Ecuador Snorkeling Tours 2022/2023

“I came home with thinner thighs! The biking on day one was a little too much for me, since I was not used to a bike with fat tires and shifting for the big hills (description said it was a flat 9 miles), and after the second hill, I had to quit and ride in the truck, rather than risk hurting myself and be useless the rest of the trip. My friend had sore thighs for the entire trip! Other than that, the 10-mile hike up and down the volcano in the heat was farther than I have ever walked in my life. I had a break, though, when my friend and I stayed back at the picnic area rather than walk over the lava to the little volcano, shaving 2 miles off that part. The food was great, and the choices allowed us to try different fish dishes, or have chicken if we wanted. Our group of 6 plus Jessica, our guide, was the perfect size to stay together for all parts of this trip. Kayaking was my favorite part, as this was when I saw my 1st Galapagos penguin! I loved Isabella Island, best of the 3 islands, we were able to visit during the pandemic, and felt very safe the entire time. Hotels with ocean views were beautiful, which is why we picked this tour, since we did not want to spend most of our time on a boat. The speed boat to Santa Cruz was very loud with pounding the water much of the way, so I would recommend earplugs and not sitting up near the captain, where you will get soaking wet. We didn't get to see Floreana Island, due to Covid, but the itinerary was great as it was. Having the sandwiches at the airport in Santa Cruz was a very good way to end our time with Jessica. Loved her!”

“This is the third trip we had with the tour operator. As expected, the trip was run very smoothly: excellent transportation, nice accommodations in general, great local food, a variety of activities including biking, kayaking, hiking, snorkelling, etc. The best aspect of the trip is our guide Pablo. He is knowledgeable in everything about Galapagos islands: fauna and flora, geology, biology, human history, you name it. Pablo is extremely passionate about passing his knowledge and love to this magic land and its ecosystem to us. His assistant Paolo is great too. When the group hiked the Sierra Negra volcano on Isle Isabela Paolo carried an extra 5L drinking water and other stuff (e.g., snacks) to make sure no one in the group would suffer from dehydration. Together Pablo and Paolo made sure that everyone was safe and sound. Pablo's rich knowledge made the trip the most rewarding one.”

“I am usually an independent (non-group) traveler, however, there is no way I could have managed the logistics of the island hopping and activities to have the same trip experience. Pepo and Paolo were great guides (and human beings). Loved the activities, but would have preferred a slightly longer trip with more time on Santa Cruz for the beach and San Cristobal. I chose the snorkelling option to the Tunnels and then paid to also see the volcano walk separately. They were both amazing, so I would have preferred them both to be included in the trip (which probably would extend the Isabela stay by a day). In general, the mix of activities was good. Food and lodgings were good. The food quality and choices met my expectations. The hotel quality matched the available quality of hotels on the different islands, so I was happy with them. We stayed on the beaches, so the early morning beach walks were some of my favourite quieter moments of the trip. I stayed one full day extra in Quito and needed the time for the rapid COVID test results to get back, but the process itself was easy. Finally, the end of the trip was anticlimactic, but I understand the logistical reasons for it. One option would have been to have the whole group including our main guides fly to Guayaquil, but I would have missed the time in downtown Quito. Some of this was just screwed up because of COVID testing logistics and will be resolved in the post COVID era.”