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Galapagos Travel Guide: Cruise, Tours, Last minute deals
Flooding in the Galápagos: Is It Safe to Travel and Take Tours? Latest Update for Visitors
Recent heavy rainfall and flooding across the Galápagos Islands have raised concerns among travelers planning to visit this destination in November, December, and the coming months. Images shared through news outlets and social media have shown flooded streets, damaged homes, and areas affected by heavy rainfall.
However, it is important to understand that the flooding has not brought tourism activities across the entire archipelago to a standstill. The Galápagos Islands continue to welcome visitors, and tour operators are maintaining their activities, with some specific adjustments to visitor sites where access restrictions are in place.
At ChokoTrip, we want to share the latest information so you can make an informed decision and travel with peace of mind.
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What Happened with the Flooding in the Galápagos Islands?
In late October and during the first few days of November 2026, heavy rainfall caused several natural ravines and waterways to overflow, mainly on Santa Cruz Island. Some of the affected areas included Puerto Ayora, Bellavista, La Cascada, La Unión, and nearby neighborhoods.
The situation has affected local families, homes, and infrastructure. For this reason, local authorities and emergency response teams continue working to restore the affected areas.
It is important to remember that these impacts do not affect all of the Galápagos Islands. The archipelago consists of several islands and visitor sites, many of which continue operating as usual.
Are Galápagos Tours Operating as Usual?
Yes! Tourism activities continue throughout the Galápagos Islands.
Boat tours, day trips, and excursions organized by local tour operators are continuing to operate, subject to safety conditions and any instructions issued by the authorities.
Vessels operating excursions to destinations such as Bartolomé Island, North Seymour, Española Island, Santa Fe, and other destinations continue operating, subject to availability and the conditions of each itinerary.
Activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, and inter-island excursions are also continuing, provided sea conditions and the relevant authorizations allow them to take place.
Some land-based excursions may require temporary changes due to access conditions in certain areas. This does not mean that all tours have been suspended.
Pablo S. 🇲🇽 said: Chokotours was a great option I found exploring… Chokotours was a great option I found exploring alternatives on the internet to visit Galapagos. All the tours I booked with him happened exactly how they told me. Bartolomé is a great day tour to visit one of the most iconic landscapes of the Archipiélago. Worth mentioned that the snorkel experience on this tour is nothing espectacular (compared to other tours), but the visit of the island is worth it. Be mindful of the 2 hrs boat trip on your way in, and the 2 hrs on the way back! If you have see-sickness, consider investing a bit more (a better boat) to be more confortable if your budget allows it. Great guide, great tripulation, nice food, espectacular experience. Rent a wetsuit! Not only because of the cold water, but because of the sun... It do burn much more than any other place in the world. Booked the Bartolome Island tour Rebecca 🇺🇸 said: If you like being up close with birds, this is a… If you like being up close with birds, this is a great tour for you. We were on the Islands during the nesting season for the frigate birds. They were everywhere, including some of the chicks. You could stand super close and get beautiful pictures of the nests and the bird parents. We also saw several of the male frigate birds with the red balloon fully filled to attract a mate. We did this trip on low cost yacht, and really enjoyed the yacht. The chef prepares an excellent lunch and there are snacks throughout the day. I recommend! Booked the North Seymour Island tour Luigi 🇮🇹 said: Floreana Island i really unique, it's one of the… Floreana Island i really unique, it's one of the day trip i liked most. The island itself is incredibly green, plenty of trees of oranges, waba and different plants, with a fascinating history. Also the stop to the beach was nice, plenty of sea turtles to play with. It would also be nice, if you have the chance, to stay overnight on the island, there are a few resorts and restaurants there Booked the Floreana Island tour Andria 🇪🇨 said: The day trip