Santa Cruz Tours in Fall

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!

Our trip to the Galapagos islands was so welcoming after not traveling for a year and a half because of covid. We felt really safe and had an amazing time.

Absolutely fabulous trip just as places are opening up post-Covid. I felt very comfortable with the regulations in place, especially since we were all vaccinated. The wildlife was better than I ever could have imagined and the people were so friendly and welcoming. Pepo and Paolo were the very best guides!!!

I just returned from spending 8 days in Galapagos, and the trip far exceeded my expectations, high anyway thanks to my trip 3 years ago with the tour operator to New Zealand. These islands truly are enchanted, and if you long to go somewhere truly unique and to disconnect from the normal rhythms of your life at home, this is the place to go. Stunning scenery, wildlife so tame you can converse with them up close and personal, fabulous food and comfortable hotels located at just the right places, and a guide (Pablo), to whom I am forever in his debt. His infectious enthusiasm about this magical place and its inhabitants, his gift for conveying a wealth of knowledge so that even I understood, his awareness of the needs and wants of each fellow traveler, and his smile. More than once I found my eyes welling up with tears with gratitude for being in this spot on the globe and being with him.

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.

This was truly one of the best trips ever, thanks to the amazing itinerary, remote and unspoiled landscapes, unique and plentiful wildlife, seamless logistics, and excellent fellow travelers, but most of all because of our incredible guide, Pablo! His deep understanding of the science, his passion and enthusiasm, and his dramatic delivery kept us all enthralled. He had answers to all of our questions and made sure everyone was OK at all times. THANK YOU FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE!!