Few places in the world as much special magic for nature lovers as the Galapagos Islands. Aficionados of the natural world have likely poured over images of the Galapagos in the pages of National Geographic or on screen in BBC or PBS nature documentaries and dreamed of visiting this natural wonderland.

The Galapagos holds another special place for us godless atheists. We have no Mecca or Jerusalem to make our pilgrimages. The closest thing just might be these volcanic islands that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.

Being nature loving atheists ourselves, my wife and I knew we absolutely had to make a detour to the Galapagos Islands on our journey through South America. We splurged for the cheapest cruise we could and it still demolished our travel budget for Ecuador. It was also totally worth it and I have zero regrets.

In this guide to taking a budget Galapagos Island cruise, I’m going to try my best to share everything you need to know so that you can have an amazing time, too.

The History and Ecology of the Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos Islands are a chain of volcanic islands located some 560 miles (900 km) from the mainland of Ecuador. The islands are tropical, located very near the equator, but the waters around them are cooled by the Humboldt Current. This current brings along a whole bunch of plankton and fish, leading to an incredibly rich and diverse marine environment.

The first evidence we have of human arrival in the Galapagos was when a Spanish priest was blown off course on his way to Peru in 1500. Later on, the islands sheltered English pirates who needed somewhere to rest while they preyed on Spanish treasure ships. In the 19^th century, whaling ships frequented the area.

When Ecuador declared independence from Spain, Britain sent a little boat called the HMS Beagle to survey the South American coast. This was the journey where a young scientist named Charles Darwin observed the diversity and variety of species on the Galapagos Islands. The journey directly inspired his famous theory of evolution.

During World War Two, Ecuador leased a patch of land on the Galapagos to the United States. The U.S. built an air force base there specifically to protect the Panama Canal. After the war, however, the base and the islands returned to Ecuadorian hands. In 1959, the government of Ecuador established the Galapagos National Park, and the islands began their journey to becoming the major tourist destination they are today.

Booking a Cruise Versus Visiting the Galapagos Independently

Now that you’ve decided you want to join those other tourists and visit the Galapagos for yourself, you have an important decision to make. Do you want to visit on your own or do you want to take a cruise?

Both options have their advantages and disadvantages. Traveling independently means you’ll be basing yourself on one of the Galapagos’ inhabited islands: Santa Cruz, Isabela or San Cristobal. You could also island hop, as there are regular ferries that go back and forth between the islands. From what I’ve seen, the towns on these islands are nice enough places, but quite touristy as you would expect.

Keep in mind that you need to be accompanied by a licensed guide to head into the national park. While I believe some lava tunnels and the tortoise research station can be visited independently, if you want to do any snorkeling or explore deeper, you’ll need to book a tour. I’m told you can find reasonably priced day tours from the many agencies that operate in town. You might even be able to snag some last-minute deals.

Depending on how much you spend on food and tours, visiting the Galapagos independently is probably going to be cheaper than a cruise. Even a budget cruise. You also get the advantage of making your own itinerary and doing things at your own pace.

A cruise has its advantages, too. For one thing, it’s a lot easier. You don’t have to worry about booking your own excursions or finding a place to sleep or food to eat. It’s all included, even in the cheapest of budget Galapagos cruises. You also have the opportunity to visit some of the more distant islands that might not be reachable on a day trip. Finally, you get the chance to visit some locations earlier in the day, when animals are more active and before the spot gets mobbed by other tours.

Normally, I prefer doing things independently and I absolutely hate the idea of cruises. However, we figured our trip to the Galapagos was probably a once in a lifetime experience. If we were going to do it, we might as well do it up. So, we booked a Galapagos cruise.

What to Pack for a Galapagos Cruise

Now, when I say “cruise” you might be picturing one of those enormous monstrosities that are riddled with stomach illness and sunburned suburbanites. There are a few large boats that ply the Galapagos, but our little vessel was tiny. Most budget Galapagos boats are going to be small.

