The Galapagos Islands are a perfect destination to celebrate your wedding. You can enjoy beautiful island beaches, iconic natural features, and incredible wildlife-watching opportunities.
You can choose to explore the islands from your comfortable hotel or on guided tours aboard luxury Galapagos cruises. The itineraries include walks with giant tortoises, visiting impressive lava tunnels, snorkeling with sea lions and penguins, and historical sites.
Here, you can follow in the footsteps of famous explorers, pirates, and naturalists.
The Galapagos Islands
An archipelago of 21 islands 550 miles (900 km) off the coast of Ecuador, the Galapagos Islands have astounded explorers & visitors for centuries.
Each island offers its unique charm and each one is often home to different animals, plants and scenery.
The largest islands in the Galapagos are Santa Cruz, Santiago, Isabela and San Cristobal. These are also the most populated and are where you can find different restaurants, hotels, shops, and galleries.
We will go over some of the tops things to do on the Galapagos to give you some examples. If you would like a more detailed list, you can see our guide to Galapagos points of interest.
We will mention three main islands and some of the surrounding smaller islands to help you plan your Galapagos honeymoon.
Note that many of the surrounding islands and wildlife havens are best enjoyed on guided tours. Because of national park restrictions, many of the best places even require a guide to visit.
You can choose from comfortable cruises to explore the islands, which offer guided tours, meals and accommodation.
As a more land-based option, you can choose one of the carefully designed package tours from the comfortable Galapagos Habitat Hotel. These include accommodation, guided tours to surrounding islands and delicious cuisine in the hotel’s Almar Restaurant.
Before getting into these options, let’s first have a look at Santa Cruz, which is one of the most visited of the Galapagos Islands.
Santa Cruz Island
A favorite island to base yourself, Santa Cruz is where you find some of the best cafes, restaurants, spas, chocolate shops, souvenir shops, galleries, and hotels on the Galapagos.
This is also where you will find the Charles Darwin Research Center to see the work the Charles Darwin Foundation is doing to preserve the islands and wildlife. See giant tortoises and the baby tortoises in the breeding program, which was started to recover the island’s population.
Another of the favorite things to do is to snorkel, kayak and simply relax on the beautiful sands of Tortuga Bay.
Named after the green turtles you are sure to see, after a walk through native vegetation you will pass marine iguanas and some incredible scenery before arriving at the bay itself.
Enjoy the bay’s warm water and beautiful sand, or paddle and snorkel around the bay to see the wildlife, such as colorful fish, sea turtles, friendly reef sharks and rays.
A beautiful accommodation option to enjoy Santa Cruz Island, which also offers package tours for Galapagos exploration, is the Galapagos Habitat Hotel.
The Galapagos Habitat Hotel
Santa Cruz, Galapagos IslandsOffering very comfortable accommodation and package tours for the Galapagos Islands, the Galapagos Habitat Hotel (previously the Red Mangrove) is
San Cristobal Island
On San Cristobal Island, you also find some great things to do. There is a large tourism industry offering tours to see surrounding islands and some of the incredible wildlife.
Located near San Cristobal is the Leon Dormido Islet, which is one of the most famous landmarks of the islands. You can also walk among giant tortoises at El Chato Reserve, visit Punta Carola for a fantastic sunset, and snorkel Playa Mann to see colorful fish and sea lions.
If you would like a cruise to explore surrounding islands, bays, landmarks and wildlife, we recommend the Ocean Spray Cruise. The Ocean Spray offers different itineraries, so you can choose the best one to make the most of your Galapagos Islands honeymoon.
The Ocean Spray Cruise
Galapagos Islands, EcuadorThe Ocean Spray provides a highly comfortable Galapagos cruise aboard a luxury Mega-Catamaran. Enjoy the modern design with a large
Isabela Island
Isabela Island is another favorite island in the Galapagos archipelago. This is the largest island in the Galapagos, which pirates, whalers, and explorers would use to moor their vessels when setting foot on the islands.
Isabela is also lucky to be home to more giant tortoises than any other part of the Galapagos.
Explore Vicente Roca Point nearby to see Nazca boobies, sea lions, sea turtles, blue-footed boobies, rays and tropical fish. You can also snorkel with penguins at Concha de Perla.
As many of the best attractions are on smaller surrounding islands, the best option to explore the Galapagos is to book a cruise. If you’re celebrating your honeymoon, we recommend the luxury Galapagos cruises to make the most of your experience.
