Galapagos Island Hopping 2025: An 8-Day Trip Review

Is Island Hopping the Right Galapagos Choice for You?

So, you’re looking at a big trip for 2025, and well, the Galapagos islands are definitely calling your name. That is a place that’s basically unlike anywhere else on Earth, you know. Anyway, one of the first decisions you need to make is a big one: do you want to experience the islands from a liveaboard boat or by hopping from one island to another? Frankly, there is no wrong answer, it just depends on the kind of experience you are after. Liveaboards are really good for seeing the more remote, far-flung islands. On the other hand, island hopping gives you this sort of unique chance to experience the local culture in the port towns, so you can eat at different restaurants and basically just walk around on solid ground every single night.

Honestly, we chose the island hopping option for our 8-day adventure, and well, it was a really great fit for us. It just felt a bit more grounded, in a way. You still spend plenty of time on the water with day trips, but at the end of the day, you return to a comfortable hotel room. This type of trip is arguably a little better for people who might be prone to seasickness, as the longer open-water crossings are usually done during the day on speedboats. As a matter of fact, it allows you a bit of freedom in the evenings to just wander, find a local spot for a fresh fruit juice, and watch the sea lions that are pretty much claiming every available bench near the water. It’s a very different feel from being on a boat for the whole week, for sure.

Days 1-2: Arrival and Feeling Small in the Santa Cruz Highlands

Alright, so your adventure begins when your plane lands on Baltra Island, which is a fairly tiny, arid-looking piece of land just north of Santa Cruz. Clearly, the moment you step off the plane, the warm, dry air hits you, and you kind of know you’re somewhere special. Getting from the airport to the main town of Puerto Ayora is like a little adventure in itself. First, you take a short bus ride across Baltra, and then you get on this sort of small ferry for a very quick crossing over the Itabaca Channel. The water there is this unbelievably clear turquoise color, and you will more or less immediately spot your first sea lion or pelican. From the ferry dock on the Santa Cruz side, it’s about a 45-minute taxi or bus ride up into the highlands and then down into town, and honestly, the landscape changes so much along the way.

The real showstopper on Santa Cruz is, of course, the giant tortoises. We headed up to a private reserve in the highlands, like El Chato, on our first afternoon. Actually, walking among these massive, slow-moving creatures is an experience that’s a little hard to describe. You feel very small and quite temporary, you know? They just sort of munch on grass, wade through mud ponds, and carry on with their ancient lives, basically ignoring the handful of humans staring in awe. You can get pretty close, but you obviously need to stay a respectful distance away. It’s one of those moments where the camera just can’t quite capture the feeling of it. Later, we visited the Charles Darwin Research Station, which provides so much context about the conservation work being done here. As a matter of fact, seeing baby tortoises in the breeding center is just an incredibly hopeful sight.

Days 3-4: The Volcanic Beauty of Isabela Island

Next up for us was Isabela, the biggest island in the archipelago, which you get to by a public speedboat from Puerto Ayora. A little tip: honestly, these boat rides can be really quite bumpy. The boats are fast, and when they hit the open water, well, you’ll be in for a ride. To be honest, it is a good idea to take some motion sickness medication beforehand, just in case, and try to get a seat in the back where the ride tends to be a bit smoother. The two-hour trip is totally worth it, anyway. Arriving in Puerto Villamil on Isabela feels like you’ve stepped into a completely different world. The streets are literally made of sand, and the vibe is just incredibly relaxed and slow-paced.

One of the top activities here is the hike up to the Sierra Negra volcano. The caldera of this volcano is one of the largest in the world, and well, standing on the rim is just a bit mind-boggling. The trail takes you across old lava fields, and you can see different kinds of volcanic formations and pioneer plants that are starting to grow on the dark rock. The views, if the highland mist clears, are just spectacular. Another unmissable spot is a tiny island cluster called Las Tintoreras, which is just a short boat ride from the port. It’s a place where marine iguanas pile up on the volcanic rock to warm up in the sun. You also walk past this sort of narrow channel where white-tip reef sharks, or ‘tintoreras,’ are often seen resting on the bottom. So, it’s just an amazing display of wildlife in a very small area.

Days 5-6: Swimming Through Lava Tunnels and Marine Wonders

Okay, you could probably spend the entire 8 days on Isabela and still not see everything, you know. Another must-do day trip, which some people say is the best snorkeling spot in the whole of Galapagos, is Los Tuneles. It takes about an hour by boat to get there, and as you approach, you see this sort of maze of lava arches and tunnels that have formed over time. The water is extremely clear and calm inside this network of formations, making it basically a perfect natural aquarium. We swam with sea turtles that were just so graceful, saw some sea horses clinging to mangrove roots, and of course, spotted a few penguins zipping by like little torpedoes. The blue-footed boobies are also there, perched on the rocks, and their feet are just as impossibly blue as you see in pictures.

You’re just a guest in their world. We watched a sea lion playfully swim circles around our group for nearly ten minutes. It’s those kinds of unplanned, organic moments that really define the Galapagos experience, right?

For a more relaxed afternoon, Concha de Perla is a beautiful little bay right near the town’s pier. It’s a completely free spot where you can just go for a swim and snorkel. You walk along this sort of wooden boardwalk through mangroves to get to a calm lagoon. There are almost always sea lions in here, playing and swimming with the people, and sometimes you can see rays gliding along the bottom. The evenings on Isabela are very quiet. We would just find a small restaurant on the sandy main street, eat some fresh fish, and then walk along the beach. Actually, it feels very safe and wonderfully simple.

Days 7-8: San Cristobal’s Sea Lion Kingdom and Saying Goodbye

Our last stop was San Cristobal Island, which is actually the capital of the Galapagos Province. After another speedboat ride, you arrive in the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, which feels a little more like a city compared to Isabela, but the wildlife is just as present. As a matter of fact, it seems like there are more sea lions than people here. They are literally everywhere: sleeping on park benches, occupying the boat ramps, and just generally running the show. It is an absolutely hilarious and amazing sight, you know. Our first stop was the Interpretation Center, which does a really fantastic job of explaining the natural and human history of the islands. It gives you a much deeper appreciation for everything you have just seen over the past week.

The highlight of San Cristobal for us was probably La Lobería, a beach about a 30-minute walk or a short taxi ride from town. It’s called ‘Sea Lion Point’ for a reason; you’ll find a huge colony of them here, surfing in the waves, snoozing on the sand, and barking at each other. It’s a very active spot, and you can swim and snorkel here too, but you have to be mindful of the currents, which can be a little strong. On our final day, we had one last walk around town, bought some souvenirs, and then headed to the airport, which is conveniently right on the edge of the town. You leave feeling so full of these incredible images and experiences. This 8-day island hopping tour gave us this sort of perfect mix of structure and freedom, and a little bit of everything the Galapagos is famous for. For instance, here are a few things we learned:

• Cash is handy: While many places take cards, small shops and some taxis often prefer cash, so it’s good to have small bills.
• The sun is strong: Seriously, the equatorial sun is no joke. A hat, reef-safe sunscreen, and a long-sleeved swim shirt are pretty much non-negotiable items to pack.
• Go with the flow: Sometimes a schedule might change a little bit due to weather or wildlife sightings. Honestly, just relax and trust your guide; they really know what they’re doing.

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