AT#960 - Budget Travel to the Galapagos Islands

Travel with Amateur Traveler Podcast

Chris Christensen

History, Places & Travel, Society & Culture

4.4 • 1K Ratings

🗓️ 6 September 2025

⏱️ 47 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Hear about travel to the Galapagos Islands as the Amateur Traveler talks to Michael from Rochester about doing this bucket list trip as a budget traveler. Why should you go to the Galapagos? Michael says, "It is a world location that should not be missed. And you do not have to be an animal enthusiast or safari adventure type person. That certainly helps to have an open mind about ecology and conservation. The animals, the marine life, and their ecosystem. If you have the opportunity to witness it firsthand, it truly is something that should not be missed. It is a marvel." This version is land-based (with Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island as the base) rather than a cruise, making it more budget-friendly while still offering access to iconic wildlife and landscapes. Fly from Quito or Guayaquil to Baltra Airport, then transfer by ferry and taxi to Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz Island. Check into your hotel (e.g., Hotel Fiesta, Puerto Ayora). Stroll along Avenida Charles Darwin: shops, galleries, and restaurants. Visit the Puerto Ayora fish market to watch fishermen unload their catch while sea lions, pelicans, and frigatebirds compete for scraps. Evening walk along the Malecón (boardwalk) where reef sharks can sometimes be spotted under the lights. 7-Day Galápagos Itinerary (Land-Based, Puerto Ayora Base)Day 1 – Arrival in Puerto Ayora ... https://amateurtraveler.com/budget-travel-to-the-galapagos-islands/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode of the Amateur Traveler podcast is sponsored by Smart Travel, a new podcast from the smart people at NerdWallet.
0:08.7	From choosing the right travel card to dodging hidden fees, smart travel helps your money go further.
0:15.7	Literally.
0:16.7	They cover all things travel finance, including the smartest ways to book flights without
0:22.0	playing the guest the cheapest day game, how to avoid paying for upgrades you won't use,
0:28.1	when to book peak season trips without paying peak season prices, and how to maximize
0:34.3	points for real savings, not just free bottled water.
0:38.4	So they cover all the stuff we don't.
0:41.2	And there's a reason for that.
0:42.9	I don't know these subjects as well as the smart people at NerdWallet do.
0:47.5	So if you're looking for information about financing your travels, check out SmartTravel.
0:52.6	Travel smarter and spend less with the help from NerdWallet.
0:56.7	Follow Smart Travel wherever you get your podcasts.
1:00.0	And thanks to Smart Travel and NerdWallet for sponsoring this episode of Amateur Traveler.
1:05.1	Amateur Traveler Episode 960. Today Amateur Traveler talks about penguins and giant tortoises, a chaotic fish
1:14.7	market, sharks under the boardwalk, and a sea lion in the pool as we do a budget travel
1:20.4	trip to the Galapagos. This is Chris Christensen from Amateur Traveler. Let's talk about the
1:26.2	Galapagos.
1:34.5	I'd like to welcome back to the show, Michael from Rochester, who was on recently talking about Machu Picchu and has come back to talk to us about the Galapagos.
1:38.7	Michael, welcome back to the show.
1:40.9	Thank you very much and honored to be here and looking forward to this episode.
1:46.0	I very much enjoyed the episode we did before, so I'm looking forward to it too now. You had a
	...

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