Enchanting Galapagos: 12 Days in a Wildlife Wonderland

Start your journey on Isabela, the largest Galapagos island by far. Stroll to Concha de Perla, the local pier where you can see sea lions galore, iguanas all about, turtles close to shore; even penguins and sharks swimming by.

Visit the Tortoise Breeding Center to view your first giant tortoises. Note: They are not as enormous as you might expect; they're actually more famous for living 100 years or more. (Breaking news: A pair of nearly 100-year-old Galapagos tortoises at the Philadelphia Zoo became first-time parents with four hatchlings April 4, 2025!)

On day two, take the popular Los Tuneles (aka Cabo Rosa) tour where you'll walk upon the lava for your first encounters with boobies. During the boat ride to the lava tunnels, keep an eye out for giant manta rays or mating turtles.

Snorkeling in Cabo Rosa is incredible, especially on a clear day with good visibility. Within a small area, you will swim among gigantic sea turtles, sea lions, sharks, giant lobsters and rays. Because there have been so few predators, the creatures are fearless, resulting in intimate encounters.

On your last day, take a kayak and snorkel trip to nearby Tintoreras, leaving right from the beach at Concha de Perla. Tintoreras is a species of shark and the lava canals here attract reef sharks that mostly doze during the day. Watch for rare tropical penguins darting by.

If you have time, consider a tour to hike Sierra Negra Volcano. Remember, Galapagos is formed by volcanoes that are still active, the most recent eruption was on a small uninhabited island in March, 2024.

Back from your activities, enjoy sunsets on the beach with a tropical drink in hand. Dine on lobster and shrimp in delicious encocado (coconut sauce) at Asado de Anibal or El Cafetal Galápagos.

Today you will ferry 2 1/2 hours over to Santa Cruz. Get to the dock about an hour early to pick preferred seats in the crowded ship.

Though smaller than Isabela, Santa Cruz's main town of Puerto Ayora is much more developed with fun shops and restaurants. Watch fishermen clean up their tuna while sea lions and pelicans await leftovers. (You can buy a fresh whole lobster for $8 a pound and have a restaurant cook it for you!)

There are many day tours to nearby islands; I recommend going on the beautiful Meine Steffi yacht with Guiding Galapagos to Floreana and Pinzon.

At Floreana, take a short hike to Comorant Beach where turtles that recently laid eggs are heading back to sea; and snorkel among the sea lions, sharks and boobies, and get picked up instead of swimming back.

At Pinzon, there are more sharks, lobsters, sea lions, blue footed boobies, plus beautiful schools of fish and the marine iguana, which live only in the Galapagos. Watching one of these tiny Godzillas feeding on algae under the water is a rare sight!

Dine at Almar, at the end of the road by the Darwin turtle station (there's one on each inhabited island) for delicious seafood risotto and lobster with a view of town and sea and playful sea lions. Try any number of small venues for cheap lunches of soup and fish.

For the last part of your Galapagos adventures, board a 5-day cruise from Santa Cruz with stops at Santa Fe, South Plaza Island, San Cristobal (Giant tortoise sanctuary) and Espanola.

Standout excursions will be at gorgeous Cerro Brujo beach at San Cristobal with lots of turtles and sea lions (though snorkeling is not allowed); and premiere site Punta Suárez at Espanola with oodles of waved albatrosses upon the cliffs; boobies with eggs and infants; hawks, sea lions and iguanas. You'll likely have sunset by Kicker Rock, a top diving site, perhaps surrounded by dolphins.

Before heading home, you'll visit the giant tortoises at Charles Darwin Research Station. He came in 1835 and Galapagos' distinctive ecosystem helped shape his theory of evolution. Nearly two centuries later, we can still experience evolution in action in this special archipelago.