SURFING IN DARWIN'S PLAYGROUND 

The Galapagos Islands are well known for having inspired Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution, as he saw animals that found there way to, and adapted to, the beautiful, but harsh environment of the islands over the course of thousands of years. The Galapagos Islands are home to some of the most unique land animals on earth, including the Galapagos tortoise, Galapagos penguin, marine iguana, and flightless cormmorant. The Galapagos and its protected marine reserve are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the second largest marine reserve after the Great Barrier Reef.  The northern islands ( Darwin and Wolf ) of the Galapagos are also home to the highest abundance of sharks in the world. Given the Galapagos is located where three different currents converge, the waters are rich in marine diversity such sea turtles, sea lions, tropical fish, manta rays and sharks. No place on earth is able to provide such a diversity of land and sea animals. On your trip, be prepared to surf and swim with all sorts of animals, including endemic animals only found in the Galapagos. While there are simple rules on how to interact with animals (don't touch!), you will be amazed at how friendly and non-threatening they are towards you. These interactions are what make the Galapagos such an amazing place to experience.

World Class Surf in the Galapagos

While not all islands in the Galapagos offer world class surf, the best islands with shallow reefs and exposed breaks are San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Isabela, Baltra and Floreana islands.

Surfing operations are based in San Cristobal where +20 breaks can be found. However, we do offer surf trips to other islands allowing you to experience more of the Galapagos Islands and its unique biodiversity and beauty.  Please check our packages for more information.

Our main playground, San Cristobal island, offers world class surf from the easy walls at Cannons to the more challenging Loberia A-frames with top to bottom barrels. Othe spots that can generate epic surf are: Carola, a right-hander freight train with 150+ yards of power; Tongo reef, a perfect left-hander with rides over 200 yards; Outer reef, a challenging outside reef for experts; Manglesito, a fast and intense left with long rides; Manglesito reef, a perfect A-frame with square barrels; and Craters, a left-hander that offers torquoise-colored barrels. There are several other breaks, that with the right tides and winds, can surprise us.

WAVES AND QUIVERS

Unlike conventional wisdom, the Galapagos Islands get consisent surf year round due to its exposed location, 600 nautical miles of the coast of Ecuador in South America. From November through March, the islands receives NW swells (the same swells that hit Hawaii will hit the Galapagos about six days later with a clear decrease in size). From March througth November, the Galapagos receives S and SW swells (the same swells that hit Fiji and Tahiti will hit three to four days later).

There is rideable surf every day in the Galapagos, so getting skunked is a remote possibility. The waves range from three to four feet up to ten to 12 feet at more exposed breaks. Depending on your experience level, we recommended bringing a couple boards, including a short board, something bit bigger and one gun in the seven foot range for a solid swell that may occur during your stay.  We also have plenty of high quality boards to rent, including longboards, and boards hand crafted by one of the best shapers in Ecuador.

NOTE: please enquire if you are interested in having a custom board ready for you upon your arrival. They are high quality and attractively priced, allowing you to avoid board bag airline fees. Once your surf trip is over, you can take it with you or we can buy it from you to use in our local surf programs or for our rental fleet.

The Galapagos has only one basic surf shop. We recommend you bring all the neccessary surf equipment, but we will have basic gear here as well (wax, extra leashes, fin keys, ding repair kits).

The Seasons

The Galápagos Islands are located on the Equator so it is easy to understand that it's hot and sunny +300 days of the year. Outside temperatures are between 24° and 32° C (or 75° to 90° F). Please bring plenty of sun protection.

But for years, there has been a misconception that there are only certain periods of the year when you should visit the Galapagos for surf. With the right knowledge about the seasons and breaks, it is possible to get great experiences and surf year round.  The surf from late November until late July, when winds and swells align for most breaks, create world class surf with off shore winds. During September, October and Novemeber, all south-facing breaks do get affected by a light, consistent on shore south wind allowing us to only get good surf at the most protected areas such as Tongo reef on San Cristobal, La Punta on Floreana and some locations such as Chicken Hill and Las Palmas Chicas on Santa Cruz. However, all day glassy conditions do occur from January through April.

The rainy season in the Galapagos starts February and lasts through early April. It does not rain every day, but a couple of downpours can be expected during the night.

During the summer and autumn months (July througth October), due to the higher elevation mountains on some of the islands (Santa Cruz in particular), you can experience something similar to the June gloom in Caifornia with some days with cloud cover and drizzle.

Water Temperature

Water temperature in the Galapagos is not the same year around due to several currents that dominate the surrounding islands at different times of the year, coming from the north (warm), and from the west and south (cold). From January through April, you can surf in shorts and bikinis with temperatures on the high 70s up to mid 80s. From May through November, water temps drop to the mid 70s where a short wetsuit may be needed if you are used to warm waters. During July, August and September, water temps can drop to the lows 70s so a long 3/2 or less may be needed. With that said, we have seen plenty of cold water surfers surf year round in trunks.

Getting Here

There are plenty of flights coming from the U.S. and international cities to Quito and Guayaquil.  From these two cities, there are direct flights to Baltra and San Cristobal islands.  Where you fly into will depend on your itinerary, but most our our trips will start in San Cristobal.  From the LAX or SFO, it will require 2 stops to get to the Galapagos and only 1 stop in Guayaquil from JFK.  A red eye flight won't require a hotel stay on the first night, but on your way home you may need to stay the night in Quito or Guayaquil.  They are both great cities and we have a number of hotel recommendations for you.  We will make pick up from either aiport on your arrival and departure easy and will try to get you a quick session when you arrive and before you leave!

WHO SHOULD COME?

We cater to everyone: families, non-surfers, surfers, water lovers, nature lovers, adventurers and pros.  Our itineraries are built for you to play hard with as many surf sessions and activities as you can handle.  We do this because this is a once in a lifetime experience and there are so many things to do while you are with us.  While we offer a unique surf charter experience, most of our clients will have land-based experiences.  Land-based experiences, in our humble opinion, provide the most value and is the only way to truly experience the Galapagos Islands, its surf and natural wonders, in a short period of time.  We can also cater to groups that have non-surfers or new or intermediate surfers in the group.  We have had plenty of clients surfing while their children enjoy a snorkel session close by or build sand castles with sea lions and our guides.