The Petrel Galapagos Cruise is a luxury-class catamaran, which offers more stability, as you cruise between islands to enjoy some of the best wildlife spectacles of the Galapagos.
To make the most of your time in Ecuador, you can also enjoy the combination Amazon Rainforest & Galapagos package tour, including the luxurious La Selva Lodge and luxury Galapagos Cruise.
The Amazon Galapagos Combo Tour
Quito, EcuadorCurrently, TourTheTropics.com cannot help you book this experience. However, you can visit the tour operator's website for more information.
We will mention some recommended tours, cruises and hotels below. Each of the following tours offers a very comfortable experience to explore the main Galapagos attractions.
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The Galapagos Habitat Hotel
The Galapagos Habitat Hotel offers a very comfortable hotel on Santa Cruz Island. The hotel is conveniently positioned next door to the Charles Darwin Research Center. The Galapagos Habitat is also close to some of the island’s best galleries, cafes, attractions, and restaurants, including the Galapagos Habitat’s own Almar Restaurant by Isla Grill.
Even from the Galapagos Habitat Hotel, you can see incredible wildlife. Enjoy the resident sea lions that have had their own area on the property. They are accommodated as this was their home before the hotel’s foundation. With their own access to the ocean, the sea lions now enjoy lazing on the hotel deckchairs and benches.
You will also see many marine iguanas that don’t seem to mind sunbathing nearby as you enjoy your breakfast or morning coffee. Even Darwin’s Finches and pelicans are easily seen.
However, to enjoy some of the other wildlife and natural spectacles of these incredible islands, the Galapagos Habitat Hotel offers some fantastic package tours to nearby islands and islets.
In addition to luxurious accommodation, nearby wildlife spectacles and Galapagos tour packages, you will also have the hotel’s own Almar Restaurant, which is operated by the excellent Isla Grill.
The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood and meats prepared with an Argentinean and Galapagos-Ecuadorian influence. This is where you will enjoy your breakfasts while at the hotel with beautiful morning views.
The Galapagos Habitat Hotel
Santa Cruz, Galapagos IslandsOffering very comfortable accommodation and package tours for the Galapagos Islands, the Galapagos Habitat Hotel (previously the Red Mangrove) is
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The Ocean Spray Luxury Cruise
To make the perfect honeymoon, the Ocean Spray offers a fantastic luxury cruise of the Galapagos Islands.Designed for comfort and performance, the Ocean Spray provides a stable and comfortable way to cruise between different islands. Enjoy large living areas, the sundeck, jacuzzi, and the spacious modern cabins with ensuites and private balconies.
You can choose an itinerary for how many days you have available to explore the islands. There are cruises from 4-days to their 15-day mega cruise for in depth exploration of the Galapagos archipelago. As the cruise provides kayaks and snorkeling equipment, you can explore the land and water environment on guided excursions.
The Ocean Spray 4-night Cruise
Here is an example of a 5-day / 4-night itinerary aboard the Ocean Spray, but note that there are alternative itineraries.You will arrive at the Baltra Island Airport where you will be briefed before boarding the Ocean Spray vessel itself. You will then begin your adventure as you head to Bartholomew Island for the most famous view of the Galapagos Islands. Here, you have the option of snorkeling to see different colorful fish.
The following day, you will visit Genovesa and Darwin Bay. You will have a guided walk on the island’s trails to spot sea birds and enjoy a beautiful coral beach.
You will then visit Santiago and Espumilla Beach where you can see marine iguanas and Sally Lightfoot crabs. Nearby is where British buccaneers would seek refuge, which has led to the name of Buccaneer Cove.
See the black sands of Puerto Egas as you walk a trail where you can spot Galapagos hawks, lava lizards and Galapagos fur seals.
The next day, you will visit North Seymour Island where you can spot magnificent frigatebirds, sea lions, and the famous blue-footed boobies.
You will also have a guided walk in the highlands of Santa Cruz where you can see the iconic giant tortoises as they roam the island. There will also be more snorkeling opportunities to see reef sharks, turtles, and colorful fish.The last day will be spent on Mosquera Island with its beautiful beaches and island views. Occasionally, guests are lucky enough to spot orcas. This is also where you find the largest population of sea lions on the Galapagos Islands.
