How Much Do You Know About The Galapagos Islands?

How much do you know about the Galapagos Islands?

If, like me, you have only ever seen these fascinating Islands on a David Attenborough documentary and thought it was somewhere that just the BBC went to? Then, you may be in for a pleasant surprise.

Last week, I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with someone who had visited the Galapagos and his enthusiasm for the place was infectious.

It was like a geography, biology and history lesson rolled into one. Did you know that Charles Darwin spent months on HMS Beagle in the Galapagos cataloging the animals etc?

All together the Galapagos is made up of 19 Islands, 15 of these are of interest and just 5 are inhabited by humans. They lie 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the USD is the national currency and it takes 1 hour 45 minutes to fly there on a jet aircraft from Quito in Ecuador. All good stuff to know – but how can I get there, who goes there, what can I do?

You will be pleased to know that Celebrity Cruises will have 2 ships there from May 2019, Xpedition and their brand new all suite ship, Flora.  There is so much to see and do – you start the experience with 2 nights in Quito, this city has Unesco world heritage status and the old town has Plaza’s, parks, a cathedral and a monastery to visit. You will then fly to Baltra and be taken to the jetty to board your Zodiac for your transfer to the ship – the reason why you have to use a Zodiac is because the ships can not drop anchor as this would cause damage to the sea bed.

You will be greeted with hot towels, champagne and a beautiful BBQ lunch. Once you have had time to settle in, you will then undertake your first adventure. Celebrity include 2 excursions every day and depending upon the time of year you visit there will be different wildlife, flaura and fauna to see.

Everything is included – drinks, tips, excursions, meals, it really is a fully inclusive experience.

Just imagine being 600 miles from the nearest land and light pollution – what must the night sky look like?

I know this experience isn’t for everyone – it’s a good job as Celebrity can only have 168 guests in the Galapagos at any one time on both of the ships. But, if you want luxury, excitement, want to feel as though you are giving something back, then this may be the right choice for you.