99% of travelers planning their Galapagos trip ask the same question: “Which islands are best?” The biggest comparison in question is between the western and eastern islands.
While it is the most commonly asked question, it is one that does not have a good answer. The honest-to-goodness truth is that both sides of the islands are equally amazing, and you will be hard-pressed to find an itinerary that will not give you a fantastic overall experience.
If you consult the lists created by the experts, you’ll find the same islands make an appearance on their “top islands” lists: Isabela, Fernandina, Genovesa, Espanola and Floreana. You’ll find some others that make an appearance here and there, but these five dominate overall. The one thing that these islands all have in common is that they are the outliers; these islands are the farthest south, west and north in the archipelago. Any five-day itinerary you can find will typically have at least one of these islands included, and any eight-day itinerary generally has two or three of them.
Unless you are someone who is an extreme birder, or who has some “must-see” creature that can only be found on one island, ANY itinerary will do! The quintessential, most sought after creatures in the islands (sea lions, blue-footed boobies, tortoises, frigate birds, sally light foot crabs, iguanas, sharks, turtles and finches) can be found in all corners of the national park, so any direction you choose to travel will be fantastic.
The one big wildlife difference that stands out would be the birds. While most can be found throughout the islands, you can only see the waved albatross on Espanola (in the southeast), and you can only find the flightless cormorant on Fernandina/Isabela (in the west). If these two birds do not make a difference to you, you can relax and choose the ship, dates or budget that fit you best, rather than getting caught up in the islands your cruise will visit. After all, everyone who has been to the islands swears that the area they visited was “the best” – and they are all correct!
What made our Costa Rica experience great was the wonderful places we stayed and transportation to get to our different areas to visit was excellent! The white water rafting and the snorkeling & dolphin watching were really fun!
Michell Murphy
1 day ago
I received a quick and friendly response from my contact, Christina Mayo, both in email and phone calls. My request for information was provided in less than a day. She took a few minutes to chat about family and events. Dealing with her has always been a pleasure!
Mary Ann
2 days ago
First class all the way. Enjoyed our Guide, Karla, Driver Mark so much. Personalized tour of Antigua during Easter was like a National Geographic in person. Trip of the Lifetime. Such a spiritual and magical tour. Many Thanks.
Ben Shaver
Ben Shaver, Jr.
4 days ago
Adventure Life is always an excellent choice when planning complicated, extreme, or exotic vacations or expeditions. They provide friendly professional services and advice and are enthusiastic and encouraging in helping us to prepare and thoroughly enjoy our trip. They handle all the details which greatly reduces the stress of planning a difficult trip. I'm very impressed with Adventure Life and definitely recommend them to friends and family.
Scott Trochim
6 days ago
The response from Adventure Life to my first inquiry was prompt and promising. I worked with Jamie Broeckel, Trip Planner, via text, email, and phone calls- always extremely responsive and thorough with information and explaining the process to arrange a private tour for me to Malaysia Borneo. Within about week, the booking was complete and I made decisions because of Jamie's great customer service , friendly manner, and overall competence on behalf of the company's travel expertise. Now I have an itinerary, additional Trip Planner Assistants, several links for vital information for traveling to Maylasia, etc. Still many details for Sept. trip, but now the heavy lifting is done and I can enjoy the rest of the anticipation and research!! Thanks Jamie- you are amazing!!!!