Customs Lah

No, you cannot touch the animals.

Did you know there are people actually living on the Galápagos Islands? Yes, the famous archipelago of roughly 13 main islands does have human inhabitants. The islands are part of Ecuador, and of the 13 islands, approximately 5 of them have people, but only 3 of which are where tourists actually visit (the other two have <200 people). Those three are San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela.

Here’s what I think you should know if you ever want to visit one of the islands.

1. Park fee — 100 USD Cash. The entirety of the Galápagos Islands is a national park and with national parks, there are park fees. You need 100 USD cash no excuses and no credit cards. The fee goes 100% back to maintaining and protecting the park. Why do you need USD? Ecuador uses the United States Dollar. Bring a bit of cash, especially small bills, and coins, because the smaller the population of the island the less likely you’ll find a place that takes a card.
2. A Transit Control Card is mandatory — 20 USD. If you’re a US citizen you may not need a visa, but every tourist is required to have a TCC (transit control card). You can get this before you go either with the cruise line or at the airport ticket counter before your flight. If you forget to get it (which I did), don’t fret you can also get it when you arrive on the island.
3. Do not fly there. If you can avoid it, don’t fly. This isn’t something we realized until we spent hours in the museums once we were there, but it’s really bad for the environment. The best way to travel there is to go by boat from Ecuador with a cruise line that employs and supports local people. Local cruises are best, but big cruise lines are still better than flying. Every travel site says the cheapest, fastest way to get there is by plane but I hope that if this article does anything, it’s to get you to rethink the best way to get there and to choose the more ethical option.
4. All ferries must go through Santa Cruz island, there is no direct route from Isabel island to San Cristobal island. The ferry schedules only have 2 departure times each, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and the ride is 2–2.5 hours one way. So if your plan was to see all 3 islands in one day, I’d do some more planning. Ferry Schedule Here.
5. A lot of things are banned. Anything harmful to the environment is banned. Fireworks, Bug Spray (use cream), Spray-on Sunscreen, Seeds (invasive species), single-use plastics, etc. With a place as precious as the Galápagos Islands, do your part to keep it clean and protect the animals that live there.
6. You can’t touch the animals. The question I got asked the most after I came back from the islands was “did you get to pet the animals?” No. No, I did not. Although the animals are very used to seeing humans, you should not try to touch or get too close to animals. Respect and admire them from a distance. By the way, each island has different species of animals (in case you’ve never heard of Darwinism) but do your research on what animals you want to see first and then pick the islands to visit accordingly.

Now you know a bit more than I did if you wish to visit the Galápagos, and I hope you do. It truly is a magical place and reminds you that there’s a lot more on earth than just us.

You can learn more about what items are banned, vaccines and insurance, and park rules here.

Originally Posted on Customs Medium Page on Nov 23, 2020