Galapagos Islands (and Quito Ecuador): Itinerary, Flights, Hotels/Hostels, and Points/Cost

Itinerary

AV21 (JFK to BOG to UIO) -January 31st

Quito - January 31st to February 3rd

AV1688 (Quito to Baltra) - February 3rd

Isla Santa Cruz - February 3rd to February 4th:

Isla Isabella - February 4th to 7th

Isla Santa Cruz -February 7th to 10th

Quito - February 10th to 11th

AV244 (UIO to BOG to JFK) - February 11th

Airfare

Anna’s first international business class flight on Avianca

We traveled business class from JFK to Quito on Avianca through Bogota. I found some really cheap flights using www.theflightdeal.com . Round trip business class flights for $642 are such a steal, especially considering economy usually costs $500+. Although the seats were only angled lie flat, Anna and I loved the flight. This was Anna’s first international business class flight (low expectations help). The flight attendants were extremely friendly and made us feel important even though we got an extremely good deal on the flight. The angled lie flat were more than enough for a 6 hour flight. Even though Anna and I have traveled extensively since this trip, she still fondly remembers Avianca’s business class. Unfortunately, because I’m writing this review retroactively, we have limited photos of everything. If you are buying a business class seat to South America, please make sure you get a lie flat or angled lie flat seat. Sometimes the business class seats are very inexpensive but they are basically the same as domestic first class. I would not pay extra for these and just bite the bullet and do economy.

Airport Lounges

We had a four hour layover in Bogota. This gave us an opportunity to go to multiple lounges. We started at the Avianca Diamond Lounge. We had access to this lounge due to our Avianca business class seats. The lounge had some light food along with an assortment of beers and soft drinks in refrigerators on the wall. There were also multiple bottles of wine and liquor that you could pour yourself. I actually prefer this set up rather than having an actual bar where there can be lines. After getting some wine and some food we relaxed in the lounge and charged up our phones and computer. Once we were all charged up, we decided to walk over the El Dorado lounge and check it out. We had access to the El Dorado lounge due to our priority pass through our Chase Sapphire Reserve card. At the El Dorado lounge we were given two drink tickets. Additionally, if we wanted hot food, we would have to pay extra. We decided to stick to the free snacks and our two free drinks. The lounge was very large and very nice. If we hadn’t been limited to snacks and two drinks, I probably would have preferred this lounge over the Avianca Diamond lounge. Below are two good reviews if you want additional information on the lounges.

https://onemileatatime.com/avianca-lounge-review/

https://thriftytraveler.com/reviews/airport-lounges/review-el-dorado-lounge-bogota-colombia/

The flight from Bogota to Quito was a smaller plane that was more similar to domestic first class. The flight attendants were still very nice, but the flight was only an hour and a half. Overall, we were very satisfied with Avianca and would definitely fly them again. We stayed at a Hotel Santa Fe on Santa Cruz. It was an average hotel, but they did provide breakfast

Quito

When we arrived in Quito, we had a driver waiting for us courtesy of our friend Mauricio who lives in Quito. This allowed us to skip the hassle of negotiating with a taxi or using uber which I’ve heard can be unreliable. Quito is the capital of Ecuador and has the second highest elevation of any capital city at 9,350 feet.

Quito Sheraton

We had a 3 night stay in Quito to start our trip and then stayed 1 night at Quito Sheraton before our flight back to JFK. We paid 15,000 Marriott points per night which was very reasonable for what we received. Due to my Marriott Titanium status (received through all my work travel), they upgraded us to the executive level. This allowed us to receive free breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They also provided us with free beer and wine. The hotel is on embassy row and there are a ton of restaurants and shops near by. There is also a lovely park across the way. Quito in general felt very safe and if normal precautions are taken (don’t go out alone at night) you should have an amazing time. There was also a very nice gym that we utilized during our stay.

Equator, Brewery, and Friends

Somehow this was the best picture out of them all due to the sun. You can see the yellow equator line and Ciudad Mitad del Mundo in the background.

Quito is very close to the equator and it’s a bit of a tourist attraction to visit. We decided to go visit it with our friends Scott, Layne, and Mauricio. Scott and Mauricio run a company with an office in Quito and Mauricio lives just outside of Quito. Mauricio was able to drive us to the equator, so we didn’t have to bother with a taxi or Uber. On our way to the Equator, we got pulled over by a police officer. Initially Maurcio and the cop were talking through the window, but then Mauricio got out and they got into a little bit of a heated argument. Eventually, Mauricio got back into the car and we drove off. Apparently, the guy was wanting a bribe and Maurcio wasn’t willing to give it. It seems they probably stake out touristy areas to take advantage of people. If we didn’t have Mauricio with us, I’m not sure we would have known how to handle the situation.