The Ocean Spray Cruise
Galapagos Islands, EcuadorThe Ocean Spray provides a highly comfortable Galapagos cruise aboard a luxury Mega-Catamaran. Enjoy the modern design with a large
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The Petrel Cruise
The Petrel Galapagos Cruise offers a fantastic luxury cruise of the Galapagos Islands. The luxury catamaran provides stability and comfort as you cruise from island to island.
Aboard the vessel, you will have access to kayaks, snorkeling equipment and will be assigned expert naturalist guides for wildlife exploration.
You will then explore both the marine environment and trails to see spectacular wildlife and beautiful scenery.
The Petrel Cruise provides a very comfortable base to explore the islands. Enjoy spacious suites, jacuzzi, and comfortable relaxation areas. You can choose from the Petrel’s 5-day, 6-day and 8-day itineraries.
We will mention the 8-day itinerary as an example.
The Petrel Cruise 8-day Itinerary
The Petrel Cruise offers different itinerary options. To give an example, the 8-day itinerary ‘B’ starts off on San Cristobal Island.Explore the island to find iconic giant tortoises, which have intrigued visitors and explorers alike for centuries.
The next day, explore Gardner Bay and Española Island to enjoy a trail walk by a beautiful beach. Snorkel the turquoise waters to find sea lions and colorful fish.
You will then enjoy a visit to Suárez Point and Osborn Islet, which are also found on Española. These are great places to spot other iconic wildlife, including lava lizards, blue-footed boobies and the incredible waved albatross.
The next day, you will cruise to Floreana Island and Cormorant Point. This is a great place to spot flamingos at the lagoon as well as many other Galapagos birds. Nearby, you will also visit a beautiful beach of green olivine crystals and another of white corals.
It’s now time to visit one of the most wildlife-rich areas of the Galapagos Islands, which is known as the Devil’s Crown. The area offers some of the best snorkeling on the islands to see a high diversity of colorful fish, sharks and many different rays. You will also visit a site called Post Office Bay where early sailors would leave letters for loved ones in the hopes that a passing vessel would deliver their message.
After a night’s sleep, you will visit Santa Cruz and the Charles Darwin Research Center. This is a great place to learn what the Charles Darwin Foundation is doing to help protect and restore the islands and wildlife. See the giant tortoises and the babies in the breeding program, which are released onto the island to help the giant tortoises population.
You will now visit Bartholomew Island, which offers an incredible landscape of lava fields showing the patterns of vegetation that grew here long ago. You will also enjoy some incredible views of the Galapagos.
Next, it’s time to head to Genovesa Island for Darwin Bay with its beautiful coral beach. See many different birds, including the iconic red-footed boobies.
You will then visit Santiago Island to see Buccaneer Cove, which was once where pirates, whalers and explorers would moor their vessels to visit the islands.
The last day will be spent exploring Mosquera Island and Santa Cruz. We will visit Carrion Point, which is another wildlife-rich snorkeling site. Enjoy spotting many colorful fish and rays.
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Galapagos & Amazon Combination Tour
As a highly recommended add-on to your Galapagos honeymoon cruise, you can enjoy the Galapagos and La Selva Lodge combination tour.
Combine both of these excellent tours to cruise the Galapagos Islands to find the iconic marine iguanas, playful sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and giant tortoises. For exploration, you are assigned an expert naturalist guide for both the Galapagos Islands and Amazon Rainforest.
On the Galapagos cruise, enjoy exploring the top wildlife areas on guided trail walks, kayaking experiences, and snorkeling. In the water, see a diversity of colorful fish, sea turtles, friendly reef sharks and different rays.
When you aren’t out on excursions, enjoy the luxurious vessel in your spacious suite or the comfortable relaxation areas.
At the award-winning La Selva Lodge, you will enjoy a very comfortable suite with scenic views. You will then head out to explore the Amazon Rainforest led by your skilled naturalist guide. See many different monkeys, parrots, toucans, and caiman while exploring the waterways. At La Selva Lodge & Spa, you can also relax with a massage listening to the sounds of Amazonia.
The Amazon Galapagos Combo Tour
Quito, EcuadorCurrently, TourTheTropics.com cannot help you book this experience. However, you can visit the tour operator's website for more information.
About the Author: Ash Card is a frequent visitor to the Tropics and has a passion for helping visitors get the best experiences from tropical locations. Ash is a contributor to both TourTheTropics.com and ThinkJungle.com writing about tropical destinations, rainforests and wildlife. Feel free to contact Ash for tour help in the tropics. When not helping tourists with tours and info, Ash can be found salsa-ing the night away or posing near waterfalls.
