The headline numbers: 290,404 visitors in 2025 (62% foreign); a $200 national park fee for foreign adults since 2024-08-01; a $20 transit card; about 28,583 residents on four inhabited islands; sea temperature from 21.5°C to 25.7°C through the year.
Fees and entry
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Galapagos National Park entrance fee (tributo/tasa), foreign tourist 12 and over | $200 | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Park entrance fee, foreign tourist under 12 | $100 | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Park entrance fee, Andean Community (CAN) or Mercosur nationals, 12 and over (non-resident in Ecuador) | $100 | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Park entrance fee, CAN or Mercosur nationals under 12 | $50 | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Park entrance fee, Ecuadorian nationals or foreigners resident in Ecuador, over 12 | $30 | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Park entrance fee, Ecuador residents under 12, over 65 or with CONADIS disability card | $15 | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Park entrance fee exemption for children under 2 | exempt | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Effective date of the current (doubled) park entrance fee | 2024-08-01 | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Transit Control Card (TCT) price | $20 | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Maximum tourist stay in Galapagos per year | 60 days | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Health/medical insurance for Galapagos | Required by law for foreign tourists (LOREG Art. 49); enforcement at the airport counter not confirmed | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Return/onward ticket for Galapagos | Required: round-trip air ticket between mainland and Galapagos | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
Visitors and population
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Total visitor arrivals to Galapagos protected areas, 2025 | 290,404 arrivals | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Foreign visitors 2025 | 178,737 arrivals | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Ecuadorian (national) visitors 2025 | 111,667 arrivals | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Population of Galapagos province (Census 2022) | 28,583 people | citypopulation.de read 2026-11-06 |
| Inhabited islands | 4 permanently inhabited (Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela, Floreana); DPNG counts 5 islands with any settlement incl. Baltra | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Number of islands, islets and rocks | 330 islands, islets and rocks (DPNG page) / 234 emerged land units (DPNG 2021 visit-rules deck) | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Number of visitor sites | 88 land + 92 marine = 180 | gobiernogalapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
Getting there and around
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Flight duration mainland to Galapagos | 2 to 2.5 | voyagers.travel read 2026-11-06 |
| Mainland to Galápagos return flight, low end | $490 | voyagers.travel read 2026-11-06 |
| Mainland to Galápagos return flight, high end | $545 | voyagers.travel read 2026-11-06 |
| Do Quito flights stop in Guayaquil? | Usually yes (about 40 minutes, same aircraft); a few days have a direct UIO-GPS flight | voyagers.travel read 2026-11-06 |
| Baltra airport bus to Itabaca channel | $5 | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Itabaca channel barge crossing (Baltra side to Santa Cruz) | $1 | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Public bus from Itabaca channel to Puerto Ayora | $5 | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Taxi from Itabaca channel to Puerto Ayora | $30 | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| San Cristobal airport to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno | $10 | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Santa Cruz to Isabela crossing time | 2 hours | wetravel.com read 2026-11-06 |
| Inter-island ferry, one way, foreigner (lowest listing seen) | $30 | wetravel.com read 2026-11-06 |
| Inter-island ferry, one way, foreigner (highest listing seen, used in the calculator) | $55 | wetravel.com read 2026-11-06 |
| Water-taxi fee at the docks | $1 | wetravel.com read 2026-11-06 |
| Isabela (Puerto Villamil) municipal dock/income fee, foreign visitor | $10 | wetravel.com read 2026-11-06 |
