Galapagos Islands Map: Every Island and How to Reach It
Galapagos Islands map with every island: tap one to see what is there, how to reach it and which tour goes. Routes for 4, 5 and 7 day trips included.
the Quito Trips team, local guides in QuitoUpdated · 2 min read
This Galapagos Islands map shows all the main islands and, more useful for planning, which ones you can actually get to. Tap an island to see what is there, how to reach it and which of our tours goes. Press a trip length and the route appears on the map.
- On our land tours
- Day trip or yacht day from Santa Cruz
- By request
- Mostly by cruise
Tap an island to see what is there, how to reach it and which tour goes.
- Santa Cruz
- Isabela
- Baltra
- North Seymour
- South Plaza
- Santa Fe
- Bartolomé
- Pinzón
- Floreana
- San Cristóbal
- Santiago
- Rábida
- Genovesa
- Fernandina
- Española
- Marchena
- Pinta
4 days: Santa Cruz only
One hotel in Puerto Ayora and no crossings between islands.
See this tour: 4 Day Galapagos Tour on Santa Cruz · from $569
5 days: three nights on Isabela
Speedboat to Puerto Villamil on day 1, with the last night back on Santa Cruz.
See this tour: 5 Day Galapagos Tour on Isabela Island · from $879
7 days: two islands and a yacht day
Santa Cruz and Isabela, plus one day by yacht to Bartolomé, Santa Fe, North Seymour or South Plaza.
See this tour: 7 Day Galapagos Tour from Quito · from $1,279
Galapagos Islands map location: where they are
The Galápagos belong to Ecuador. They sit on the equator in the Pacific, about 1,000 km (600 miles) off the coast, and the small box in the corner of the map shows how far that is. Visitors can only get there by air, from Quito or Guayaquil, because no passenger boat runs from the mainland. How to get to Galápagos has the flights and what they cost.
The archipelago has 19 main islands. People live on four: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela and Floreana. Baltra is mostly runway, and it is where our tours begin. Wolf and Darwin are too far north for the frame, about 160 km from the rest. Only dive boats go there, for the whale sharks and hammerheads.
Which islands you can reach, and how
A map makes every island look equally close, and they are not. The National Park assigns which boats go where, so the color of each pin tells you what it takes to get there.
| Pin | Islands | How you get there |
|---|---|---|
| Green | Santa Cruz, Isabela, Baltra | On our land tours, sleeping in hotels. Baltra is the airport. |
| Orange | North Seymour, South Plaza, Santa Fe, Bartolomé, Pinzón, Floreana | A day on a boat from Santa Cruz. |
| Yellow | San Cristóbal | It has its own airport. We plan it by request. |
| Gray | Santiago, Rábida, Española, Genovesa, Fernandina, Marchena, Pinta | Mostly cruises. Day boats do not reach Genovesa or Fernandina, and Marchena and Pinta have no land visits. |
For a first trip of a week or less, we would stay in hotels on Santa Cruz and Isabela and add one yacht day. That gets you the tortoises, the volcano, the snorkeling and an uninhabited island. If Genovesa's seabirds or Fernandina's flightless cormorants are why you are going, you need a cruise. Our guide to choosing an operator starts with that decision.
Our Galapagos trips on the map
The buttons above the map draw each route. Solid lines are roads, teal dots are boats and orange dots are the yacht day.
- 4 days on Santa Cruz: one hotel in Puerto Ayora and no crossings between islands.
- 5 days based on Isabela: three nights in Puerto Villamil, with the last night back in Puerto Ayora.
- 7 days on two islands: Santa Cruz and Isabela, plus a yacht day to Bartolomé, Santa Fe, North Seymour or South Plaza.
What you do each day is in our Galapagos itinerary, and the packages page compares every trip side by side.
The Galapagos Islands, one by one
Santa Cruz
On our land tours
The center of most trips, and home to Puerto Ayora, the town where you sleep.
- What you see
- Charles Darwin Research Station, giant tortoises in the highlands, lava tunnels, Tortuga Bay, Las Grietas and the bay tour with sea lions and reef sharks.
- How to get there
- Land at Baltra, cross the Itabaca Channel on a short ferry and drive about 45 minutes to Puerto Ayora.
- Tours that go
- 4 Day Galapagos Tour on Santa Cruz · from $569
- 7 Day Galapagos Tour from Quito · from $1,279
- 9 Day Ecuador and Galapagos Tour · from $1,990
Isabela
On our land tours
The largest island, at 4,588 square km, built from six volcanoes. You stay in Puerto Villamil, a quiet beach town.
- What you see
- The Sierra Negra hike, snorkeling at Los Túneles, white-tip sharks and marine iguanas at Las Tintoreras, flamingos and the Wall of Tears.
- How to get there
- Public speedboat from Puerto Ayora, about two hours, $30 to $40 each way.
- Tours that go
- 5 Day Galapagos Tour on Isabela Island · from $879
- 7 Day Galapagos Tour from Quito · from $1,279
- 12 Day Ecuador and Galapagos Tour · from $2,690
- Tintoreras Tour in Isabela Island Galapagos · from $75
Baltra
On our land tours
A flat island taken up mostly by the airport. You pass through it, and our tours start here.
- How to get there
- Flights from Quito or Guayaquil. A direct flight from Quito takes about 2 hours; most stop in Guayaquil and take about 3. No passenger boat runs from the mainland.
North Seymour
Day trip from Santa Cruz
A small, flat island north of Baltra.
- What you see
- Blue-footed boobies, magnificent frigatebirds and sea lions.
- How to get there
- By yacht from Santa Cruz, as one of the options for the yacht day.
