Channel Button

There are 9 articles on this title. You are reading the article ranked and rated #2 by Helium's members.

Travel   >

South & Central America

Get a Widget for this title

How to enjoy the Galapagos Islands at any time of the year

Made famous by Charles Darwin, the 'father of evolution', the Galapagos Islands offer an unmatched opportunity to get close to wildlife, in its natural, largely unspoilt habitat. Sea lions frolic in the waves, urging you to join them in their bodysurfing antics. Albatross couples act out elaborate courtship dances, their beaks clacking in a bizarrely humourous percussion, before hurling themselves off the cliffs in order to get airborne. Iguanas bask in the early morning sunlight, piled on rocks and on cliffs, seemingly oblivious of you and each other, like a dump site for prehistoric gargoyles. Snorkelers swim alongside seals and the occasional, benign, shark, as well as schools of shimmering fish and even turtles.

It's a short flight from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos Islands. We met serious scientists and amateur animal lovers alike. If you can, travel on a small boat and get up as early as possible to catch the animals and birds at their most relaxed, welcoming the morning sun on days which can be chilly even in the summer. The early start gets you ahead of the cruise boat crowds too, and keeps people out of the amazing photos you'll see only too often. But, even if you do go with a large group, and no matter what time of year, you will have close encounters that will take your breath away. Baby seals lie curled on the sand, unperturbed by either you or your camera. Blue footed boobies hover over their fluffy chicks inches away. The world's oldest tortoises lumber across the rocks to you. Time stands still.

It's possible to enjoy the Galapagos Islands from a lodge on one of the islands but, since every island is home to unique species, the best way is to move from island to island by boat. The boats vary from almost primitive to quite luxurious and you get what you pay for. The fee charged for visiting the islands pays for conservation and preservation, as well as training the expert guides who will show you round. Ours knew a huge amount, but treated us like naughty school children and we nicknamed him Ivan the Terrible.

Because the Galapagos Islands are on the Equator, summer and winter seem interchangeable. You can start the day in jeans and a sweater, lounge on the beach watching the sealions play tag with your kids all afternoon, and bundle up for hot chocolate with your fellow travellers in the evening. You meet people from all over the world in the Galapagos but the language barrier disappears when you're all marvelling at the miracles of nature abundant around you.

Learn more about this author, Stevie Zimmerman.
Contact this writer Click here to send this author comments or questions.


Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

How to enjoy the Galapagos Islands at any time of the year

  • 1 of 9

    by Eileen Swee Lian Goh

    THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS

    Located in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, 973 kilometers off the west coast of Equador in South America,

    read more

  • 2 of 9

    by Stevie Zimmerman

    Made famous by Charles Darwin, the 'father of evolution', the Galapagos Islands offer an unmatched opportunity to get close

    read more

  • 3 of 9

    by Bar De Ness

    "Now look here young chap", the captain said to me as I disembarked the ship, "Don't go poking your nose around where it's

    read more

  • 4 of 9

    by Jessica Kuzmier

    The whole concept of a "bucket list" has become popular since the movie with Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman. Ironically,

    read more

  • 5 of 9

    by Anne Penny

    "The Galapagos isn't that where Darwin ? Hey, perhaps we'll discover a new species!"

    That's my daughter's response, when the

    read more

View All Articles on:
How to enjoy the Galapagos Islands at any time of the year

Add your voice

Know something about How to enjoy the Galapagos Islands at any time of the year?
We want to hear your view. Write_penWrite now!

91857

Featured Partner

A Day of Hope

A Day of Hope has partnered with Helium, giving you the chance to write for a cause. Browse A Day of Hope's fea...more

What is Helium? | Buy Web Content | Contact Us | Privacy | User agreement | DMCA | User Tools | Help | Community | Helium’s Official Blog | Link to Helium

Helium, Inc.
200 Brickstone Square Andover, MA 01810 USA