have to show both there. Arriving at the airport, be a bit earlier than usual because you still need to get the TCT - card. The transportation card is supposed to track your entry and movement on the islands. Ask at the airport for the TCT boot. After waiting in line, we needed to show the Covid-test first, then the documents for the hotel and the flight tickets. They didn't check our health insurance even if we read everywhere that you need to have it. Maybe it is good to prepare your travel insurance papers, just in case. After a few minutes, you have to pay $20 (cash) and get the transfer card.

Now you are ready for the check-in. They will check your TCT and your ticket, and you can enter the flight after the security controls.

Arriving At The Galapagos Airport

Arriving at the airport, you will be led through another security check. After that, you have to go to an officer to pay a $100 entrance fee, also in cash. He checked our passports and hotel address, and that's it. Welcome to the world-famous islands!

Airport To Hotel/ Main island Santa Cruz

The airport is above Santa Cruz on another small island. To reach the main island still takes some time. First, take a bus from the airport to the harbor (cost: $1 Duration: 10min). Second, take a ferry from the harbor to Santa Cruz (cost: $1 Duration: 5min). Third, you have to choose between taking a taxi for $25 in total or taking a bus for $5 per person to Puerto Ayora, the capital of Santa Cruz.

Going from one island to another one

If you are already at the main island of Santa Cruz, it is worth exploring the neighboring islands. You can either ask your hotel, most of them have their offers and tour packages, or you go to the harbor to one of the ticket stations. It is easy to find, and multiple tour agencies offer boat rides to every island. Due to the long-lasting boat rides, though, that take around 3 hours, it is recommended to stay at least two nights at the other island to have some time to relax from the ride and to explore. Also, the boats would start and arrive later than the usual schedule most of the time.

Prices on the Islands

As rumors say, it is more pricy on the islands compared to Ecuador. Still, it depends if you eat out or cook for yourself. The restaurants close to the beach offer expensive touristic food and cocktails. However, if you follow side roads more into the city center, you will find local restaurants where you can order a plate of food with juice for around $ 5, which is a reasonable price looking at the amount and quality of the food. Hostels, hotels, AirBnBs are also more expensive, and it was challenging to find good WiFi connections for online work. My phone data worked better in the city center than the WiFi in the hotel.

Not enough? Check out more exciting posts about the Galapagos Islands right here!