DIY Galapagos Backpacking
Visiting the Galpagos has always been a dream of mine, as a biologist, everyone is aware of the impact these tiny islands has on Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution. Plus, after binge-watching nature documentaries my whole life, the Galapagos seems like a relatively untouched nature-paradise, where animals and humans live in harmony, with as little negative impact on the environment as possible.
I was excited for the land animals, but the main reason for my excitement was the underwater wildlife. Galapagos is known as a shark paradise, with almost all surrounding waters being protected, including both the shallow reef, and deeper waters in the region, as they are in the migratory path of many species, as well as the breeding ground and nurseries (in the mangroves) for things like hammerheads and Galapagod sharks. I was prepared for a shark-tastic trip!
Initially, I had imagined that a trip to Galapagos would be very exclusive, very expensive and potentially very difficult to travel, but during my research and planning, it seemed apparent that this is not the case at all. There are public ferries between the inhabited islands, and lots of free activities/beaches to visit from each, without the need to book a full liveaboard or inclusive daytrip.
A few of the places I wanted to visit, like the iconic double beach image of the Galapagos, were a little further away, so I would have to book daytrips and separate boats for these, but the rest of the trip seemed relatively easy, and not so expensive afterall 🙂
I flew from Quito to Santa Cruz island – well, technically to Baltra Island, so on landing you have to take a quick public bus to the narrow channel connecting Baltra island to Santa Cruz island, then a ferry boat over the channel, and on the other side you can take a taxi pretty easily (and cheaply) to the main town, Puerto Ayora.
Landing on Baltra was stunning, the azure waters are SO BLUE and clear, and the landscapes are just incredibly dramatic, other-worldly really… Plus, in the bus to the channel I immediately saw some of the Baltra Land Iguanas! I hadn’t even checked-in to the hotel yet!
After the ferry, we were dropped on the other side, I had read that you could easily find pick-up truck taxis to take you on the approx. 1 hour journey across the island to the main town of Puerto Ayora. A man approached me, he was already taking a group of 3 girls who had booked a tour and he had 1 space left he would give me for $5, (it’s supposed to be around $15pp) so I of course said yes, and shared the ride with 2 irish and 1 british women.
The road was really cool, SUPER straight with the dramatic volcanic landscape on both sides, we drove past craters, and the occasional giant tortoise, which we stopped a couple of times to take photos of.
The guy dropped me in the centre of town and I walked to Hostel Estrella de Mar which had a private ensuite apartment for £50 a night, with an INCREDIBLE sea view and balcony. I didn’t expect to find this kind of value on the Islands. But I loved my little place as it was right in the centre of town, walking distance to the bars and restaurants, but was the only place I saw (bar the all inclusive luxury resorts) with a sea view this stunning!
It was the late afternoon, so I decided to spend the rest of the day exploring the local area, I walked into town, saw the harbour-front and open fish market – which was FULL of sealions, marine iguanas, pelicans and other sea birds. The locals really do just mix with the wildlife here, there is no fear (on either side) just lots of mutual respect… Galapagos is a great example of humans being “a part” of nature, not separate (or above) of it.
I continued walking along the coast and visited the Charles Darwin museum and Research Centre, where I learned about the delicate ecosystem of these islands, including introduced parasites which harm the native birds, and unfortunately human-introcued predators, such as rats and cats… but overall it was a postive story, only 4 of the islands are inhabited, so the majority are coping well, and new genetic profiling initiatives are allowing the researchers to stem the extinction of some the giant tortoise populations by selective breeding of species who have cross-bred – bascially to restore their original genotype. It was quite fascinating.
I even saw the famous “Lonesome George” reportedly the last of his species (Pinta Island Tortoises), he sadly passed away in 2012, but his body remains on display.
I had some dinner at a lovely little sushi place which was very popular, but had great vegan options too, then got an early night ready to explore these incredible islands more the next day.
Watch my video below to see more!
