Our volunteers in the Galápagos Islands help to protect the wildlife that makes the Galápagos such a unique place, while engaging in rewarding and memorable experiences. Volunteers will work on important conservation projects including sea turtle research and habitat protection for the giant tortoise. We train you in all aspects of the work. As always, your education and safety are priorities.

Tasks vary, but you should have intermediate swimming skills, and be able to hike up to three miles a day on uneven trails, move soil or rock with a shovel, pull unwanted vegetation, and carry stones. You may:

• snorkel while photographing sea turtles
• assist in collecting and collating data about turtles
• help improve habitat in a tortoise sanctuary

The Galápagos Islands is a wonderful place to volunteer. Conservation Volunteers International Program is pleased to offer this exciting opportunity to protect an international treasure.

Your Galápagos Islands Volunteer Trip is focused on helping to protect the wildlife that makes the Galápagos such a unique place, while at the same time providing a rewarding and memorable experience.

Day 1: Our volunteer trip begins in the Galápagos Islands at 2:00 PM at our hotel on San Cristóbal Island.

We will have an orientation and briefing at the hotel beginning at 2:00 PM where you will meet the other volunteers, the trip leaders from Conservation Volunteers International Program and our local guide. Then we will visit the Interpretive Center at Darwin Bay for an introduction to the history of the Galápagos and the flora and fauna of the island, followed by our first group dinner. (Dinner and hotel lodging included.)

Day 2: Visit a giant tortoise breeding center and photograph sea turtles!

In the morning, we visit the Centro de Crianza de Tortugas, which is part of the Galápagos National Park’s semi-natural breeding program for giant tortoises, to begin familiarization with giant tortoises. In the afternoon, the group will have its first of several experiences snorkeling while photographing sea turtles, to provide data to the sea turtle research project conducted by the University of San Francisco de Quito. (All meals and lodging included.)

Days 3 – 4: Continue support for the sea turtle research.

We will meet with the researchers from the Galápagos Science Center, University of San Francisco de Quito to learn about the purpose and importance of our sea turtle volunteer project.

We will be participating in a survey and census of sea turtles as part of ongoing research on the impacts of increased boat traffic on sea turtles. On this trip you will have several opportunities to photograph turtles while snorkeling at different sites, to help identify the individuals by their unique markings, patterns and any injuries, and provide other onshore assistance with the survey.

Most snorkeling sites are close to shore, although one of the sea turtle research projects will involve taking a boat to the research site near Kicker Rock with surface snorkeling in water that is too deep to touch or see the ocean bottom. Flotation devices will be provided and are required. (All meals and lodging included.)

Day 5: Air shuttle to Isla Isabela, visit the giant tortoise breeding center on Isla Isabela, bike to the Wall of Tears.

We will spend the morning shuttling by small plane from San Cristóbal to the largest island in the Galápagos, Isla Isabela.

We will check into our hotel in the village of Puerto Villamil where we will spend our first two nights on Isla Isabela. Those who arrive on an early shuttle will have time to explore the nearby coastline (look for marine iguanas!) while the others are transferring to Isabela.

In the afternoon we will visit nearby Centro de Crianza, the Tortoise Center of Isabela, and learn about the National Park’s captive breeding program. The Center houses several species of tortoise, and we will see both hatchlings and the older breeding animals. Before dinner we will mountain bike to the Wall of Tears. Watch for a diversity of birdlife along the way! The wall, towering 65 feet in places, was constructed in the 1940’s by convicts when Isabela was a penal colony. We will have dinner after we return to our hotel in Puerto Villamil. (All meals and lodging included.)

Day 6: Boat to Tintoreras for sea turtle survey, then move to an eco-camp for our Galápagos giant tortoise project.

In the morning, we will hop a boat to the islet of Tintoreras, where we conduct a sea turtle census. Watch for sea lions, turtles, marine iguanas, rays and sharks in the crystal blue waters!

After we return to shore, we transfer to Campo Duro Eco-Camp, in the foothills of the Sierra Negra Volcano, for our Galápagos giant tortoise project. Campo Duro works in concert with Galápagos National Park, providing a reserve to help raise giant tortoises from 3 to 8 years old. In the afternoon we will be oriented to the projects at Campo Duro and work on projects which may include planting and weeding tortoise enclosures; building a pond for the tortoises; repairing and building enclosure fences; and working in the organic garden.