Because the boat is small, you should pack light. I think you should always pack light in general, but especially when you’re crammed on a tiny sea going vessel. Think of your budget Galapagos cruise as a lesson in minimalism and letting go of the need for material possessions in addition to admiring natural beauty and observing wildlife.

The climate of the Galapagos Islands is pretty mild and temperatures usually hover around 70-86°F (21-30°C). You might want a hoodie or light jacket for the evening, and maybe a rain coat in case things get misty. And a bathing suit, of course.

Also don’t forget sunscreen and a hat. You shouldn’t wear sunscreen in the water, though, since it can damage the coral and sea life. The water is cold enough that you’ll probably want to opt for a wet suit while snorkeling anyway, which doubles as sun protection. Even budget Galapagos cruises provide wetsuits and snorkeling equipment, though. We also brought sea sickness medication. Be sure to get the non-drowsy kind.

If you have the option, get a camera with a decent zoom lens. You’re prohibited to get closer than six feet to any wildlife. You should stay away from wildlife anyway. A zoom lens is great for capturing photos of all the amazing Galapagos animals you’ll see on your cruise.

Finally, I’d also suggest bringing a pack of cards or some sort of travel game. While the days are packed, you do have a fair bit of down time on the boat. A good book is also important.

Other Things to Think About When Taking a Budget Galapagos Cruise

Overall, I thought our week on the Galapagos Islands was completely magical and wonderful. There were a few things, though, that we felt a little unprepared for.

The first thing I wish I knew before embarking was just how exhausting it would be. All the marvelous sights are beautiful and amazing, but also kind of overstimulating. And while the gentle rocking of the boat can sometimes be soothing, stronger waves woke us up in the middle of the night a couple of times. I’m also suspicious that our “non-drowsy” sea sickness medicine wasn’t as non-drowsy as they claimed. Maybe I’m just not as young as I used to be, but I would just make sure to plan for at least a day to rest up after you return from your Galapagos cruise.

Secondly, I think it’s important to emphasize how much you need to have a good attitude and be flexible. Especially on a budget Galapagos cruise, where you’re on a small, often times family run boat. Itineraries, meals and anything else can change on short notice. Embrace the unknown.

You’re also going to be on a small boat with a lot of different people with different personalities. Most people are quite nice, but you may run into conflict from time to time. I think it’s best to just go with the flow rather than wasting the trip butting heads with someone you’re probably never going to see again in your life when your cruise is over. We got along with everyone on our cruise, but it was small boat.

The final bit of advice I can give is to remember to put your camera down. While you’re going to see all sorts of photogenic things on your Galapagos cruise, it’s important to take some time to live in the moment. Definitely take pictures, but also take a moment to absorb your surroundings and make memories as well as photos.

Rules and Regulations for the Galapagos

The Galapagos has a lot of rules. And extra fees. It’s not the sort of place for freewheeling anarchists. These rules, and fees, are there to protect the Galapagos’ fragile ecosystem. I’m sure the government gets some kickbacks, too, but I think overall the rules and fees make sense.

The Galapagos National Park itself charges a $200 fee, in addition to requiring a $20 tourist card. You have to pay this when you arrive on the island. You also have to pay another $20 for a baggage inspection, which they do to make sure you aren’t hiding any invasive species in your backpack. The process involves a lot of standing in line, but it’s pretty easy. The fees add up, but you have to pay them, so factor another $240 a person into your Galapagos budget.

During your Galapagos cruise, you’ll need to have a certified guide with you whenever you’re in the national park. The guide will come along on the cruise with you. The guides are there to explain the flora and fauna of the park, but also to make sure you obey the other rules.