| Inter-island flights (Emetebe): routes | Baltra (GPS) - San Cristobal (SCY) - Isabela (IBB); no Santa Cruz town airport | flights.emetebe.com.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Inter-island flight typical price (Emetebe) | from USD 153 (SCY-IBB, IBB-SCY) to USD 199 (GPS-SCY); SCY-GPS from USD 191 | flights.emetebe.com.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Inter-island flight baggage allowance (Emetebe) | 25 lb on Optimal/Promotion/GPS fares (15 lb Standard, 35 lb Flex Plus), carry-on included | emetebe.com.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Galapagos time zone | UTC-6 (GALT), one hour behind mainland Ecuador (UTC-5); no daylight saving | datosmundial.com read 2026-11-06 |
| Currency | US dollar (USD) | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
Park rules
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Certified naturalist guide required | Yes, at protected-area visit sites except sites the authority expressly exempts | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Minimum distance from wildlife | 2 metres | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Drones | Prohibited for recreational/tourist use; only authorised for science, management, news, commercial or rescue work | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Tortuga Bay and nearby sites: opening hours | 06:00-18:00 daily (DPNG 2020 guideline for sites near towns; visitor registration at entrance) | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Las Grietas access (free without guide?) | Not free-roam: visit via bay tour or organised group with prior coordination (capacity 32 in 2020); 2026 press says agencies must reserve in advance | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
| Biosecurity (ABG) inspection of bags | Mandatory: luggage inspected at departure airport, hand luggage on arrival, and again before inter-island boats at the docks | galapagos.gob.ec read 2026-11-06 |
Prices for planning
| Fact | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Budget-class cruise, price per person per day | $561 | GalapagosIslands.com: budget cruises read 2026-11-06 |
| Mid-range/first-class cruise band, per person per day | $750 | GalapagosIslands.com: cruise price bands read 2026-11-06 |
| Luxury cruise, price per person per day | $1,239 | Happy Gringo: Tribute 5-day cruise 2026 prices read 2026-11-06 |
| El Chato Tortoise Reserve entrance fee (private reserve) | $10 | voyagers.travel read 2026-11-06 |
Climate normals, Puerto Ayora (1991–2020)
Charles Darwin Foundation station at Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz (2 m above sea level): 30-year monthly means of the daily data. Rain is the median monthly total, because El Niño years inflate the mean.
| Month | High | Low | Sea | Rain (median) | Rain days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 28.6°C | 22.8°C | 24.5°C | 22 mm | 5.4 |
| February | 30.4°C | 23.1°C | 25.4°C | 49 mm | 6.9 |
| March | 31°C | 23°C | 25.7°C | 40 mm | 5.2 |
| April | 29.9°C | 22.9°C | 25.5°C | 8 mm | 5.1 |
| May | 28.3°C | 22.9°C | 24.7°C | 4 mm | 4 |
| June | 26.7°C | 21.8°C | 23.5°C | 10 mm | 3.4 |
| July | 25.4°C | 20.7°C | 22.3°C | 13 mm | 4.3 |
| August | 24.4°C | 19.7°C | 21.5°C | 13 mm | 4.1 |
| September | 24.3°C | 19.6°C | 21.5°C | 11 mm | 3.1 |
| October | 24.8°C | 19.8°C | 21.7°C | 9 mm | 3.2 |
| November | 25.5°C | 20.4°C | 22.3°C | 9 mm | 3.5 |
| December | 26.8°C | 21.6°C | 23.2°C | 12 mm | 5.2 |
Source: Charles Darwin Foundation climate data, Puerto Ayora (daily CSV, read 2026-11-06).
Hotel price bands
| Town | Budget | Mid-range | Top end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz | $63 | $111 | $270 |
| Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, San Cristóbal | $68 | $125 | $198 |
| Puerto Villamil, Isabela | $57 | $84 | $205 |
| Quito airport area | $39 | $65 | $127 |
Double room, one night, two adults; Google Hotels, February 2027 dates.
Using these numbers
Everything on this page may be quoted and linked under CC BY 4.0: name galapagosislands.info and link to this page. The register is also available as JSON. Fees and rules change; the "read" date next to each source tells you how fresh the figure is.
Suggested citation: galapagosislands.info, "Galápagos facts and figures", https://galapagosislands.info/galapagos-facts/ (accessed 2026-11-06)
Updated 2026-11-06. Fees, boat times and prices change, so confirm with the operator before you travel.