Nowhere else does wildlife so comprehensively fail to care about you: sea lions nap on harbour benches, blue-footed boobies dance mid-path, and in the Santa Cruz highlands giant tortoises the size of coffee tables graze around your ankles. Cruises reach the outer islands, but land-based trips hopping between Santa Cruz and Isabela are cheaper and better than their reputation suggests. Snorkel daily — penguins and marine iguanas join in. There is no bad season; December to May has warmer, calmer water.
Featured in Ten wildlife encounters that will humble you · Adventure