to Espanola was the best island tour… The day trip to Espanola was the best island tour taken during my trip to the Galapagos. The boat ride is a bit bouncy, but less so than the island transfer ferries. Not so bad, if you sit outside at the back of the boat. There were lots of albatross and blue footed boobies, saw 2 hawks, sea lions and marine iguanas. A very pleasant lunch was served after the hike. It was snorkeling time after lunch. Snorkeled for over an hour and saw plenty of sea life. Guide took great underwater footage that was shared with everyone. Great guide and crew. I would highly recommend. Booked the Espanola Island tour Rahul Gudapati 🇪🇨 said: We did Pinzon + Daphne. It is a very snorkel… We did Pinzon + Daphne. It is a very snorkel heavy and intense tour, which is exactly what we were looking for. Booking with Choko was a good experience, but we got unlucky with the snorkeling - it was a bad day with low visibility. We still saw a playful sea lion and massive blacktip shark - both at Pinzon. Our operator- the Contagious Yacht - was not the best, but good value for the money - be careful if you get seasick. Our guide was not very good and not likeable - this was the only tour we booked through Choko that had a bad guide. Overall, still a positive experience, and i recommend booking if you want a snorkel-intensive tour from Santa Cruz. It appears that we just got very unlucky. Booked the Pinzon Island tour Luke Hammond 🇺🇸 said: We booked a tour via Choko to Bartolome from… We booked a tour via Choko to Bartolome from Santa Cruz and it was excellent. From the moment we booked we received the voucher with the contact details of our operators and information regarding where we needed to meet and what we needed to bring on the day. All in all very good service for a good price. Booked the Bartolome Island tour Sherie Newman 🇨🇴 said: Choko Tours was a great help planning our 3… Choko Tours was a great help planning our 3 experiences on the 3 islands we visited in the Galápagos Islands. Booked the Bartolome Island tour Jerry 🇺🇸 said: We enjoyed the negra volocano tour very much. Our… We enjoyed the negra volocano tour very much. Our guide was knowledgeable and shared interesting facts. We are in our late sixties but the guide ensured the pace was not too much and was monitoring our progress. The sight is well worth the hike and we are glad we did the hike. All in all a very enjoyable experience. Booked the Sierra Negra Volcano tour Francisco 🇺🇸 said: The catamaran that we took out to Kicker Rock… The catamaran that we took out to Kicker Rock offered a fairly comfortable ride. There were drinks and snacks provided, but I was disappointed to see that it was a communal container of chips, which really makes for unhygienic snacking. As vegetarians, we were able to have an omelet as a lunch alternative. The water was pretty choppy for snorkeling. I ended up taking advantage of our guide's offer to tow me around on his buoy or else I probably would have needed to go back to the boat. Hammerheads were spotted in the water, but the conditions were a bit murky, so I couldn't really even make out their shape. Our guide was very engaging, asking us what we all hoped to see and what we had enjoyed the most afterwards. We went to a beach for a while but ended that excursion early because dolphins were spotted and we were able to get back to the boat and chase them for a while. It was incredible. The crew made cocktails to celebrate the days' success. Our guide shared his footage afterwards. Booked the Kicker Rock tour Iain Taylor 🇬🇧 said: Choko was great, booked up 4 tours. Very quick… Choko was great, booked up 4 tours. Very quick responses and all tours went like clock work. 360 tour was great round San Cristiobol. The sea was rouph on first leg but went past a massive school of dolphins all jumping and playing. Hammer heads at kick rock unforgettable experiences. The Tunnels on Isabela magical caves full of white tip and black tip sharks. Sea turtles and many fish on all the tours. Choko highly recommended. Booked the Bartolome Island tour Daniela Favaro 🇧🇷 said: Podem reservar o tour para Bartolome com a… Podem reservar o tour para Bartolome com a chokotrip sem medo. Ele entrega justamente o que promete. O cliente não tem nenhuma supresa desagradável, como costuma ocorrer em sites que vendem passeios de terceiros. Adoramos o passeio. Booked the Bartolome Island tour Rahul Gudapati 🇪🇨 said: The best snorkeling tour in the Galapagos. We had… The best snorkeling tour in the Galapagos. We had phenomenal experience and crossed nearly every animal off out list, including sea