Galapagos

[Bycrick]

Similar to my trip to the Galapagos from mainland Ecuador in 2006. Maybe a little more expensive now, but not significantly. Only difference in the rules is that they didn’t look at the hull then.

If you want to really see the Galapagos, leave the boat in Ecuador and take a plane or one of the local small ships.

[kiwin]

Galapagos is the most changed part of a milk run Pacific crossing since my first trip in 89. But one thing has hardly changed: don't bother stopping there on a boat. If you want to see it, park at shelter bay or somewhere else on the mainland and take a mainstream tourist trip.
On a boat it's expensive, the anchorages are poor, the food is poor, the experience is poor. In addition, if you are sailing Panama to Marquesas it's mostly much better to pass 150-250 miles N of the islands. This means you are reaching at speed instead of close hauled, and you end up N of the thumb line so that in the last week as you approach the Marquesas you have a decent 150⁰ wind angle, not on a dead run. Faster, more comfortable.

[kiwin]

And another thing: every day spent in the Galapagos is a day not spent in a tuamotan atoll or a marquesan anchorage. Therefore a mistake.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by mako

@belizesailor, so if someone told you just what you stated in post #1, would that have been enough to change your mind about sailing there?

They did and it was. I have cruising friends who have opted not to visit Galapagos under sail for just these reasons. Personally, I would not likely choose to sail there on my boat. However, in this case I was crewing for someone else and the Galapagos was an intermediate stop on the way to the Marquesas.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

I don't know if I agree with "punitive" but yes, I'm sure they are trying to collect some of the revenue.

There may be rare exceptions but almost no one goes to the Galapagos for reasons other than the incredible wild life experience. It costs money to maintain and protect that, so I don't see a reason why cruisers should get a free pass...heck if the $2400 number listed earlier is per boat, that's still pretty cheap assuming say 4 people on the boat for a couple weeks compared to an organized tour.

The cost given in my original post is the cost for a single boat. If you divide the expense across multiple people on a boat then its not so bad. We were 5 on one boat so that is only $520/person. It would be hard to visit for that price by conventional means. This does not include our fuel costs for getting there.

So, you could justify it based on cost per person with enough folks aboard.

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by kiwin

Galapagos is the most changed part of a milk run Pacific crossing since my first trip in 89. But one thing has hardly changed: don't bother stopping there on a boat. If you want to see it, park at shelter bay or somewhere else on the mainland and take a mainstream tourist trip.
On a boat it's expensive, the anchorages are poor, the food is poor, the experience is poor. In addition, if you are sailing Panama to Marquesas it's mostly much better to pass 150-250 miles N of the islands. This means you are reaching at speed instead of close hauled, and you end up N of the thumb line so that in the last week as you approach the Marquesas you have a decent 150⁰ wind angle, not on a dead run. Faster, more comfortable.

I mostly agree, except we found good food and our experience there was excellent.

We did spend a lot of time close hauled in light winds to get there...as well as a lot of motoring/motor sailing.

[grantmc]

Really good information about visiting the islands and thanks for sharing OP and other posters.

Sadly people have caused all sorts of destruction and it's understandable that there are now restrictions:

The fire started by the crew of the ill fated Essex at Floreana Island still ranks as an ecological disaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floreana_Island

And a similar disaster occurred in 1994 on Isabela Island.

But on a positive, it was Darwin's visit on the Beagle in 1835 that was years later to put the Galapagos Islands on the evolutionary map.

Colonialism dead, no, surely there are still places in the world that with a few hatchets, beads and a couple of footballs (oh and a pump) one could buy an island of one's own from the natives, yes?

[belizesailor]

Originally Posted by grantmc

Really good information about visiting the islands and thanks for sharing OP and other posters.

Sadly people have caused all sorts of destruction and it's understandable that there are now restrictions:

The fire started by the crew of the ill fated Essex at Floreana Island still ranks as an ecological disaster https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Floreana_Island

And a similar disaster occurred in 1994 on Isabela Island.

But on a positive, it was Darwin's visit on the Beagle in 1835 that was years later to put the Galapagos Islands on the evolutionary map.

Colonialism dead, no, surely there are still places in the world that with a few hatchets, beads and a couple of footballs (oh and a pump) one could buy an island of one's own from the natives, yes?

Darwin did indeed put the Galapagos on the map. As a result there are many monuments to Darwin there.

Another man made ecological disaster was the extensive harvesting of giant tortises. They can survive for many months without food or water so they were a good self preserving food source.

Probably nowhere a few beads will buy you an island anymore, but bartering, or just gifting, is not entirely dead. Ive bartered/gifted in Cuba (fishing & fiberglass supplies), various places in Central America (small motor parts mostly), the Dry Tortugas (cigarettes for fish), and the San Blas islands of Panama (gifted reading glasses & school supplies, water...).

We often bring along school supplies which are almost universally popular...wont buy an island though.

[rodirozmar]

Everyone should visit this magnificent island. It is also worth noting that there is no shortage of food for animals in the Galapagos, most of which feed on seaweed or fish.