Galapagos eSIM
In Galapagos you connect to Claro or Movistar, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 34 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- Claro and Movistar
- Typical speed in Ecuador
- 34 Mbps typical, 8 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- 4G only
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Galapagos
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $9.89 | $9.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $6.30 | $18.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $5.78 | $28.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $4.29 | $42.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $3.94 | $78.89 |
How Ecuador compares across South America
- Regional typical speed
- 33.5 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, Claro, Movistar
- 5G
- 4G only
- Next fastest nearby
- Peru, 35 Mbps
- Next slowest nearby
- Argentina, 33 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 3: Quito, Galapagos, Cuenca
Landing at Seymour Galapagos Ecological Airport (GPS)
- Airport
- GPS / SEGS
- Also serves
- San Cristobal Airport (SCY)
Getting into Galapagos
- LOBITO bus, airport exit to the Itabaca Channel (GPS), about 10 minutes
- Itabaca Channel barge to Santa Cruz Island (GPS), about 10 minutes
- Bus or taxi from the Itabaca Channel to Puerto Ayora (GPS), about 45 minutes
Worth knowing about Galapagos
- The Galapagos keep their own time zone, Galapagos Time (GALT) UTC-06:00, one hour behind mainland Ecuador's UTC-05:00; neither observes daylight saving.
- Reaching Puerto Ayora from Baltra's airport takes three legs, per the airport operator: LOBITO bus to the Itabaca Channel (US$5, about 10 minutes), a barge across the channel (US$1, about 10 minutes), then bus (US$2.50) or taxi (about US$25) for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Arriving passengers must complete the Galapagos Government Council transit control card and a Galapagos Biosecurity Agency sworn declaration online, and pay the protected area entrance fee: US$200 for foreign tourists over 12, US$100 for Andean Community or MERCOSUR nationals, US$30 for Ecuadorians.
- The islands are a province of Ecuador about 898 km (485 nautical miles) west of the mainland, and both airports are served only by domestic flights - Avianca Ecuador and LATAM Ecuador from Quito and Guayaquil, plus LATAM from Cuenca to Baltra.
- Baltra's terminal, built from recycled steel tubes and running on solar, wind and seawater desalination, was designed as the world's first ecological airport; Baltra itself is an uninhabited island.
- Cruise passengers skip the public transfer: a naturalist guide meets them at Baltra airport and takes them to the boat, according to the national park authority.
- Before checking in for a Galapagos flight in Quito or Guayaquil, register at the Galapagos Government Council office for a transit control card. Keep it until you leave the islands; it allows a stay of two months at most.
- The Galapagos Biosecurity Agency inspects luggage before the flight and again at the docks before any boat trip between inhabited islands, and the aircraft cabin is sprayed with an approved product before landing.
- Park rangers at Baltra and San Cristóbal airports collect the entrance fee on arrival. Children under 12 pay half the adult rate and children under two are exempt.
- Taxis on Santa Cruz are white double cab pickups taking at most four passengers. The park authority recommends the bus to Puerto Ayora instead, to cut emissions and avoid running over birds.
- Small launches of up to 20 passengers link Santa Cruz with San Cristóbal, Isabela and Floreana. Crossings take about 2 to 3 hours, and the sea is calmer from January to June than from July to December.
- Inter-island launches sail at set times: from Santa Cruz to San Cristóbal and Isabela at 13:45, from San Cristóbal at 07:00 and Isabela at 06:00, with Floreana served only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- Launch tickets are sold at agencies near each main dock. For faster hops, EMETEBE and Fly Galapagos run small planes between the islands.
- The archipelago is made up of 13 large volcanic islands, 6 smaller islands and 107 rocks and islets. It became a national park in 1959, and its surrounding sea was declared a marine reserve in 1986.