Field notes from the islands: what the day boats are actually like, what the park fee pays for, which animals show up when, and where the money goes.
2026-08-04
The two-metre rule puts wildlife closer than a telephoto can focus, drones are banned outright, and the boat schedule delivers you to every site in hard midday light. What actually works for photographs here, phone included.
2026-08-03
Ecuador has had marriage equality since July 2019 and constitutional protection from discrimination on sexual orientation. What that means in practice on small islands, small boats and small hotels, including where the law still falls short.
2026-07-30
Shared day boats make land-based Galapagos travel social by default, while cruise single supplements punish solo travellers hard. Real costs for one person, the safety picture in the three towns, and how to structure a solo week.
2026-07-28
A 2.5 km paved trail from Puerto Ayora, no guide, no ticket, marine iguanas on the sand and a calm lagoon at the far end. How to do Tortuga Bay properly and when to go instead of paying for a boat.
2026-07-21
Mobile signal covers the three port towns and almost nothing else. Why hotel wi-fi crawls, whether an eSIM beats a local SIM, how many hours a day boat leaves you offline, and why that turns out to be the good part.
2026-07-18
The entrance fee doubled to $200 in August 2024, and the $20 transit card is separate. What each charge covers, how it is collected on arrival, and an honest look at whether it is money well spent.
2026-07-09
Quito flights usually stop in Guayaquil anyway, which makes this a question about altitude, airport transfers and what you want from a stopover rather than about the flight itself.
2026-07-09
Isabela's volcano holds one of the largest basaltic calderas on earth, around 10km across, and the guided hike costs roughly a third of a Santa Cruz boat day. What the trail is like, why the weather turns, and who should skip it.
2026-07-02
The eroded tuff cone off San Cristóbal, the channel between the two rocks, hammerheads and Galapagos sharks, why snorkellers get in easily and divers need experience, and honest expectations about visibility by season.
2026-06-29
Roughly 20,000 to 25,000 across the archipelago today, rebuilt from populations that fell to fifteen adults on one island. The recovery numbers, the February 2026 Floreana release, and where you can actually see them.
2026-06-24
Juveniles are the curious ones, the two-metre rule still applies when the animal comes to you, and a shortie wetsuit matters more than you think from June to November. What snorkelling with Galapagos sea lions is really like, and which day boats deliver it.
2026-06-17
The blue comes from the fish they eat, it fades within days of a bad feeding run, and females read it. How booby feet work, how to tell the three Galapagos species apart, and where to watch the courtship dance.
2026-06-06
Three sets of settlers, two disappearances, two bodies on a waterless islet and one poisoning. What is documented about the 1934 Floreana case, what is only claimed, and what you can see on the island now.