- Special rates for expeditions and hotels until February 2021
- Animal observation at its best
- Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands completely open to the public
Quito/Frankfurt, 23rd November 2020. There are opportunities you don’t get a second time in a lifetime – and this during the Corona crisis: the Galapagos Islands are considered a high-priced travel destination, but currently and probably until the end of February 2021, they are as cheap as they were last during the global economic crisis in 2007/08. “If you want to escape the dreariness of our lockdown in Europe and have the islands more or less to yourself, you should set off now,” encourages Beate Zwermann, managing director of the specialist tour operator Galapagos PRO. “Expeditions aboard hotel ships are currently available at up to 50% off, the US dollar exchange rate is favourable and hotels are very accommodating to travellers in terms of price.” In addition, he said, animals have taken up even more space on the inhabited islands during the Corona crisis. “The wildlife viewing is terrific at the moment,” Zwermann adds. “From March onwards, we expect visitor numbers to rise sharply as catch-up trips from 2020 are added to the normal demand. Consequently, 2021 could be a very good year for the Galapagos.” Galapagos PRO does not publish special prices on its website, as these can only be guaranteed with individual planning.
In both the Galapagos Islands and Ecuador, all tourist attractions and national parks have reopened. A negative COVID-19 PCR test (valid for 10 days from collection) must be presented for entry into Ecuador; for the Galapagos Islands, the test must not be older than 96 hours.
For the islands, the complete travel itinerary must also be deposited with the Ministry of Tourism through a local travel provider. Entry without authorisation is currently not possible.
European airlines such as KLM, Iberia and Air Europa have been flying regularly to the international airports of Guayaquil and the capital Quito since August 2020. Domestic flights operate daily to major inland cities such as Cuenca, Guayaquil, Coca, Esmeraldas and Loja, as well as to the Galapagos Islands with airlines Avianca Ecuador and Latam Ecuador.
“Covid 19 numbers have been stable or decreasing in Ecuador for months. The very strict procedure with general mask obligation with a nationally uniform hygiene concept is having a good effect. Travelling in Ecuador is very safe,” says Beate Zwermann.
Information on Galapagos PRO:
The specialist tour operator Galapagos PRO has made the island archipelago in the Pacific and Ecuador bookable online. More than 270 different itineraries, 58 ships (including eight diving ships) on the Galapagos Islands can be booked individually. Also in the programme are Amazon rainforest lodges, rental car and bus tours on the Ecuadorian mainland as well as flight bookings, last-minute cruises and combination tours with Peru and Chile. Further information on Galapagos PRO and booking options can be found here: www.galapagos-pro.com.
Partner: Charles Darwin Foundation – www.darwinfoundation.org/en/
