When you cruise around the Galápagos Islands, you follow in the footsteps of giants. Not only those of its huge sea turtles and dinosaur-like iguanas that bask on Isabela’s beaches, or the vast albatrosses that fly more than 1,000km to nest on Española – but the father of evolution itself, Charles Robert Darwin. We love every wildlife cruise, but this is a next-level experience: the feeling of being in a real-life Attenborough series will stay with us forever.
On this far-flung Pacific archipelago off South America’s east coast, nature rules the roost. Get ready to snorkel with playful fur seals, explore lagoons full of hot-pink flamingos, and sail to tiny isles which were once infamous for pirates – but are now home to the world’s quirkiest species.
From the giant tortoises on San Cristóbal Island to Fernandina’s bright orange iguanas with punky ‘mohawks’, these locals are like nothing else on Earth. 97% of the reptiles and land mammals are endemic, and more than 80% of the land birds are too.
And it’s a photographer’s paradise! Unthreatened by predators for thousands of years, the Galápagos Islands’ wildlife is literally fearless, so don’t be surprised if a rare blue-footed booby bird or polka-dotted lava lizard comes strutting right up to your camera, making your telephoto lens totally redundant. You’ll try to keep your distance, but those Galápagos penguins have other ideas: waddling across white-sand beaches to see what you’re up to, or bobbing alongside while you’re snorkelling in Santa Fe’s sapphire-blue shallows.
With 13 major islands and more than 60 smaller ones to explore, a cruise ship is, quite literally, the only way to get around the Galápagos Islands – but choose your vessel wisely. Look out for small ships operated sustainably by responsible companies: they’ll get you close to the action without threatening this unique habitat. Imagine spotting bottlenose dolphins leap and surf as you sip your morning espresso, or sailing into the velvet-black night to gaze at the glittering Milky Way. That’s the kind of epic journey we’re talking about.
Thankfully, it’s a far cry from the four-year voyage that Darwin braved in the 1800s, sailing from Plymouth, UK, on HMS Beagle – before finally reaching the islands he called the ‘Land that Time Forgot’. Here, where nature had run wild in pure isolation, the seed of his theory of evolution was planted. The Galápagos Islands not only inspired his greatest work, but changed the world forever – and trust us, your own outlook will never be the same again.
Because how could it be, once you’ve smelt the fishy breath of a humpback whale, spurting up through its blowhole? Or tasted the tangy sea air as you bounce across the waves on a Zodiac, accompanied by a raft of penguins?
You can post a card from Floreana’s Post Office Bay, where sailors once left mail for passing ships, and learn more about local conservation at Santa Cruz’s Charles Darwin Research Station (spoiler alert: the Galápagos Islands are leading the way). Maybe you’ll spy fat sunbathing sea lions as you kayak on Santa Fe’s calm shallows, or hike through San Cristóbal’s Cerro Colorado Reserve to see giant tortoises in the forest – just some of the many adventures on the edge of the world.
Most cruises begin from Baltra Island (a 1.5-hour flight from Ecuador), then flit between isles with names like poetry: Fernandina, whose blue-eyed cormorants swim but don’t fly; Genovesa, where rare booby birds sport scarlet feet; Española, whose Christmas iguanas are striped red and turquoise. Amid the black volcanic rock of the islands themselves, the animals are almost cartoonish – brazen in carnival colours, no need for binoculars.
We don’t only love these cruises for their wild encounters: we also relish the ships’ rich “extra-curricular” activities, with genuine experts hosting on-board lectures, walks, Q&As and more. Again, choosing the right cruise operator is essential: look for those offering a full programme with a generous guide-to-guest ratio (11 passengers per guide is ideal). They’ll assist with everything from framing that perfect photograph, to identifying species and bird-calls. Honestly, their knowledge is incredible!
Remarkably for such a remote destination, there’s no bad time to visit. Whatever the month, there’s always something breathtaking to discover on these isles – whether frigatebirds’ huge balloon-like pouches in April, green sea turtles laying their eggs in January, or migrating minke whales in August.
Yes, Galápagos Islands cruises are far more comfortable than the expeditions of old, but this is still explorers’ territory. Trust us, those memories will always give you goosebumps, and if you’re anything like us you’ll want to visit again and again. Prepare to be amazed, to learn, to gasp, to fill endless camera cards with out-of-this-world photos – and return all the richer, your horizons wider and wilder than ever.
We recommend exploring the Galapagos Islands with Hurtigruten Expeditions, whose small ships, adventurous itineraries and expert guides reveal the magic of this unique archipelago. Cruise Collective members enjoy 10% off cycling cruises with Hurtigruten Expeditions.