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If you are interested in going to the Galapagos Islands with Hurtigruten, then there are some basics that you might need to know.
Hurtigruten has some amazing Expedition sailings, but the Galapagos Islands has to be up there with the Arctic and Antarctic. I’ve heard people say that the Galapagos Islands are the new Arctic.
The arctic circles don’t have many physical boundaries, whereas the Galapagos Islands are physically limited with regard to where you can land and who is allowed to go there. Thankfully, Hurtigruten is one of a handful of Expedition ships that are licensed to sail in the Galapagos and their ship is specifically designed for the Galapagos.d adventure there.
Where are the Galapagos islands?
600 miles West of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean. The Galapagos archipelago is a lot like The Bahamas because it sits there as a bunch of islands in the middle of nowhere.
There are several itiniraries, some of which include cruising the West Coast of South America and Machu Picchu.
How do I get to the Galapagos Islands?
Well, we are talking about cruises here, but most Galapagos cruise ships stay in and around the Galapagos. They do that for a number of reasons which I can explain, but basically they stay in the Galapagos region.
To cut a long story short. You normally fly to Ecuador, then you fly to Santa Cruz island, board your ship and get going. Most people going to the Galapagos Islands aren’t really much interested in hotels and airports, so we get you away from there as quickly as possible. And then the expedition begins.
Why is it described as an Expedition?
Expedition travel is quite different to any other cruise or destination.
Hurtigruten Expeditions specializes in Expedition Travel.
If we call it an expedition it is typically because the cruise ship probably does not dock at a harbor. Your distance between the ship and the shore is made on a smaller boat (often referred to as a Zodiac). This is how you get to truly discover the place you are visiting. You might land at a beach or a small town and begin your land adventure there.