Most of these are pretty basic things you should do in any natural area. Stay on the trails. Don’t leave garbage. Don’t take anything out of the park. Keep at least six feet (two meters) away from any animal. Take only photos, leave only footprints…

No smoking either. One older Italian lady on our tour had a problem with this. It got to the point where our guide had to threaten to kick her off the cruise. It was definitely awkward, but she finally agreed to only smoke on the boat. (And then she started a fire in the dining area, but that’s another story…)

How to Book Your Budget Galapagos Cruise

Visiting the Galapagos is expensive. There’s no getting around it. So expensive that the threat of getting kicked off a tour is a very serious one. Even our budget Galapagos cruise felt extravagant compared with what we’d been spending on mainland Ecuador. However, I thought the experience was amazing and totally worth it. Only you can decide your priorities and if it’s worth it for you.

So, how do you find an amazing and worth it budget Galapagos cruise? The trick is to wait. Boats want to be as full as possible when they embark, so they often give steep discounts for last minute bookings. We booked about a week ahead of time and were able to get an eight-day tour for about $1,000 a person. Not including our flight or the fees I mentioned above. That was almost half off the advertised price.

The downside is that you have to be really flexible. You probably won’t have the option to choose your exact dates, or pick the itinerary you want. You might also have to make some compromises in terms of boat size or amenities. Also keep in mind that the cost includes all meals, but does not include alcoholic drinks, park fees, flights or tips for the guide and crew. Always tip the guide and crew.

Our Booking Experience

We booked through a tour company called Happy Gringo. I’m not quite sure how I feel about the name, though. I suppose I’m a gringo who was happy with their service, so, maybe the name works.

Not only were they able to give us a major discount, but they held our hands through the whole process. They helped us arrange our flights to and from Quito and made everything fool proof. I felt like it was a pretty all-inclusive experience.

You still might have a few options even doing a budget cruise. The big one is how long of a tour you want. Cruses range from four to fifteen days. However, the first and last days are really more like half days, since you need to spend time embarking and disembarking. Obviously, shorter tours are cheaper.

You also might have a choice of itinerary, though that depends on how last-minute you get. Unless you’re excited about a specific variety of Darwin’s finch or something, I say it’s best to go with the flow and let the current take you where it will.

I do suggest choosing a smaller boat if you have the option. We saw a few gigantic cruise ships, and they looked kind of miserable. It already took a long time to get our group ready for snorkeling and excursions. I can’t imagine the hassle of waiting for a hundred other tourists. Smaller boats also have more flexibility in terms of which harbors and bays they can fit into.

We took our Galapagos cruise on the Aida Maria. I’d recommend it. It’s a family-owned operation with a great crew. While the boat was small, it was comfortable in a cozy sort of way. I never did get to hear the story of how the first mate survived a shark attack, though.

Life on the Boat

Did I mention how tight the quarters were aboard the ship? Our cabin had a set of bunk beds, each one with a width somewhere between a twin bed and a 2×4. These narrow beds took up most of the space in the room. Being husband and wife, we were able to stow our bags on the top bunk and squeeze together on the bottom. Two men on the cruise, who were not a couple, stowed their bags in the bathroom. At least the cabins had private bathrooms.

Despite those close quarters, I thought the cabins were nice. And the cramped space made lounging on the front deck and watching the vast expanse of ocean that much more amazing. And the tight quarters meant we got to know all our shipmates. We started out as strangers, but when we said goodbye, we were hugging and kissing like long lost relatives.

Every day started with a surprisingly delicious breakfast. In fact, the food on the boat was all pretty great, and the cook respected everyone’s weird dietary issues. Then, each day usually had two or three excursions, depending on the day. I’ll give a summary of our experience below so you have an idea what to expect.

Then, in the evening after dinner, we’d get a brief presentation from the guide on what we’d be doing the next day. We finished each day satisfied, but exhausted and ready to pass out on our tiny bed. The sea sickness medicine might have had something to do with that, though.

Our Galapagos Itinerary

Our eight-day budget Galapagos cruise gave us about a week in total on the boat. Galapagos cruises generally follow roughly the same itineraries, making a circle around the islands. Our eight-day cruise covered half the circle. You could opt for a two-week tour covering everything, or a shorter trip to just get a taste. Itineraries can change for all sorts of reasons, though. If you’re on a budget, you have to be flexible.