horses, octopus, endless turtles, white tip sharks, black tip sharks, a playful sea lion, fur seals, blue footed boobies, tropical fish, and more. Our operator and our guide Alam were amazing. If you book nothing else, book Cabo Rosa/Los Tuneles and Tintorerras. You will leave the Galapagos satisfied Booked the Los tuneles Cabo Rosa tour John 🇺🇸 said: Our tour was very nice and the crew and… Our tour was very nice and the crew and naturalist, John, were all knowledgeable and helpful. The boat was spacious, with plenty of seating inside, two bathrooms, seating on the back deck and on the second level up by the captain. Our trip was Cerro Brujo beach and Kicker Rock. The trip to the beach was comfortable, despite it being a fairly windy day. The beach was lovely and the brief walking tour with John was very good, and it was a nice place to swim or just relax for a while. As we neared Kicker Rock, there were dolphins swimming nearby and the boat captain did a loop with the dolphins swimming alongside the boat. Beautiful! Kicker Rock was interesting. We were dropped off at one end of the canal between two of the large rocks in fairly wavy seas. Although I'm a strong lake swimmer, I wasn't well prepared for this and I was also having issues with my snorkel mask (it was already a replacement for my first one, which leaked badly). Fortunately, the group leader had a life ring for some of the other less confident swimmers so I was able to latch on as we swam into gentler waters. (post trip note: you can rent a full face snorkel mask for $5 per day -- well worth it). Once in calmer waters, the snorkeling was good. On our day, with the wind, the water wasn't as clear as I'd seen in some videos, but we saw fish, a shark, and turtles. We were out for 30-45 minutes before a brief break, and then some folks went for a second round. We had some snacks early in the trip (bananas and banana bread), and lunch was served after snorkeling. It was a tasty chicken fillet, rice, vegetables, and some beans. It was served with juice, Coke, or water. Overall, the tour was a very good experience and I'm glad we went. People was very professional and also helped us recover a pair of shorts left onboard the boat. Would do again! Booked the Kicker Rock tour Jerry 🇺🇸 said: We did five tours with Choko and this was the… We did five tours with Choko and this was the best. The Tunnels are amazing and words cannot describe the experience. The guide was also outstanding, and was able to find turtles, an octopus, a sting ray and a shark while snorkeling. He also took great underwater pictures. All in all, we were most satisfied with this tour, the 360 tour at Cristobal, and the Negra Volcano hike. Booked the Los tuneles Cabo Rosa tour Maria 🇺🇸 said: What a great trip! Booking through Choko Trip was… What a great trip! Booking through Choko Trip was easy, the boat and the crew were fantastic. We went to the island, snorkeled, eat delicious food and visited remote beach. The guide was very knowledgeable. We enjoyed seeing blue footed boobies and frigates up close. We also saw wild flamingoes. Highly recommend! Booked the North Seymour Island tour Athos Preussler 🇪🇨 said: Great experience. The crew was really nice and… Great experience. The crew was really nice and friendly.. I had a wonderful experience snorkeling around “Leon Dormido” rock. Sea lions, turtles and shark. The boat was excellent, good lunch and coffee and water included. Highly recommended. Booked the Kicker Rock tour Y Zhang 🇳🇱 said: I’m very grateful to Choko for arranging my North… I’m very grateful to Choko for arranging my North Seymour tour. I had originally booked months in advance with another agency, but they cancelled on me at the last minute. After contacting five other agencies—all fully booked for my dates—I finally found Choko, who managed to secure a spot for me on the exact day I needed and at the same price as the others. Communication and booking were smooth and reassuring throughout. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable, and the crew on board provided excellent service, even surprising us with dessert after lunch. The yacht, was comfortable and well‑maintained, making the journey pleasant. North Seymour Island itself was beautiful. I had hoped to see many blue‑footed boobies, but due to unusually high temperatures they weren’t nesting during my visit. Instead, I was able to observe plenty of frigate birds and land iguanas from very close range. It wasn’t what I originally expected, but it was still a wonderful and worthwhile experience. Booked the North Seymour Island tour Angie 🇺🇸 said: We had a great time on our trip to Punta Pitt!