Trekking the Enchanted Islands
There is so much to see in the Galapagos that you could spend the entire day the without getting bored! So why not just do so? Grab your backpack, a water bottle, a pair of comfortable shoes, sunscreen and start wandering around the Galapagos Islands. However, don’t forget that not all places can be visited without a Naturalist Guide.
When you book a tour you will do a lot of trekking through the visitor sites, yeap! There are walks of up to 3 hours, where you will, most definitely, enjoy the Archipelagos wildlife and landscapes. Therefore, don’t forget to take a comfortable pair of trekking shoes with you as you will walk over lava paths, which can be kind of difficult.
Certainly, doing hiking on the Galapagos Islands is probably the best opportunity to take some amazing pictures of the wildlife and landscapes. Therefore, don’t forget to have an extra set of batteries, and memory cards.
Mountain biking
Similarly, to Trekking, biking is also a great way to see the Galapagos. I mean, biking is like walking but faster, which means that you can cover a wider area in a shorter time. For example, you can explore the Cerro Mesa on Santa Cruz or the Wall of Tears on Isabela Island by bike. Take a short break whenever a Giant Tortoise or Iguana crosses your way or enjoy the great views from the top of the hills you have just conquered while riding your bike. When being done with the tour, you enjoy the sunset while having dinner by the beach.
Horseback riding
If you want to discover the islands in a more relaxed way, you can also do horseback riding. This will allow you to easily reach the higher regions of the islands, like the Sierra Negra Volcano, without getting too tired. Imagine how amazing it would be to ride your horse through beautiful landscapes, and stopping at any time to observe and take pictures of the magnificence of the wildlife and geography of the Islands.
Stand Up Paddling
If you want to use your board a bit calmer, you can go for the new trend of Stand Up Paddling (SUP). There are many calm bays, where you can easily paddle and enjoy the beach. Popular for SUP is the Northern Coast of San Cristobal. While carrying your board over the beach, you will see some iguanas and sea lions enjoying the sun. Some sea lions might feel the wish to join you into the cool water and swim really close to your board. Don’t worry, they won’t crash against you. It is so great to exercise accompanied by the playful sea lions and also enjoying the great views of the Archipelago.
Kayaking
If you want to explore the mangrove forest with its abundance of wildlife, you should definitely try out a kayaking tour! It’s unbelievable how these plants can grow within the salty water and still shelter such amazing flora and fauna! You can observe many birds nesting in the tree branches; schools of baby rays, and sharks, as well as other marine life enjoying their childhood in the low water of some lagoons within the mangrove forest. Of course, you will also encounter thousands of insects, frogs, snakes, and lizards on your journey through the mangrove forest.
Snorkeling
Most tours include snorkeling, the best way to see the amazing Galapagos Islands underwater world. Even from the dinghy, you can already see some curious sea lions and penguins watching you coming closer. When entering the water, you will be accompanied since the first minute, most likely by the playful baby sea lions, coming unbelievably close and still managing not to bump into you. And you will wonder how fast the Penguins get as soon as they dive into the ocean. In contrast to the torpedo-like penguins, the sea turtles are as relaxed as they can be. Of course, there will be always fish and corals to color up your pictures. You have to try out snorkeling in the Galapagos! It is a great and easy way to enjoy the underwater world while having the sun caress your back. Any snorkeling excursion in the Galapagos will be really spectacular. However, and probably the best snorkeling sites would be: Prince Phillip’s Steps, Devils Crown and Punta Espinosa, places where you will definitely enjoy the best snorkeling in the Galapagos.
Scuba Diving
The underwater world fascinates you? And snorkeling just isn’t enough? Then Scuba Diving is the sport for you! And what better place than the Galapagos, where you can see so many water species and so close, but don’t forget you cannot touch any of the Galapagos animals. Just picture yourself swimming along schools of rays, and admiring really close their graceful movements and shapes; sea lions wanting to play with the calm turtles who are trying to eat some algae of the rocks, and yes, it is quite possible that when the sea lion sees you he will want to be your playmate.
The experienced master guides will know where to take you to enjoy deeper waters where you will see hammerhead sharks, impressive orca wales, and whale sharks.
It is no wonder that the Galapagos has the second largest submarine reserve of the World.
Windsurfing
However, and if you are not that windsurfing pro, there are some milder bays, like Tortuga Bay in Santa Cruz, where you can go ride your board without letting the winds make you loose your direction.
Surfing
Imagine the most beautiful beaches in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Some islands having low waves so that you can learn how to surf while watching sea lions accompanying you.
For the pros, there are many islands, where the turquoise water forms huge waves to enjoy extreme sport within the archipelago.
The main island for surfers is San Cristobal, which offers many surfing spots around Puerto Baquerizo Bay. Enjoy your board gliding on the water as fast as the sea lions in the line-up. It’s the only place in the world, where you’ll walk across some Blue Footed Boobies and Marine Iguanas on your way to the beach and get a great sunset with sea lions after you surf.
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