No matter how long you go for, prepare to be amazed. The islands themselves are really quite beautiful, some are lush and green while others are rough and rugged. Most amazingly, though, is the wild life. The number of animals we saw in the Galapagos was absolutely mind boggling.

We started on Bachas Beach, where we saw pelicans, crabs, sea turtles and those famous marine iguanas from Planet Earth. No snakes, thankfully. We also did some amazing snorkeling off the beach. I wasn’t prepared for how great the snorkeling in the Galapagos was.

The second day, we had to skip Genovesa Island because of a bird flu outbreak. Like I said, itineraries can change. Instead, we went to Chinese Hat Island, which kind of looks like one of those stereotypical hats you see in old photos of China. Here we got to see some baby sea lions, which were adorable. We also saw lava lizards, blue footed boobies, frigate birds and some distant penguins.

I would have liked to see more penguins up close, but it’s nature not a zoo.

Sea Turtles, Iguanas and Some Adolescent Sea Lion Mischief

We also did more snorkeling. Fantastic snorkeling. In addition to the colorful fish and sharks, we had a couple of adolescent sea lions mess with us. They’d dart towards us in the water, only to steer away at the last minute. At first it was kind of scary, until we realized they weren’t being aggressive at all. They were playing with us.

Afterwards we stopped at Bartolome Island for that classic Galapagos viewpoint you see everywhere. It’s a beautiful view. In the afternoon, we got a tour of Santiago Island and a lesson on geology and volcanic island formation. I wish I could remember some of the facts we learned, but to be honest, our Galapagos cruise was kind of an information and sensory overload.

On day four we visited Black Turtle Cove where we got to see sharks, rays and sea turtles mating among the red mangroves. It was a very pretty, idyllic sort of place. In the afternoon we saw some Galapagos land iguanas on Dragon Rock. The island was scorching hot, and everyone else forgot to bring water. We became the heroes of our group by sharing our water, and I feel like that was the moment when we really bonded with our shipmates.

The Famous Tortoises and Fighting the Current

The next day we hit up the Charles Darwin Research Station to see the famous Galapagos tortoises. This station seems sort of like a zoo, but it actually does active breeding projects to help maintain the population of these rare tortoises. More impressive, though, were the wild tortoises on Santa Cruz Island. When the first one ambled out into view, I could hear the Jurassic Park theme song start playing in the back of my mind.

The next day, after visiting Post Office Beach (which didn’t have many animals and so felt disappointing to me) we went snorkeling around Devil’s Rock. I’m guessing they named it Devil’s Rock because the current was absolutely hellish. I had a moment of panic at one point when I kept paddling and paddling but couldn’t move. I wore myself out and had to signal for the boat to pick me up. Only my wife and an 80-year-old Italian woman successfully made it all the way around the rock. That 80-year-old Italian woman is my new idol.

We did more things on our budget Galapagos cruise, of course, but to be honest things kind blur together. We saw more beaches, more sea lions, lots of boobies and I there were some flamingos in there too for good measure. At some point I believe we also visited one of the Galapagos’ towns, and I might have bought a hat.

I was absolutely exhausted by the time our cruise finished and we floated into harbor.

Final Thoughts on Our Budget Galapagos Cruise

Our budget Galapagos cruise was exhausting, and a bit of a whirlwind of overstimulation. The sights, the sounds, the animals, the information. I didn’t even mention all we learned about the ecological struggles facing these islands (climate change is bad, fyi).

However, the cruise was also absolutely amazing and a major highlight of our South American trip. It might be a major highlight of my life. I am a nature lover, and being able to see such a wide variety of wildlife up close felt absolutely miraculous.

Marveling at the variety and abundance of natural life in the Galapagos filled me with a profound sense of awe and wonder. It’s a feeling that’s difficult to achieve as a cynical atheist. Something I imagine that’s maybe akin to what devout Muslims might feel when they journey to Mecca. Something you can’t really capture in words or photos. For me, our budget Galapagos cruise transcended the typical tourist adventure. It was, dare I say, a spiritual experience.