… We had a great time on our trip to Punta Pitt! The guide, Ernesto, was fantastic, and it was such a beautiful place to visit. We got to snorkel with sea lions, but the water ended up being a bit rough, and that location might have been better for more experienced snorkelers than ourselves. Still a really great trip, fun boat ride with great crew, and just a fun experience overall. So cool to see all the different boobies at this time of year too. In May, the Red-footed Boobies have chicks, the Blue-footeds are displaying and setting up nesting areas, and the Nazcas were doing their own thing closer to the coast. Punta Pitt is a must-see for any bird enthusiasts like us. Booked the Pitt Point tour Enrico Cocconcelli 🇮🇹 said: Ci siamo trovati benissimo con Choko Tours neel… Ci siamo trovati benissimo con Choko Tours neel visitare le Galapagos. Tour Bartolome' super e unico, eravamo l' unica barca quella mattina. Staff gentile e guida del parco preparata e motivata. Bellissimo anche il tour Seymour North e Los Tunneles a Isabela dove fcendo snorkeling puoi vedere tartarughe , iguane marine, pinguini e squali nella stessa guornata. Booked the Bartolome Island tour Rebecca 🇺🇸 said: This tour was by far the best snorkeling on the… This tour was by far the best snorkeling on the islands, so highly recommend. We saw huge schools of fish, turtles, black and white tip sharks, penguins, star fish and more. You hike up to the most famous view of the islands; it was beautiful. Also we really like the Espanola yacht - lots of room on top and in the AC cabin, the chef prepares a wonderful lunch, snacks throughout - just great. We were on low cost yacht for two of our tours and enjoyed them both times. It is a long day, but worth it! Booked the Bartolome Island tour Bárbara Vale 🇧🇷 said: A assistência do Choko foi muito importante para… A assistência do Choko foi muito importante para toda a nossa viagem. Estávamos em 16 a princípio, e o Choko nos ajudou com com os passeios que queríamos, conseguindo adequar as datas e as necessidades de cada um. Sempre muito atenciosos e presente. Consegui resolver tudo, inclusive quando duas das amigas precisaram cancelar. Todos os touros foram incríveis, sempre no horário e tudo conforme o combinado. Recomendamos muito o Chok Trips, confiável, comunicativo e paciente. Galapagos foi uma linda experiência, e o Choko contribuiu muito para isso. Booked the Discovery Diving in Santa Cruz tour Ximena Nogueira 🇦🇷 said: Excelente tour de Snorkel. El guía Alan del… Excelente tour de Snorkel. El guía Alan del Dorado super! Explica todo, enseña, cuida el lugar, busca y muestra. Vimos muchísimo. Booked the Los tuneles Cabo Rosa tour Luke Hammond 🇺🇸 said: Had a very good tour of the sierra negra volcano… Had a very good tour of the sierra negra volcano with an informative guide and a great view of the volcanic landscapes. Would highly recommend Choko as an agency to book through with the pricing and product offering being competitive. Booked the Sierra Negra Volcano tour Birgit 🇩🇪 said: Amazing snorkeling tour with professional guides… Amazing snorkeling tour with professional guides and great food Booked the Kicker Rock tour Mandy Fuller 🇧🇷 said: We did 3 trips with Choko tours, North Seymour… We did 3 trips with Choko tours, North Seymour, Santa Fe and Bartolome. Booked the Santa Fe Island tour Kristin 🇺🇸 said: Our group had a great time! We saw turtles… Our group had a great time! We saw turtles, several shark species, many types of fish and overall enjoyed our day out - Richard was terrific, making us feel taken care of the whole way!! Booked the Pinzon Island tour Francisco 🇺🇸 said: The speed boat ride to Espanola was a bit rough… The speed boat ride to Espanola was a bit rough. It takes about an hour and a half one-way. I was expecting a longer walk once we got to the island, but it's a rather short walk on land to see the waved albatross. It was cool to see them, but I felt like the guide could have provided more info. There were lots of Nazca boobies as well. Then, we went to the snorkeling spot. The waves got choppy here, and the guide called it early. We saw a lot of starfish, one huge manta ray, and a shark. Lunch wasn't bad - there was lentils, rice, eggs, and soda. There was a good variety of snacks, including watermelon, packaged cookies, bananas, mandarin, and a plate of communal chips and guacamole. I really find the communal bowls of chips to be unhygienic in this environment. There was one member of the group who was playing videos loudly on his phone, and it took the guide a while to say something - someone else in