Itinerary
- Quito: Old Town
- Guyaquil
- Other Ecuador attractions
- +++Galapagos
- Santa Cruz: Puerto Ayora (hotels, Tortuga Bay, airport to mainland)
- ++Bartolome Island (most photographed island, a day trip from Santa Cruz): volcanic rock formations, Playa Dorada, penguins, sea lions, iguanas, Pinnacle Rock, 365-step staircase
- Santiago Island (day trip from Santa Cruz): coastal trail from Puerto Egas to Fur Seal Caves, Sullivan Bay (day trip here from Santa Cruz or combine with Bartolome)
- Rabida Island (day trip from Santa Cruz): red beach (near Santiago Island)
- +Isabela: whales, dolphins, penguins, tortoises, cormorants, Sierra Negra Volcano (second largest active crater in the world), Tagus Cove and Darwin Lake, hike to Sierra Negra volcano crater, boat to Las Tintoreras (marine iguanas and penguins) Elizabeth Bay, Puerto Villamil (very few hotels, airport only for local flights)
- San Cristobal: Kicker Rock, Punta Pitt, Cerro Brujo, La Galapaguera, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, El Junco lake, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (hotels, airport to mainland)
- +Espanola Island (remote location, long trip from San Cristobal): boat to Punta Suarez (blowhole and birds), albatross, blue-footed boobies, lava lizard
- Fernandina Island (remote location): cormorans, penguins, iguanas
- Genovesa Island (remote location): birds
Peru
- Lima: Plaza Grau, Catedral, Arcivescovado, Palacio de Gobierno, +S Domingo, ++S Francisco, S Pedro, ++Museo de Oro
- Cuzco: Plaza de Almas, Compania de Jesus, +Catedral, Mercede, +S Domingo/ Qorikancha, Plaza de S Blas
- Tampumachai
- Qenko
- ++Saqsa
- +Ollaytatambo
- +++Machu Picchu
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Notes
Trip difficulty: easy to moderate
Length: 20 days
Season: Year-round
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Links:
- Galapagos (2024). Visiting the Galapagos is not cheap. There are two fees to pay, one cheap but complicated and one expensive but easy: 1. the INGALA Galapagos Transit Control Card (you can pre-register here but you will still need to pick up the tourist card in person at an INGALA office in Quito or Guayaquil airport and pay the fee in person) ($20 per person as of 2024) and 2. the Galapagos National Park Entrance Fee upon arrival at the Galapagos National Park entrance desk on arrival ($200 per person and cash only and US dollars only). The entrance to the park keeps skyrocketing (it doubled in 4 years) because there seems to be no limit to what tourists are willing to pay, so it is likely to increase rapidly in the coming years.
- Galapagos (2024). There are two airlines flying to the islands: LATAM and Avianca. Each airline operates morning flights daily from Quito via Guayaquil to Baltra Island and also San Cristobal Island Galapagos has three airports: Baltra (GPS), a one hour trip from Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz Island, San Cristobal (SCY), 10 kms from the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno in San Cristobal Island, and Isabela. Isabela is only for domestic flights from Baltra and San Cristobal, whereas Baltra and San Cristobal have flights to Quito and Gayaquil.
- Galapagos (2024). The only "pro" of taking a cruise is that cruise ships travel at night so you can reach distant islands during a short stay. The "con" is that you have to deal with dozens or hundreds of tourists boarding and disembarking at each stop. And it can very expensive too. If you want to organize your own visit via day trips, these can be arranged in Puerto Ayora (the main town in Santa Cruz Island) and San Cristobal, with a lot more options in Santa Cruz. There are ferries at 7 AM and 3 PM for USD $30 - $40 one way from Puerto Ayora to San Cristobal and Isabela (2 hours each way). Several companies in Puerto Ayora organize day tours to other islands, generally leaving at 7 – 8 AM and returning at 3 – 6 PM (from $180 to $290 a day).
- Peru page
- Pictures
- Chronological table of the ancient civilizations of Peru
- Geographic map of the ancient civilizations of Peru
- Map of Galapagos Islands
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