Campo Duro is set in the cooler lush, tropical highlands. We will spend the night at Campo Duro. Amenities include fully equipped sleeping tents with mattresses and bedding, outdoor private cold-water showers, bathrooms with flush toilets, and an open-air thatched roof restaurant and bar. Most of the fruits and vegetables served are grown organically in the on-site gardens. Food is cooked in wood-fired stone ovens. (All meals and lodging included.)

Day 7: Galápagos giant tortoise habitat project and visit Sierra Negra volcano.

After finishing our tortoise habitat projects at the eco-camp, we will drive through the highlands, where giant tortoises feed on the abundant vegetation, to the slopes of the Volcan Sierra Negra. Our moderate 9-mile hike takes us through rugged terrain which ends at the stunning caldera, the second largest intact crater in the world after the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. We will return to the hotel in Puerto Villamil at the end of the day. (All meals and lodging included.)

Days 8: Sea Turtle Research at the Tunnels

After breakfast we will be transported by boat to Los Tuneles snorkeling area, known for its rich population of sea life, where we will have our final opportunity to snorkel and photograph sea turtles. The offshore tunnels created by lava flows provide a different perspective on the lava formations from what the group has previously seen. Then we will return to our hotel in Puerto Villamil for one last evening in the Galápagos and a farewell dinner. (All meals and lodging included.)

Day 9: Fly to Baltra where the Galápagos Volunteer Trip ends

After breakfast we fly from Isla Isabela to Galápagos International Airport (GPS) on the Island of Baltra where you can catch a departure flight in the afternoon from Galápagos International Airport to Guayaquil and/or Quito. (Breakfast included)

Note: Although we do our very best to adhere to the schedule above, the itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control, including weather and terrain conditions. Project details may vary with each volunteer travel experience according to the local needs at the time the trip takes place. Details are often finalized or revised after the group arrives and the trip leaders review the conditions at the site in light of the capabilities and special interests of the volunteers.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
You should plan to arrive at the meeting point for the trip by the morning of day 1. This will likely require departing your hometown one or more days in advance and may require an overnight stay in Guayaquil or Quito, Ecuador.

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING AIR TRAVEL: Before purchasing your airline tickets, please check with us to ensure the trip has the necessary minimum number of participants required to operate.

$4,795 for 9 days; single room supplement $950 (subject to availability).

(Note: Your trip expense may be tax-deductible. Please see our Frequently Asked Questions page and consult your tax adviser for details.)

Price includes:

• all meals from dinner on Day 1 through breakfast on Day 9
• hotels rooms in San Cristóbal and Puerto Villamil.
• Eco-Camp on Isla Isabela
• all van and boat transportation noted.
• inter-island airplane flights from San Cristóbal to Isla Isabela and from Isabela to Baltra
• gratuities for services provided to the group
• project leadership and support staff
• group tools
• orientation and training

Price does not include:

• airfare to/from the Galapagos Islands
• Galapagos National Park entrance fee ($100, subject to change) which is collected upon landing in the Galapagos
• INGALA transit card ($10, subject to change)
• cost of medical immunizations
• insurance (emergency medical and evacuation insurance is mandatory for this trip)
• excess baggage charges
• airport taxes
• alcoholic beverages or soft drinks
• personal items

Deposit and Cancellation
A deposit of $500 per person for a shared room ($600 for a single room) is required at the time of signup; final payment is due at 90 days prior to departure. The payment and refund policy can be found here.

Group Size: 8 – 12

The key to staying comfortable while on an active trip is layering. To get maximum comfort with minimum weight, you need versatile layers that mix and match to create the right amount of insulation, ventilation and weather protection. The gear list has been created to help you in choosing your equipment for the trip. View the Gear List PDF.

Please click to view Trip Report PDFs.

December 2023
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November 2022
May 2022
January 2020
November 2019
May 2019
January 2019
November 2018
May 2018
January 2018
November 2017
March 2017
November 2016
October 2016
March 2016
November 2015
March 2015
December 2014

Also, visit the Impact Summary page and see the difference you make!

Please check with your doctor to see if any immunizations are recommended for you.

ConservationVIP has always focused on our volunteers’ safety. Traveling with safety concerns requires some extra planning and flexibility both for trip leaders and trip participants!

To prevent illness or injury on the trip, participants may have to follow procedures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, methods for carrying and using tools and other site-specific procedures as instructed by the trip leader. More specific safety instructions will be provided on the trip.

Participants will also have to comply with any restrictions imposed by Ecuador and your country of origin at the time of travel. While we know that restrictions can change between now and the time of travel, we cannot predict what those changes will be.