My Galapagos Trip Travel Tips

This past August, I was fortunate enough to travel to Ecuador to visit the Galapagos Islands. On my way to the Galapagos, I made a quick stop in Quito. This was my first time traveling to South America and I wanted to get the most out of my adventure. All my travel plans, such as tickets, hotel stays, transfers, meals, guides…etc., were secured thanks to Metropolitan Touring. Here is how my adventures started…

Day One started off with my arrival in Quito. A representative from Metropolitan Touring was waiting for me at the airport, ready to take me to Casa Gangotena where I would be staying for two nights. The representative, who would also be my tour guide the next day, was friendly and courteous. The representative was a local from Quito and was knowledgeable about the city and the people in the city. Day one ended with my arrival to the hotel, which is an amazing hotel! The staff was welcoming and helpful! The hotel also had amazing roof top terrace with a wonderful view of the plaza and church.

The second day started with a tour around the city. Some of the most notable places I visited during my stay was the Virgin of Quito and the Historic Center. The Virgin of Quito, also known as " Virgin of El Panecillo" is a giant statue located at a hilltop that overlooks the city. After visiting the statue, we headed back to the main center of the city. From there the tour guide took me on a walk around the city and we visited El Mercado Municipal San Francisco, which is a market where locals visit to buy fresh fruits and meats. We then visited the city’s independence square. Due to a lack of time, I wasn’t able to visit many of the places I had on my list, but because I loved the city I will be back again someday!

The third day started early Monday morning, as I packed up my things to head back to the airport to catch my flight to the Galapagos Island. After a few hours of traveling, I landed on the Galapagos Islands a little after 1pm. The first thing I noticed upon arriving was how peaceful it was compared to Quito. The tour guide picked us up from the airport and we started the trip with lunch and end the day with a visit to the Charles Darwin Research facility. I got the opportunity to see the famous Galapagos tortoises!

The fourth day started with a boat ride to the Santa Fe Island. Upon landing, we were greeted by sea lions and blue footed booby. After the morning walk, I went on my first kayaking experience. It was amazing! We ended the day with another walk on the South Plaza Island.

The fifth day started with another morning walk on North Seymour Island where we saw more blue footed booby, hawks, and other types of bird whose names I can’t remember. After the morning walk, I went snorkeling and got the opportunity to see amazing sea creatures, such as King angelfish, Yellowtail Surgeonfish, marble rays, and much more! The day ended with another afternoon walk where we also spotted some flamingos.

The sixth day was probably the most exciting because as we were headed to our morning hike, the tour guide spotted a group of dolphins swimming in the open sea. The tour guide instructed the boat operator to make a detour and join the dolphins. It was amazing! There were at least 20 dolphins and some them were jumping out of the water. After our detour, we headed to Bartolome Island for our morning hike up the island to get an amazing view of Pinnacle Rock. After the hike, as we were headed back to the ship, we saw penguins at the edge of the island and made our way to get a closer look. The Sixth days walk was probably my favorite day. The day ended with an afternoon walk on the lava field.

The Galapagos Island was an amazing experience, filled with a lot of unforgettable memories. The people in Quito were very friendly, the staff at Casa Gangotena were ready to answer any questions and the staff in the cruise ship in the Galapagos Islands were amazing! Metropolitan Touring provided me with an amazing and unforgettable experience, and I will think of them the next time I want to plan another trip to Ecuador. I will forever be grateful to Vincent Vacations for allowing me to experience this once in a lifetime adventure.