Ecuadorian Adventure

Cotopaxi volcano in the background

The remarkable sights, sounds and wildlife of the Galápagos Archipelag

Giant Galápagos tortoise

THE THREE DAYS I SPENT in Quito, Ecuador's capital, perched high in the Andes at 9,350 feet above sea level, were a wonderful start to an Ecuadorian adventure. Quito's Old Town boasts one of the most charming and well-preserved historic centres in all of South America, full of narrow, hilly, cobblestone streets. In the heart of the historic district is Casa Gangotena, an old mansion converted to a charming, luxury boutique hotel. From here, it is easy to explore on foot all the old churches, plazas, and beautiful architecture for which Quito is known.

New Town has wonderful high-end shops, artisan handicraft markets, and celebrated restaurants. I had a wonderful dinner at ZAZU, generally regarded as the best restaurant in Quito, and a fabulous lunch at ZFood which serves an extraordinary variety of fish and seafood in a relaxed, funky atmosphere.

But without a doubt, the main wow event of this Ecuadorian adventure was exploring the Galápagos Islands aboard the ship Integrity with INCA, a luxury adventure tour operator that has been running tours in the area for more than 40 years.

An archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, the Galápagos belongs to Ecuador and lies about 600 miles west of the mainland. Its unique biodiversity has made it "a nature lover's paradise and an ecological treasure". It is home to some of the world's largest concentration of animal species not found anywhere else on the planet. From the moment we landed at the Baltra airport, there was wildlife. Land iguanas greeted us on the airstrip and tried to follow us into the arrivals lounge. Blue-footed boobies sat on rocks as we boarded the short ferry ride to Santa Cruz Island where our expedition began.

Wildlife sightings included land iguanas, flamingoes, penguins and sea lions

The main attraction there were the famous giant tortoises. The big ones weigh up to 500 pounds and live more than a century. And when they stick out their heads, there is definitely a resemblance to E.T. It's said that Steven Spielberg modeled E.T. after the Galápagos giant tortoise.

At lunch, marine iguanas and pelicans sunbathed on the dining deck while sea lions barked from nearby rocks. Just a typical afternoon in this amazing archipelago. And this was all before we even set foot on what would be our floating home for the next week.

The Integrity is a 16-guest yacht with very comfortable, spacious staterooms and beautiful public spaces including a partially-shaded top sundeck with jacuzzi. When I wasn't busy exploring on land or underwater, the top deck was a great place to watch this unique rugged and volcanic landscape float by, as the craft made its way from island to island. I was mesmerized by magnificent frigate birds flying above us, hovering, soaring, and landing on the overhead awning in an endless pattern. The males were spectacular with their bright red throat pouches that stood out against the blue sky.

During our first night onboard, the captain motored to the island of Española. In the morning, I woke in front of a beautiful white sand beach on Gardner Bay. Our first shore visit took us to a colony of sea lions and adorable nursing pups lying on the beach. I had heard about amazing animal encounters in this part of the world and was thrilled when some came right up to our feet, showing no fear of humans.

Amidst all this wonder and wild natural beauty, there was a rhythm to life on board that revolved around morning and afternoon excursions, either on land or in the water. A typical day began with a wake-up call at 6 am, breakfast at 6:30 and the first excursion around 7:15. It was usually a hike on a variety of terrains – maybe a sandy path with huge cacti, along a rocky shoreline, on a pristine white sand beach, or on top of black, volcanic lava rock. Finding your footing between lava boulders can be challenging.

Snorkelling was usually the second activity and always a highlight. Pangas – rubber Zodiac boats – whisked us from the Integrity to land or to a spot in deep water. The morning often expanded to include a third activity – either kayaking or a lecture from the onboard naturalist. After lunch and a siesta, it was time for another walk, a second snorkelling

adventure, or a panga ride to view the coast, visit inland mangroves or view dolphins in the open seas. Dinner at 7 pm was followed by a recap of the day and a preview of the next.

For me, the big event was always snorkelling, with every day another underwater spectacle. Sea lions put on gymnastics shows featuring award-worthy somersaults, while penguins darted by on their way to find food. Gorgeous turquoise parrot fish, hieroglyphic hawkfish, and king angelfish with bright orange tails swam all around. One minute I was enveloped by schools of yellowtail surgeon fish and the next, I was swimming above stingrays, sea turtles and reef sharks. And who knew star fish came in so many colours and varieties? The chocolate chip starfish looked like it had been outlined in dark purple velvet. When I lifted my head to catch a glimpse of the shore, I sometimes saw flocks of penguins perched on rocks deciding on their next move. It was incredible.

blue-footed boobies

The week was full of memorable highlights. In the wildlife category, we saw land iguanas on multiple island walks, marine iguanas, tortoises and hundreds of sea lions. Exquisite red Sally Lightfoot crabs crawled along the rocks. It was a birder's paradise: Nazca and blue-footed boobies, mockingbirds, Darwin's finches, pelicans, American oystercatchers, Galápagos doves and the rare swallow-tailed gull all flew around us. And those were just a few of the species we saw.

It's easy to see why the Galápagos intrigued Charles Darwin in 1835 and inspired his theory of natural selection. And it's even easier to understand the lasting appeal of this remote, magical place that finds a place on so many of our bucket lists.

Written by JUNE MASSELL for Cruise and Travel Lifestyles (Winter 2025)