www.ecuadors.org

[Zetta]

I am planning to go sometime in early March, 2007. My plan is to go to Guayaquil or Quito (not sure which one yet) for a few days and then take a cruise to the Galapagos. I am doing a stopover on my way to Lima, so I dont have many days in Ecuador. These are my questions:

Which island can I find the Giant Tortoise (this is my main reason for visiting the islands, together with all of its nature). Is there a cruise to the islands that leave from Guayaquil/Quito without having to stay in a hotel on the islands or do i need to fly to the islands and take a cruise from there?

if i have to stay on a hotel on the islands, which island should i stay in order to to take a cruise? in other words, is there a specific island or do cruises leave from all the islands?

I plan to stay only a few days so i dont have much time to book a 7 day cruise trip. i am looking more like "day cruise trips" Any ideas?
many of the websites that i have visited ask you to fill out the forms for the pricings on there cuises. however, i just want to have an idea about how much the cruises are. Does anyone have an average idea of the price?

if i must stay in a hotel in an island. i am thinking on staying in Royal Palm Resort Hotel. Do hotels ususally make trip arrangements for their guests?

Thank you for any information.

[Oadira]

If all you want to do is see the giant tortoises and spend a few days there, I suggest staying on Santa Cruz - there are lots of hotels in the main town of Puerto Ayora that range from relatively inexpensive hostels to luxury accomodations. From Puerto Ayora you can take a trip to the highlands of Santa Cruz to see the tortoises in the wild and most likely combine that trip with a visit to the lava tubes and the Los Gemelos Craters. You can easily visit the Charles Darwin Research center - a short walk from anywhere in Puerto Ayora where you can see captive tortoises and iguanas and learn about the natural history of the islands and the wildlife that inhabit them. A hike to Bahia Tortuga beach is highly recommended. You can book a day trip to a nearby island - South Plaza or North Seymour are both terrific places to see - with any of the tour companies that line the streets of Puerto Ayora - just walk through the town and you can't miss them. So - if your time is limited you can do quite a bit right from Santa Cruz Island.

But, it is expensive to travel to the Galapagos and a stay of only a few days seems hardly worthwhile. If you can stay for a week you can take one or two longer day trips - Bartolome and Sants Fe are both worth a visit. If you combine trips to those two islands along with a few days on Santa Cruz, you will at least get a good sample of what the islands have to offer.

[Yasir]

We saw the Giant Tortoises on Santa Cruz Island. You don't need to stay over night on an island. You can fly directly to Baltra from either Quito or Guayaquil and immediately get onto a ship. You also could fly to Santa Cruz (there are hotels there) and stay there and see the Tortoises.

Enjoy your trip!