- Tours that go
- 7 Day Galapagos Tour from Quito · from $1,279
South Plaza
Day trip from Santa Cruz
A tiny island off the east coast of Santa Cruz.
- What you see
- Land iguanas and sea lions on lava lifted out of the sea.
- How to get there
- By yacht from Santa Cruz, as one of the options for the yacht day.
- Tours that go
- 7 Day Galapagos Tour from Quito · from $1,279
Santa Fe
Day trip from Santa Cruz
One of the oldest islands, with sandy beaches and clear water.
- What you see
- Sea lions, giant opuntia cactus and a land iguana that lives only on this island.
- How to get there
- By boat on a day tour from Santa Cruz.
- Tours that go
- Santa Fe Island Day Tour · from $165
- 7 Day Galapagos Tour from Quito · from $1,279
Bartolomé
Day trip from Santa Cruz
A small volcanic island off Santiago, known for Pinnacle Rock.
- What you see
- About 370 wooden steps up to the viewpoint over Pinnacle Rock.
- How to get there
- By yacht from Santa Cruz, as one of the options for the yacht day.
- Tours that go
- 7 Day Galapagos Tour from Quito · from $1,279
Pinzón
Day trip from Santa Cruz
An uninhabited volcanic island off the west coast of Santa Cruz, visited for its snorkeling.
- What you see
- Turtles, reef sharks and sea lions in the water.
- How to get there
- By boat on a day tour from Santa Cruz.
- Tours that go
- Pinzon Island · from $170
Floreana
Day trip from Santa Cruz
About 100 people live here, in one small town. It is known for the barrel used as a post office since the whaling days.
- How to get there
- By boat from Puerto Ayora, about two hours each way. Published day tours cost about $150 to $250 per person.
San Cristóbal
By request
The easternmost island, with its own airport. Our set tours stay on Santa Cruz and Isabela, so we plan this one by request.
- What you see
- Kicker Rock, the island's best-known boat trip.
- How to get there
- Flights from the mainland to San Cristóbal airport.
Santiago
Mostly by cruise
A large island with wide lava flows.
- What you see
- Sullivan Bay, Puerto Egas and Buccaneer Cove.
- How to get there
- Mostly on cruise routes. We do not run tours here.
Rábida
Mostly by cruise
A small island near the center of the archipelago, with reddish sand beaches.
- How to get there
- Mostly on cruise routes. We do not run tours here.
Genovesa
Cruise only
A small island in the far north, and one of the main reasons people choose a cruise.
- What you see
- Frigatebirds, red-footed boobies and swallow-tailed gulls at Darwin Bay and Prince Philip's Steps.
- How to get there
- Only live-aboard boats reach it. Day boats do not.
Fernandina
Cruise only
The youngest and westernmost island, with an active volcano.
- What you see
- Marine iguanas, Galápagos penguins and flightless cormorants at Punta Espinosa.
- How to get there
- Only live-aboard boats reach it. Day boats do not.
Española
Mostly by cruise
The oldest island in the archipelago.
- What you see
- Waved albatross and marine iguanas at Suárez Point and Gardner Bay.
- How to get there
- Mostly on cruise routes. We do not run tours here.
Marchena
No land visits
A remote island well north of Santiago, with no land visits.
- How to get there
- Not open to land visits.
Pinta
No land visits
An island in the far north of the archipelago, with no land visits.
- How to get there
- Not open to land visits.
Santa Cruz, Isabela and a day on a yacht
7 Day Galapagos Tour from Quito
Santa Cruz, Isabela and a Yacht Day
- 7 days
- Medium effort
From $1,279 per person
Galapagos map: questions we get
What country do the Galapagos Islands belong to?
Ecuador. The islands are one of its provinces, about 1,000 km (600 miles) off the coast, and you reach them on a domestic flight from Quito or Guayaquil.
How many islands are there in the Galapagos?
19 main islands, plus many islets and rocks. People live on four of them: Santa Cruz, San Cristóbal, Isabela and Floreana. Isabela is the largest, at 4,588 square km.
Can you visit the Galapagos without a cruise?
Yes. You sleep in hotels on Santa Cruz or Isabela and go out on day boats to islands like Santa Fe, Pinzón or North Seymour. What you give up is Genovesa and Fernandina, because only live-aboard boats reach them.
Why is it so expensive to go to the Galapagos Islands?
Almost everything arrives by plane or ship, so hotels, food and boats cost more than on the mainland. Each foreign adult also pays $220 in fees ($200 park fee and $20 Transit Control Card), and flights from Quito run about $400 to $600 round trip. Our cost guide adds it all up.
Can US citizens travel to the Galapagos Islands?
Yes. US citizens do not need a visa for a tourist stay of up to 90 days in Ecuador. You fly to Quito or Guayaquil, then on to the islands, and pay the same $220 in fees as other foreign visitors. Passport rules can change, so check the US State Department page for Ecuador before you fly.
When should you not go to the Galapagos Islands?
No month is closed. If cold water bothers you, skip September and October: the water is at its coldest, although prices drop 30 to 40% below July. June to August is cool, grey and the most expensive. Our best time to visit guide goes month by month.
Keep reading
Best Galapagos Tour Companies: How to Choose the Right OneBest Galapagos tour companies by type: cruise owners, group brands, agencies and local operators, plus 8 questions to ask before you pay.
Galapagos Itinerary: Day by Day Plans for 4, 5, 7 or 14 DaysGalapagos itinerary from local guides in Quito: day by day plans for 4, 5, 7 and 14 days on Santa Cruz and Isabela, with boat times and full costs.
All Inclusive Galapagos: What Is Really Included and What Costs ExtraAll inclusive Galapagos trips compared: what a cruise, a hotel program and a land tour include, what they leave out and what each one costs.