Santa Cruz Tours in Summer

The trip was amazing. Pepo & Paulo (our guides) were incredible. You need to give them a raise. Seriously, I hope you're paying them a lot cause they deserve it. Everything went extremely smoothly. The Galapagos feel like another planet. Bezos could have just gone there and saved a bunch of money! Can't say enough good things about the guides, staff and others that helped out.

If you think Ecuador, Galapagos Islands is just about the heat, greenery & plantains, you are in for the surprise of your life. We have been searching for a National Geographic Informative trip and stumbled across the tour operator. I must have called at least 8-10 times with a variety of questions since the shut down and someone always and I mean always called me back within 24 hours with complete detailed information with the utmost aplomb. When we hit the islands, yes, it was hot but the guides and everyone were so accommodating. I have never met a guide (Pablo) who was so passionate, professional, courteous , knowledgeable , and patient with my millions of questions. I have a small travel diary and there is no way I can remember all of the information he bestowed upon our group. Our second guide was Paolo who stayed back to help the slower ones in our group (me). Both our guides made sure we were safe and as comfortable as we could be. If you are expecting beans, rice and tortillas on this trip, forget about it. The food was unbelievable. Well prepared and the presentation was always spectacular. Thank you for our bucket list Adventure. Will remember it always.

We chose this tour operator for our Galapagos trip after our Patagonia trip with them and were just as impressed. Their guides are spectacular! They know the area, the history, and have great senses of humor. Accommodations and food were terrific, our group congenial and itinerary varied. If you want to see nature in all its authenticity without hordes of tourists, go with the operator to the Galapagos. We hiked, biked and snorkeled and felt like we had some of the islands to ourselves. Residents and animals coexisted and children are being educated about the importance of maintaining this balance and caring for their environment. On our last day a sea lion jumped into the hotel swimming pool and then hopped out to sun on the chaise -- all felt totally normal. We should all live so harmoniously together.

It is simply impossible to write a review that would do justice the our guides, the places we saw, and the amazing animals, but I will do my best. First of all, the guys from Galakiwi, Pablo and Paolo, were just beyond anything I expected. I thought we'd have a professional guide or two but both Pablo and Paolo were more like family by the end of the trip. Pablo was just astonishing in the completeness of his knowledge, the breadth and depth, and his passion for his beloved Galapagos, especially Isabela. I was spellbound every time he spoke. He knew I wanted to see the Galapagos penguins and the blue-footed boobies because he asked each of us what we most wanted to see at the beginning of our trip. He made sure to take us to places where we were most likely to see them and I did indeed get to see them. I was so touched by his love for the Galapagos. I was prepared to love it before our trip and now will be a lifelong advocate for its conservation. Pablo went way beyond the call of duty by helping my husband buy something he needed at the Farmacia and then going to buy more of it when my husband couldn't find it again. Paolo is a treasure. He schlepped our bags and fitted our gear and handled the logistics so that nobody had to think about any of it. He was joy to spend time with; my husband and I just admired his humor and joyous spirit, his sweetness, his love of his family, and his fun and irreverent facts about life in Ecuador. (They call it CumbaYORK!!! Hilarious and spot on!) My husband and I are very curious and love feeling like we've actually talked to a real person when we travel. I especially appreciated his kindness in helping stay on my feet when walking around Las Tuneles. The properties were fantastic! We got to stay in the dome room at Casa Blanca on San Cristobal. Hotel Albemarle was lovely (especially after we figured out that the rooms DO have air conditioning. Whew!) and Juliette, who managed it, was helpful and went beyond the call of duty to make coffee at 5am for my husband and me. The Hotel Isla Sol was in a great location and it was actually nice to wrap up our stay in the middle of a developed town after the seclusion of Isabela. The places we visited were beyond my wildest dreams and there was such a good balance between learning, sheer fun, beauty beyond comparison, fragility of the ecosystems, and immersion in the culture of Galapagos. Kicker Rock (or Leon Dormido) was amazing. The boat cruising all the way around it so we could see its beauty from every side was very nice. The boat captain was also alert for sea life while we were traveling to and from Kicker Rock so we got to see a bunch of dolphins. The San Cristobal Interpretation Center was very interesting and gave a very good history of the Galapagos. This was one of the reasons I felt like I had really learned something about the Islands and their history beyond what I knew about Darwin and his finches. I think it was actually good that we couldn't go to Floreana. Not having that stop enabled us to go to both Sierra Negra Volcano and Las Tuneles. I can't imagine missing either one of those. Both were majestic. Our whole group was of the opinion that future tours should be just like ours and include the opportunity to go to both. Saving time by taking the plane to Isabela from San Cristobal was a great bonus. I loved the tortoise breeding center and the work they're doing. Kayaking on Isabela was perfect. I saw my beloved penguins and blue-footed boobies. On Santa Cruz, we got to go to the Charles Darwin Research Station and see the important work they are doing. I loved the lava tubes and seeing the giant tortoises in the wild in the Santa Cruz highlands. Our trip was perfect. It could not have been better! Thank you!

This trip was truly wonderful. The tour operator seems to attract like minded people who love the outdoors, have great energy, and love to learn. It's a good formula for a great trip.

It was a lovely trip! Great itinerary and wonderful guides. Food, activities and destinations perfectly designed. Especial thanks to Pablo for sharing all his passion and knowledge. We had an awesome time!