Practical Information For Your Visit To The Galapagos Islands
Entrance
Every foreign visitor has to pay 100 Dollars when arriving to the Islands, that have to be paid cash on the arrival at the airports of Baltra or San Cristóbal. They don't accept credit cards or traveller's cheques, also old or creased banknotes are refused. Don't lose your entrance ticket because this will serve you during the whole stay on the Islands.

Galapagos Climate
There is no definite high season on the Islands. The animal species can be observed throughout the year without any exception. If you are looking for sand and sun it's recommended to travel during the rainy season from December/January to May/June, because beside the rain, the sky is incredibly blue. Tourism decreases after Easter Week, this is from the beginning of May to mid June and from the end of September to November. Also beginning of March, there aren't abundant tourists on the Islands. In this period, also the prices are lower for the cruises and the hotels and the beaches are empty. On the other side, the season when everything is full is during the months of July and August, during Christmas, New Year and Easter. That time, there's no hope to find a cruise without organizing it in advance. Also the hotels are full of voyagers in groups and the rooms are almost bursting. The archipelago has two main seasons. During the rainy season from January to June you have to count on abundant rainfalls at night and during the mornings. The green mountain range on the Islands are clouded and misty during this period and it's possible that the visit to the paradisiac Gardner Bay is interrupted. A Gore-Tex Jacket shouldn't by no means be missing in your travel case if you visit Galapagos. In spite of the constant rain, in this period there are also the most sunny and warm days of the year, the temperatures are tropical and the water of the sea is lukewarm and pleasant. The best moment for tourists who came to enjoy a nice sunbath at the beach.

It's important to mention that a warm ocean doesn't benefit the proliferation of plankton and as a result, big marine animals tend to look for cooler water, so it might be more difficult to observe them. If you want to go scuba diving you better plan your vacations between June and January, when the cold Humboldt current carries big shoals of fish, sharks and marine turtles. This time, the water temperatures are more like Nordic than tropical and it's recommended to wear a warmer diving suit than usual, particularly during the months of September and October. Most recommendable months for scuba diving are, as experts say, definitely December, January and February. But finally, whenever you are going to practice this sport, you will never regret because of the marine richness that the archipelago offers to look at, even if you are practicing snorkeling, you won't leave the Islands disappointed.

During the dry season of the Galapagos Islands (from June to January) a constant drizzle can surprise you that can last several days, or a clouded sky with cold evenings. Hence it is recommendable to bring a fleece or a warm wool jacket in your hand luggage.

Guides
The naturalist guides, authorized by the Scientific Station Charles Darwin can be of two kinds: High school graduates with elementary English or young people with a title in biology and excellent knowledge of English and also other languages (German, French). The best guides are on the best boats! Nevertheless, it's worth mentioning that the guide service has improved during the last years and the guides with little education in sciences or languages are always having less options to find a work at the agencies.

Drinks (Alcohol)
The drinks are very expensive on the boats that make cruises (a little beer 3 dollars), but if you don't want to renounce your glass of wine or whiskey, you better bring these drinks from Quito to the Islands (but with moderation). In the shops of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno you will pay for alcoholic drinks more than twice as much as on the continent and on the boats even more.

Seasickness
If you never have been several days on high sea before, it's better to buy some tablets against seasickness in a pharmacy, even if they don't help very much if the sea is very wild. Best thing you can do if you are feeling sick, is to go to your cabin for some time and relax, after you will fell a bit better.