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Galapagos Islands
Known as "Las Islas Encantadas" (The Enchanted Isles), the Galapagos islands are located on the equator approximately 800 km west of the Ecuador mainland. More than half of the islands is national parkland under the protection of the nation of Ecuador, a stable Latin American democracy recently dollarized. The Galapagos Islands are the pride of Ecuador and are internationally renowned as the place where Charles Darwin witnessed unique animal species cut off from the natural evolutionary processes of the continents and advanced his theories of Evolution. The Galapagos is mostly famous for its many indigenous species including marine iguanas, huge land tortoises, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, albatross, manta-rays, and finches. As a destination for eco-tourism, the Galapagos needs no introduction.
By the way, the surf PUMPS! Wavehunters’ focus is the island of San Cristobal where there are 5 world class, heart throbbing waves. (Note, there are other waves on other islands in the Galapagos but most of them are closed off due to park regulations and access is difficult to impossible). The waves on San Cristobal occur on the southwest and northwest facing sides of the island where they are exposed to ground swells from both the North and South Pacific. Though the Galapagos has waves year-round, the “surf season” is defined as the period from November-April. The reason is that the cold Humboldt current which travels northward up the coast of Chile and Peru during the Austral winter months of May-Oct creates overcast and prevailing onshore conditions during this period, with the wind and swell coming from the same direction.
The hot season from Nov-Apr sees the diminishing influence of this current, with hotter, sunnier offshore conditions ideal for surfing. South swells occur year-round in the Galapagos, however the best swells are the northwest ground swells which occur most commonly from Nov-Apr, peaking during the months of Dec-Mar. The Galapagos is in an ideal geographical location to pick up the brunt of North Pacific ground swells which pound Hawaii but bypass Mexico and Central America due to their south-facing orientation. As such, the Galapagos islands are on a short list of locations which really amplify and harvest the power of North Pacific ground swells and enjoy ideal weather and wind conditions. At the same time, the year-round southerly swells spurned by storms off New Zealand, Antarctica and Chile, provide a factor of consistency even when North Pacific swell is in a lull so that it is rarely below head high at the Galapagos islands during the surf season, and often substantially bigger than that.
| Highlights on Galapagos surfing (San Cristobal island) : |
| Average swell face height : |
4 - 8 feet |
| Maximum swell face height : |
12-18 feet |
| Bottom : |
Volcanic rock/boulder composition |
| Water temperature : |
72-78F |
| Water visibility : |
Over 60 feet |
| Crowd factor : |
Moderate. Variable. Some weeks are not crowded at all. Other weeks are moderately crowded. The # of surfers on the island fluctuates, and actual crowds at any break depend a lot also on swell and surfing conditions, # of spots working at once, etc... The spots right in town will always have more crowds than other spots which require boat access. |
| Surf spots : |
5 named breaks, other spots to be explored |
| Rights : |
3 |
| Lefts : |
4 |
| ** 2 of the waves break both ways. North swells favor lefts and South swells favor lefts |
| Access : |
best by boat |
| Requisite surfing ability : |
Solid intermediate to expert. Should be comfortable in overhead waves with rock bottom and be a strong swimmer. |
Wavehunters partner in the Galapagos as well as the Ecuador mainland is Canoa Surf Explorer. Entering our third season of operations, Canoa Surf Explorer has pioneered surfing tourism both at the Galapagos islands and on the Ecuadorian mainland and taken tour standards for quality and service to a new level, one consistent with Wavehunters’ global standards for excellence in surfing tourism.
Arrival
Upon arrival in Guayaquil, Ecuador, a Canoa Surf Explorer representative will pick you up at the airport and ensure your boards are safely transferred to your hotel. You will then spend the first night at the Tangara Guest House or other Guayaquil hotel (upgrade to 4 or 5 star option possible). The next day you will board your flight to the Galapagos islands. Upon arrival, you will be greeted by Canoa Surf Resort staff and taken to the resort, where you will receive an informational briefing and discuss your surfing and tour program for the week. Canoa Surf Resort staff also operates eco-tours and snorkeling trips by boat, as well as highlands tours with a naturalist guide, and also scuba diving (extra cost). San Cristobal Island is an incredible place to visit. On the way home, you will spend 1 more night in Guayaquil before returning to your country of origin.
The Boat
"Wavehunter 1" is 29feet long. She is powered by 2 brand new 85hp outboards with power trim and is capable of 35 knots per hour. The boat has a ton of onboard space and was specially designed to carry the surfboards under the seats and out of the way. Onboard equipment includes Radio with distress, live vests (14), fishing rods, oxygen bottle, fire extingisher. The boat also has an onboard toillette, and an interior saloon with a double bed (for resting), and CD player. Wavehunter 1 will get you to the surf FAST and in style and can meet all your needs including fishing, snorkeling, pleasure cruising, and marine eco-tours!!
Other Activities
Snorkeling: Anytime. No charge. Guests must bring their own masks and fins.
León Dormido (sleeping lion): A 20 minute boat ride. This is a 90 m tall rock in the middle of the ocean (submerged volcano) with great snorkeling possibilities and the place to spot some Galapagos sharks ( harmless ) and perhaps some Hammerheads as well (harmless).
** Included in Canoa Surf Resort package**
La Laguna (the lagoon): A lagoon in the highlands (It use to be also a volcano). This is the main supply of fresh water for the island. Lots of birds and other species.
** Included in Canoa Surf Resort package**
Lobos island: A 20 minutes ride by boat to this islet. Lots of birds and other species.
** Included in Canoa Surf Resort package**
Horse rides: Prices on request.
Scuba diving: 2 dives at Kicker Rock: $110.00 per person including all equipment.
Puerto Baquerizo: this is a small town, quiet ( a couple of bars and 1 dancing spot ).
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