Going to Galapagos – Step by Step

We’re going to the Galapagos!

…I exclaimed, quickly booking our lodging on Santa Cruz Island. Santa Cruz is the activity hub of the Galapagos, that is, ferries to the other Islands originate from here we so made that our first stop.

OMG is my second reaction…

As I received an email from our lodging with a long list of “how to get here.” What? I thought we’d just fly in like we do most everywhere else and take a taxi, but that is not the case when going to the Galapagos. You fly in and luggage is inspected. Then, a bus is waiting for you; next, there is a ferry. Finally, you have a choice of either a nice l-o-n-g bus ride or private transport to your lodging in Puerto Ayora. I was not looking forward to schlepping our carry on luggage and backpack all over creation. But I digress; one thing at a time.

Before you get to the Galapagos, you must already have lodging. If you’d like to try Airbnb, here is our video showing the criteria we use when selecting a unit. This trip to Galapagos is on a budget, just like when we went to Moorea and Bora Bora.

We recommend reading Five Free Things to do on Santa Cruz Island and you’ll be good to go upon arrival.

There are no International flights to the Galapagos!

You must first fly into Ecuador, either to Quito or Guayaquil. Since all Quito flights stop in Guayaquil, we opted for the direct flight from Guayaquil to Baltra. Baltra (also known as South Seymour) is a small, flat, arid Island located in the middle of the Galapagos. It is one of only two airports in the Galapagos and is the one that serves most arrivals.

A huge sign greets us…

as we enter the airport reminding us that you need $20 each (cash or credit card) for your Transit Control Card or TCT. (The acronym makes sense when you realize in Spanish its a “Tarjeta de Control de Transito!”) I am literally reading the aforementioned arrival instructions as we go along. The printout includes reference to an online application where you can then pick up your TCT at the migration-center.

However, we’ve been traveling far too long to choose that option. Things often don’t go as planned when traveling (this should come as no surprise) and we didn’t want to end up with a TCT card lost in cyberspace. Here is the link if you’d like to give it a try.

With boarding passes in hand,

we scan the airport for our next step. “Look at that long line at counter #37!” (This is the correct counter in the Guayaquil airport) Aha! A separate location to pay our $20 and get that all-important TCT. You MUST keep your TCT as you will need it to exit the Islands. We also see a secondary sign that says we are going nowhere without our TCT, our roundtrip ticket (that’s right – no hiding out in the Galapagos) proof of travel insurance and evidence of lodging. (Make sure you have these things BEFORE going to the airport!)

Fortunately, we have all these things although, honestly, no one is asking us for them. I would not be so foolish, however, to think they never ask!

So far so good. Once we have our TCT’s our next stop is a line for luggage inspection by the Galapagos ABG Biosecurity Control and Regulation Agency which is nearby. This is to prevent the introduction of any invasive species. Jack takes our luggage over and comes back with green tags on each of our suitcases. We are good to go!

Touchdown! We are finally in the Galapagos!

Flight time is 2 to 3 hours depending on your departure location. During your flight, don’t be surprised when they open the overhead bins and spray. This is another effort to prevent the introduction of any invasive species.

“Do you have our $200?” is my first question for Jack as we arrive. Once you get to Baltra, you must show your TCT and pay the $100 CASH entrance fee to the Galapagos National Park. (Over 12 is $100, under 12 is $50.) Yes, Cash. Do not try to pay with a credit or debit card.

You can take your time deplaning.

For ecological reasons, there is no baggage conveyor belt at the Baltra Airport. We learned later that it is the world’s first “green” airport and that it opened in December 2012. As our luggage is unloaded into an open-air room we are directed to stand off to the side. We do so quietly, curious to see if anyone has been so foolish as to import drugs in their suitcase but the Anti-Drug sniffing dog gives everyone the “all clear.”

I am now in paragraph 6 of the 9 paragraph printout which describes how to get to our lodging. “Go to the bus stop outside the terminal and buy a ticket.” $5 cash each. “Yes!” I announce jubilantly. We are getting closer!

The bus is waiting.

The correct bus to reach Santa Cruz is the one to Canal de Itabaca. We store our luggage in the luggage compartment then hop aboard. Thankfully, it’s only a short 7-minute bus ride to the Canal which separates Baltra from Santa Cruz. If I was a good swimmer and didn’t have luggage, I could probably just swim to Santa Cruz, the canal is that narrow.

We grab our luggage and run down the boat ramp. The ferry cost is $1 each. The crew loads our luggage on the roof and off we go. Don’t panic. We didn’t see any fall off into the canal.

We are finally on Santa Cruz!

The distance from the Canal to Puerto Ayora (the hub of Santa Cruz) is 26 miles. Buses are there to take passengers into Puerto Ayora for only $3 but it’s a 45-60 minute ride. All taxis in the Galapagos are white pickups – you’ll also see several of these waiting at the dock. They will transport you for $25.

This is where the “budget-wise” philosophy of our travels comes into play. We decide that an hour on a bus with no A/C is not worth it despite the small price tag and choose a taxi. If you’re inclined to immediately make new friends, most taxis take up to four people. You can save $$ by splitting the cost. You can also ask your host at your lodging if they have a driver as many do. In this case, there will be a transport driver with your name on a placard.

About 40 minutes later, we are at our hostel and a short time after that – well, take a look at the picture below. That was our first order of business!

We spent 10 days in the Galapagos,

exploring by “Island hopping” to Isabela and San Cristobal. Future blog posts will include our impressions and recommendations of our time there.

In the meantime, if you have any questions about exploring these Islands or would like to contribute to the post, please do so in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you and we hope you found this blog post helpful.

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Most importantly, don’t let money, lack of knowledge, or fear stop you from traveling or traveling longer. As Global Lifestyle Specialists, our mission is to share our experience to turn whatever fears or apprehensions you have, into fun!