the group had to prompt him to address the situation. Our guide was newer, and he did seem a bit inexperienced. He was able to send us some of his footage afterwards. Booked the Espanola Island tour Dale Markowski 🇺🇸 said: We booked 3 tours. North Seymour, St Bartolome… We booked 3 tours. North Seymour, St Bartolome and Pinzon/La Fe. For our first 2 tours we decided to splurge and do the luxury yacht. We absolutely loved the yacht and the home cooked meals and desserts that were served each day. We went to Seymour and Bartolome. Each island had it own fish and bird game to offer. The frigates blue boobies and iguanas were amazing on Seymour. Our naturalists were wonderful and very informative about the islands and the inhabitants. The snorkeling was excellent. Long days. As far as Pinzon with a stop at a place called La Fe. La Fe did not really offer anything worth wild except a few turtles which we had already seen plenty of and the visibility was not good. Pinzon offered multiple white tip sharks lying on the seafloor and a couple swimming around. There were turtles, colorful fish and a playful baby sea lion. The visibility was very good. All the tours were excellent in their own way. We did 8 boat tours on 3 islands. Unfortunately we did not get to see the manta rays or hammerhead sharks. We did see a seahorse though on the Tunneles Tour. After going on so many tours they become the same in some ways. Meaning you start to see the same creatures. We had a great 17 nights on Cristabol Cruz and Isabela. Bucket list checked Booked the North Seymour Island tour Mark Greenlaw 🇺🇸 said: We booked three tours and two ferries through… We booked three tours and two ferries through Choko Tours. All three tours were great, and the logistics on our two ferries were smooth, resulting in an excellent 6-day land tour of Santa Cruz and Isabella Islands. Choko even communicated with the tour operators about our son’s need for gluten-free food, and all three tours had something that he could eat for lunch. The North Seymour tour was incredible, and we saw a wide range of wildlife on the hiking portion, and incredible creatures during the snorkeling part. We saw Blue-footed Boobies and many Great Frigatebirds with their incredible red pouches under their beaks. We also saw a number of land iguanas and other lizards, as well as sea lions playing in the waves. During the snorkeling portion, we saw all sorts of incredible fish, a moray eel, rays, and much more. The lunch on the Catamaran was incredible - the cook prepared a tuna steak that was excellent, and also had great desserts and snacks. And we met some wonderful people of all ages. This was our most expensive tour of the 3 we did, but it was a memorable day that we will never forget. I highly recommend this tour, and Choko Tours as a booking agent. Booked the North Seymour Island tour Rahul Gudapati 🇪🇨 said: Great to book with Choko as opposed to other… Great to book with Choko as opposed to other agencies - he was very communicative, and we were on the tour with others who had paid much more via other tour agencies. Bartolome itself is meh, especially for the price and the length of time you are on the boat - the hike is alright, and the snorkeling is meh. We did get very lucky and see a penguin though, which is rare at bartolome. We saw many more penguins in Isabela though. Booked the Bartolome Island tour
Real traveler experiences
They had great communication, gave great tips on travelling to the islands and booked everything.
Bartolomé Island was a lot of travelling from Santa Cruz but we really enjoyed the Caba Rosa tunnel experience from Isabela Island the best and also loved the 360 degree tour from San Christobel Island. They both had fabulous snorkelling spots, we saw lots of sea life and not too much travel to get there. Thanks Choko Tours for all your help and experience.
We had a fantastic day on this tour. The first snorkeling session at Kicker Rock was incredible. Along the rock walls, we saw many colorful fish, sea turtles, starfish, and even sea lions. Our guide was very professional, knowledgeable, and made everyone feel safe throughout the experience.
During the second snorkeling session, we swam between the rock formations and discovered a huge school of fish, which was truly impressive to see up close.
Lunch was delicious, and we especially appreciated that the team contacted us the day before to ask about our meal preferences. This personal touch was much appreciated.
At Playa Manglecito, we had another opportunity to snorkel and were lucky enough to spot eagle rays. It was the perfect ending to an amazing day.
