5 Things to Love About the Galapagos by Boat

When you start looking into a trip to the Galapagos, a couple of paths immediately diverge in the woods. There are three ways to see the islands and its heralded wildlife: by live-board boat, where you sail for about a week on the same vessel; by a land tour, where you island-hop by small ferries or flights on a guided tour and stay at different hotels each night; or via day trips, where you base yourself in one place and pay for experiences a la carte in a do-it-yourself kind of manner.

Having a good time and experiencing the wildlife of the Galapagos is possible by all three methods, although some take more effort than the others. There are five reasons we think traveling by live-board boat is the best way to do it.

For the most part, the best guides in the Galapagos work on live-aboard boats.

All guides that work in the Galapagos must undergo coursework and be certified by the National Park. There were once three tiers of tour guides; today there are two, Class One and Class Two (Two being the highest). The best guides tend to follow the best work, which is why you’ll find mostly Class Two guides onboard cruise vessels.

This is not to insinuate that you will have a crummy guide on day trips and land tours—as mentioned, all guides have to be certified by the National Park—it’s just to say that ships usually scoop up the best of the bunch. Why? The scope of the trip is wider, the pay is often better, and the job offers more consistency and the possibility of larger tips due to working multiple days with the same people (tips tend to be larger when you build relationships with people).

For you, the traveler, a better guide means a better experience.

You avoid staying in the towns, which transports you back in time.

If you decide on land and day tours, it means you’ll be staying in hotels in the populated towns of the Galapagos. While this provides opportunities to socialize, and a peek at local life in the islands, you aren’t going to the Galapagos to experience those things. You’re going for the wildlife, and the more time you spend away from the towns, the more you will see.

The history of the Galapagos, and its charm today, is as a wildlife sanctuary unlike any other on earth. When you come to explore it, you should try to stay as far away from humans as possible.

It’s the path of least resistance—and you’ll see the most.

Many multi-day land tours require you to switch hotels and move your luggage day after day. Day tours allow you to stay put at night, but often waste prime daylight hours in transit to and from the destination on smaller, more crowded vessels. A live-aboard ship provides a different, more-relaxed sailing experience (see below), and will often sail overnight so you wake up in the next location. This means you arrive at popular destinations before the day-trippers, and it also means you go to destinations outside the scope of the land tours and day trips.

Two get two experiences in one.

Speaking of sailing, that aspect of taking a cruise—the fact that you island-hop via the water—should not be overlooked or undervalued. Even on the most basic ships, putting your feet up after a day of hiking or snorkeling and sailing between the islands is a treat in itself.

On luxury-class ships, such as the Sea Star Journey, the sailing experience gets even better, with hot tubs and lounges atop the vessel to help you recharge along the way. Remember that you will also be eating meals aboard the ship, all of which are prepared by a professional chef. Not only does this give you the fuel to explore, it leaves you free to relax and focus on the enjoyment of the trip. No need to make plans for lunch or dinner or research restaurants.

It doesn’t have to be so expensive.

A lot of people pass on live-aboard boats because of the expense that comes with them—retail price can be a couple thousand per person for an economy boat, and luxury vessels average $4,000 or more for a week-long cruise. That’s expensive anyway you slice it, and many people feel they can make better use of that budget, or simply travel cheaper, by utilizing day tours and staying in hotels or hostels.

Sure, that’s definitely possible, and definitely rational, but if the price is the only hang-up, don’t give up just yet. Those interested in taking a cruise but find themselves with a limited budget can take advantage of last-minute sales offered by most cruise lines. This requires flexibility and spontaneity, but it can result in a super deal.

Best attempted in low season, prospective travelers should research boats and their prices and then show up a day before they are supposed to set sail (itineraries are easily found online and boats are constantly coming and going). If there are vacancies on the boat, which there usually are in low season, you can negotiate a last-minute price discount of significant nature, sometimes 10, 25, or 50 percent off—depending on how many people in your party and how savvy you are at negotiating. Many people take advantage of this because they have nothing to lose. If they don’t get the deal they want or need, they can simply carry on with their do-it-yourself day tour plan.

If You Go:

If you're sold on the Galapagos, you might want help planning your trip. Montana-based Austin Adventures focuses on adventurous family trips around the world, and the company arranges and organizes several itineraries in the Galapagos, including voyages aboard the Sea Star, and other land and sea-based trips. From selecting and creating an itinerary to flight booking and on the ground support, Austin Adventures can help bridge the gap between you and the Galapagoes.