Sol y Mar

Family Galapagos

Family Wildlife & Nature + 3 more + 3 more

A wildlife and adventure packed family holiday they won't forget.

11 days

from £6,965 pp

Quito, Haciendas & Galapagos

Classic Wildlife & Nature + 3 more + 3 more

Experience Ecuador's rich culture and history, impressive scenery and unique Galapagos wildlife.

14 days

from £7,490 pp

Wildlife & Nature Off-the-beaten-track + 3 more + 3 more

Peru & Galapagos In-Depth

Peru, Galapagos

The ultimate wildlife adventure through Peru & the Galapagos Islands.

18 days

from £9,995 pp

Wildlife of Ecuador & Galapagos

Wildlife & Nature Cruise + 3 more + 3 more

Wildlife enthusiasts? This one's for you.

14 days

from £10,025 pp

Luxury Galapagos

Romantic Wildlife & Nature + 3 more + 3 more

Discover the spectacular Galapagos Islands in style and comfort.

11 days

from £11,440 pp

Galapagos Island Hopping

Wildlife & Nature Go Local + 3 more + 3 more

Enjoy the best islands in the Galapagos for amazing wildlife.

10 days

from £8,030 pp

Quirky excursions

View all excursions in Galapagos

Las Grietas

‘Las Grietas’ is a fantastic swimming spot that is easily reachable from the town of Puerto Ayora. The name means the ‘crack’ and describes the inviting water-filled crevice in between two tall cliffs. Locals can be seen fearlessly jumping from the cliffs, so it also makes a good people watching spot. To reach the area from central Puerto Ayora take a short water taxi across the port to the Angermeyer Point, and walk towards the signed Finch Bay hotel. From the hotel you continue past a lava-strewn path for five or ten minutes until you reach the area.

Exploring the Galapagos by Kayak

Kayaking is a real treat in the Galapagos, and often can be booked directly from your hotel or will be included as an optional activity during Galapagos cruises. The experience can bring you face to face with curious sea lions and extremely close to surfacing sea turtles without even having to get wet! Galapagos restrictions mean that it is only possible to kayak in certain permitted areas, so do grab the opportunity to try kayaking when offered! Do let us know if this is something that you would like to experience, and we can make sure your boat or hotel includes this option.

Tortoise Reserve

The highlands of Santa Cruz are one of the best places to see giant tortoises in the wild; a tortoise reserve is usually one of the highlights of a Galapagos trip. Often a visit to a reserve will be included within a cruise itinerary, but if you are staying in a hotel during your time on Santa Cruz you may want to arrange this yourselves. El Chato Reserve is part of the National Park and requires you to be accompanied by a guide, whereas at the privately owned Rancho Primicias next to El Chato you can explore by yourselves. It will take about thirty minutes by taxi to reach from Puerto Ayora, so ask in your hotel if you’d like to arrange a visit.

Puerto Ayora

With its 12,000 residents, the town of Puerto Ayora is a surprise to many who would expect the Galapagos to be home to flora and fauna alone. If it wasn’t for the swooping pelicans, diving blue-footed boobies and bobbing marine iguanas at every turn, you could be forgiven for mistaking it for any small coastal South American town. Even though the town is fairly touristy, it still an attractive relaxed spot to explore on foot. Along with the string of souvenir shops that line the main drag, the town is also home to a wide array of restaurants producing some of the best food you’ll find in the Galapagos. The main area to explore is the waterfront Avenue Charles Darwin and surrounding off shoot roads, where you’ll find the majority of the restaurants and shops. If you continue walking along this road with the ocean on your right you’ll reach the town’s main attraction, the Charles Darwin Research Centre. This is where you can learn more about the scientists and volunteers who are helping to preserve the Galapagos, as well as get the chance to see some tortoises including some babies in incubators. In total it will take you 20 minutes to walk from the main port. It is well signed, but do ask the friendly locals for directions if you need assistance.

Exploring the Galapagos on Foot

Don't forget to bring your walking shoes - exploring by foot is often the best way to experience the diverse Galapagos flora and fauna. There are many dedicated nature trails throughout the islands, some can be taken independently while for others you must be accompanied by a dedicated naturalist guide. Trails and paths vary from gentle strolls through mangroves and cacti forests to the more challenging ascents to spectacular look out points. All activity can be classed as gentle to moderate - the most strenuous is the caldera hike to Sierra Negra on Isabela. The main thing these trails have in common is that you are very likely to be bombarded with phenomenal wildlife sightings, whether its stepping over tangles of lazing land lizards or tip-toeing around nests of red-footed boobies!