Overall, this tour exceeded our expectations. Great organization, excellent snorkeling spots, professional guides, and unforgettable wildlife encounters. Highly recommended!
The company was so well organised and each tour was so good. Each island was unique but equally good. We ticked off all the beautiful animals we wanted to see which was wonderful. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and respectful to their environment. I loved each trip and would not hesitate to recommend them.
Which Tourist Attractions Are Open and Which Have Access Restrictions?
The Galápagos National Park Directorate has conducted assessments to determine which visitor sites are in suitable condition to welcome tourists.
According to the update published on November 7, 2026:
– Santa Cruz: El Garrapatero Beach is open. Las Grietas, El Chato, and El Puntudo remain subject to access restrictions.
– San Cristóbal: La Lobería and Punta Carola are open. Puerto Chino and Baquerizo Beach remain closed.
– Isabela: The Los Humedales area remains closed.
These restrictions are precautionary measures designed to protect both visitors and the natural environment. Visitor site availability may change as inspections and recovery work continue.
Why book with ChokoTours?
Should I Cancel My Trip to the Galápagos Islands?
Our recommendation is not to cancel your vacation solely because of the flooding reports.
The Galápagos Islands remain an extraordinary travel destination, and much of their tourism infrastructure and activities continue to operate. Flights and maritime transportation services have resumed following the temporary disruptions reported in late October.
If you already have a confirmed reservation, we recommend staying in contact with your travel agency and tour operators to verify the conditions of your scheduled activities before each excursion.
If a visitor site remains closed, operators can inform you about available alternatives or possible itinerary adjustments.
At ChokoTrip, We’re Still Here to Help You Plan Your Galápagos Vacation
At ChokoTrip, we work directly with local tour operators on Santa Cruz, Isabela, and San Cristóbal Islands. Our goal is to help you organize your tours, excursions, and ferries safely, easily, and hassle-free.
We closely monitor updates from local authorities and information provided by our tour operators so we can offer responsible and reliable information to our travelers.
If you are planning to visit the Galápagos Islands, you can continue planning your activities or checking tour availability for your travel dates.
The Galápagos Islands need visitors to keep coming. Tourism is one of the main sources of employment and income for local families across the islands. Traveling responsibly also means supporting local communities during challenging times.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Galápagos Islands!
Chokotrip unlike Viator, Civitavis, GetYourGuide and other
When you book tours through ChokoTrip or ChokoTours, you`ll receive the names of the boats and operators, so you have security in your reservations. Many people believe that the policy on websites like Expedia, Viator, etc that allow you to cancel your tour 24 hours in advance are favorable however, it also means tour operators can cancel your tour 24 hours in advance, which happens frequently in Galapagos. This is not a risk when booking with us because we work directly with the local operators, which also allows us to keep our prices down. We dont take big commissions from the locals that the travel companies do so our prices are not inflated.
GALÁPAGOS CON CHOKOTRIP
Check out the following links with important information and guides about the Galápagos. I should clarify, all the content is updated and based on my annual trips to the Islands.
◾ Guides: Galápagos island / Santa Cruz / Isabela / San Cristobal
◾ Day tours: Bartolome Island / 360 Tour / Santa Fe island / North Seymour island / Cabo Rosa tunnels / Pinzon island / Sierra Negra volcano
◾ Cruceros: Everything you need to know / Check availability and prices
◾ 5 tips before traveling to the Galapagos
◾ The best diving spots in the Galapagos.
◾ 7-Day Itinerary and budget for the Galapagos
◾ Personalized assessment by Choko for your Galapagos trip
ES: Islas Galápagos
on daily tours with ChokoTours per person and enjoy the best islands of the Galápagos.
Book your accommodation in the Galapagos with Choko.Host and for each stay on each island, you get $10 per person staying.
It doesn`t matter, just make sure that the same person who books the tours also books the accommodations at Choko.Host.
Enter here to see the policies for using the discount.
Book your accommodation at Choko.Host
TRAVEL SAFE THROUGH THE GALAPAGOS
Many people believe they don’t need travel insurance for the Galápagos, so let me explain in this link why you should purchase comprehensive health and cancellation insurance when traveling to the Galápagos.














