Island Hopping from Puerto Ayora

Multi-day travel from Puerto Ayora is mostly land-based island hopping. There is no single standard multi-day package out of town, so the usual plan is to sleep on one island at a time and cross between them by fast boat. Cruises are a separate way to see the archipelago, and this page covers the stay-on-land alternative, including pre- and post-cruise time on Santa Cruz.

The three-island circuit

Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz), Puerto Villamil (Isabela) and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (San Cristóbal) are linked by speedboats called lanchas.

  • Puerto Ayora to Isabela: about 2 hours.
  • Puerto Ayora to San Cristóbal: about 2 to 2.5 hours.
  • Fares: roughly USD 25 to 35 per crossing.
  • Departures: reported around 07:00 and 14:00, though older sources say 15:00. Confirm at the dock.

Arrive about 30 minutes early for the luggage inspection. The boats are fast, open-sea speedboats and the crossing can be rough, so take seasickness tablets. Isabela charges non-nationals a separate visitor fee of about USD 10.

What each stop offers

Isabela. Anchors here are the Tintoreras islet, the Los Humedales wetlands and Sierra Negra. As elsewhere in the national park, protected sites need a licensed operator and a guide.

San Cristóbal. The crossing from Puerto Ayora lands at Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, which gives you a second base for island visits.

Santa Cruz. Before or after a cruise, a few days in the highlands near Santa Rosa lets you see the tortoise reserves of El Chato and Rancho Primicias unhurried. They sit 30 to 45 minutes from Puerto Ayora, and entry is about USD 10 with a guide.

Planning a multi-day trip

Specific multi-day tour operators are best compared directly, because each sets its own itinerary, price and group size. Ask for the full schedule, what park fees and transfers are included, and which guides are licensed. Fares and boat times change, so treat the figures here as a starting point.

Allow for these costs and rules:

  • The Galápagos National Park entry fee is currently USD 200 for most foreign adults, in cash on arrival at the island airport. Check the park’s official schedule.
  • The Transit Control Card is about USD 20 per traveller and is issued before departure from Quito or Guayaquil.
  • Fresh fruit, vegetables, seeds, unpasteurised dairy and live animals cannot be brought in. Luggage is inspected at the mainland airport and on arrival.

Arriving from the airport

Many visitors land on Baltra. An airport bus takes you to the Itabaca Channel for about USD 5 in around 10 minutes, a ferry crosses for about USD 1, and then a public bus (USD 2.50 to 5) or a taxi (USD 20 to 30) reaches Puerto Ayora. Allow 1 to 1.25 hours from the channel.

Safety

Check current government advice before you travel. The islands sit outside the mainland areas named in UK advice for Ecuador .

Read more: day trips from Puerto Ayora covers single-day outings, and activities in Puerto Ayora covers what to do between crossings.

Sources: Galápagos governing council and the National Park Directorate . Compare places to stay on Booking.com .