A 40th Birthday in the Galápagos: Sea Lions, Blue-Footed Boobies, and Wi-Fi Woes
We like to mark major birthdays with travel to once-in-a-lifetime destinations. For Ramiro’s 40th, we chose the Galápagos Islands—because nothing says “Happy Birthday” like a boatload of sea lions and a few blue-footed boobies.
Six hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador—about the distance from New York to Chicago—the Galápagos Islands straddle the equator like a string of exotic pearls in the Pacific Ocean. Flights to this highly sensitive, UNESCO World Heritage protected ecosystem are as rare as a decent cup of coffee at a gas station, with only two airports in Ecuador offering service.
A quick internet search revealed the Galápagos to be a logistical Rubik’s Cube: flights, lodging, permits, language barriers, and island-hopping all had to be sorted out. Despite my status as a global travel aficionado, even I knew this was a job for a professional. Enter the travel agent.
Good thing we did! By the time I contacted our agent, there was already a waitlist for our target dates. Luckily, a few cancellations opened up spots, and we snagged our itinerary like a pelican catching fish.
Travel Tip: non-refundable business class fares to South America on Copa Airlines through Panama cost about the same as economy on American or Delta. From Washington, many South American cities require a connection anyway so I highly recommend skipping the cheap seats through Miami or Atlanta and flying Copa in style!
One night in Quito
We arrived in Quito late at night, with a pre-dawn, “o’darkthirty” flight the next morning. We crashed at an airport hotel, which I expected to be as charming as a beige cubicle. But, surprise! The Eurobuilding in Quito was a real gem—beautifully designed and staffed by a manager who not only checked us in but also arranged our ride back to the airport at an ungodly hour.
Playing with sea lions
There are 15 major islands in the Galápagos, but only three are inhabited: San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela. Our travel agent, clearly a fan of FOMO, had us staying a few nights on each island, maximizing our exposure to the wild wonders of this archipelago.
We started on San Cristóbal, home to the Parque Nacional Galápagos Welcome Center. Day one was a whirlwind: a private tour of the town (a cozy 1 square kilometer), a visit to the Welcome Center, and hikes to the Mulle Tijeretas snorkeling bay and Playa Punta Carola beach, where we had our first encounter with the local wildlife.
Our VERY FIRST time in the water, we met a sea lion pup. These playful creatures have one mission in life: to have fun. If there are other sea lions around, great, they’ll play together. If not? Well, Ramiro and I became their new best friends.
Punta Pitt
San Cristóbal also gave us access to Punta Pitt, a spot so remote it’s only accessible by boat. Punta Pitt is famous for its rare blue-footed boobies (birds, people, birds). Getting up close and personal with these exotic birds required a 3-hour hike along steep cliffs—a workout that made me seriously question my life choices—but the sight of those blue feet made it all worthwhile. The 9-hour excursion also included two snorkeling stops and a lunch of fresh-caught ceviche, which is now my new favorite thing.
High Adventure Holiday
IIf you’re dreaming of a rum-soaked beach holiday with poolside cabanas and a lively nightlife, the Galápagos will give you a serious case of buyer’s remorse. Santa Cruz had a few bars—three, to be exact—and you can forget about swim-up bars. This is not that kind of vacation.
No, the Galápagos is all about adventure, with a capital “A.” Our itinerary was jam-packed with excursions that had us up before 7:00 AM and back well after 5:00 PM. Even if there had been a nightlife, we’d have been too exhausted to care. Most nights, we were out like a light the moment the sun dipped below the horizon.
Accommodations were comfortable but basic. Chain hotels? Nope. Luxuries like robes, slippers, and flushable toilet paper? Forget it. And don’t even think about watching TV—none of the rooms had one, which I actually appreciated. We were prepared for the rustic experience, but the Wi-Fi? Oh, the Wi-Fi. Uploading a single Instagram photo took an hour, and Facebook was out of the question. High-speed internet? Not on this trip.
Despite the connectivity issues, San Cristóbal proved to be an excellent launchpad for our Galápagos adventure. Three days and nights were just enough to explore its many attractions and soak in the wildlife. And let’s be honest—nothing beats a sea lion playdate, slow Wi-Fi and all.. Next stop: Santa Cruz!
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