It’s about a 45 minute drive to get to the equator from Quito and it was $5 to enter the facilities. There were a ton of shops selling souvenirs along with museums showing the history of cocoa and of the indigenous peoples of Ecuador. The main attraction was the Ciudad Mitad del Mundo which the equator supposedly goes straight through. With modern technology this has been shown to be not true and the real equator is around 790 feet north. Nonetheless, the tower was very good and it included a planetarium along with a museum about Ecuador. It was very educational and I would recommend this attraction for anyone visiting Quito even if it was a little touristy.

View from the top of Ciudad Mitad del Mundo!

After visiting the top of the tower we came down to check out the other attractions. There was a very cool cocoa museum where you learned about the historical significance of cocoa to the region. Cocoa beans were even used as currency. Obviously the best part of this exhibit is that you got to try the cocoa and chocolate they made from it.

We were also able to grab some Cerveza and try out some local beers at one of the buildings within the equator complex.

Galapagos Islands

The Galapagos islands don’t have any major chains to book on points, so we only used points in Quito. After 3 nights in Quito we headed to Santa Cruz. You fly into Baltra and have to take a small ferry to Santa Cruz. All luggage is sprayed down to make sure no invasive species reach the Galapagos. We then took a bus down to the Puerto Ayora. We stayed at the Hotel Santa Fe and it was fine. There was a pool and small breakfast the next morning. It’s a good location and allowed us to walk to the docks. The main thing you will notice about the Galapagos is how many animals there are EVERYWHERE! There are sea iguanas, crabs, and fur seals just lounging about the entire town. It’s really quite the incredible site. We also checked out the Darwin Research Institute where we got to learn about Galapagos Tortoise conversation and see some in captivity. After our stay at Hotel Santa Fe, we went to the docks and took a ferry over to Isabella. Please try to get a ferry ticket in advance. We tried to get one of the day of and almost didn’t get on the boat. We literally got the last spot and some people weren’t able to travel to Isabella that day.

Wildlife in the city!

On Isabella we stayed at a hostel called La Jungla. It was the last building in the town and was very low cost. It had an amazing beach view though and a beach bar a minute away. There was also a communal refrigerator we were allowed to use. On our first day, we accidentally left the lights on when we went to dinner and a million bugs got into the room. The owner of the hostel vacuumed the bugs out of our rooms and we learned a valuable lesson. For the price, it was a very good deal. We had our own room and bathroom with a great view. Although $95 for a hostel seems expensive, there’s a limited number of options on the island. DO NOT skip Isabella. It was our favorite island. It’s a very quaint island town with sandy roads and a cool beach vibe. There is a tortoise sanctuary that you can walk to along with the wall of tears. This was a wall made by prisoners for no purpose other than to make them work. Also, remember to bring cash. There are no ATMs on the island and very few places take credit card (although we found one beach bar that did). The highlight of Isabella was going on a tour of Los Tunnels along with a snorkeling expedition. To go to Los Tunnels you need a certified Galapagos tour guide. The good news is there are plenty of tour agencies on the island that you can book with. The tunnels were made by ancient volcanic activity. Although there is a ton of wildlife, it feels very much like a desert. We loved our guide and experience, but for the life of me, I can’t remember the name of the tour company.

Manta Rays!

At La Tunnels we saw plenty of blue footed boobies and amazing landscapes. On our snorkeling tour we saw giant sea turtles, penguins, fur seals, a school of manta rays, an octopus, a sea horse, reef sharks, and plenty of other fish. The highlight was definitely swimming with Galapagos penguins. They are the second smallest penguins in the world. They are an endangered species with only 1200 left in the wild.

Endangered tiny penguins!

Isabella has amazing seafood that you must try while on the island. If you’re not eating seafood in the Galapagos, you are missing out. You can also trek up a near by volcano which we heard had amazing views. We didn’t do this excursion but it gives us an excuse to come back!

After our three nights in Isabella, we headed back to Santa Cruz. We were meeting our friends Scott and Mauricio along with their wives. We rented a large airbnb called The Dockhouse. It was in the heart of the main city Puerto Ayora. Due to us splitting the costs 3 ways, it was actually less expensive than our hostel in Isabella. We went on an additional snorkeling tour with everyone and had a great time. We again saw some fur seals, reef sharks, sea turtles, a ton of fish, and even a very large Galapagos shark which was a little frightening!

The next day we went to the world famous Tortuga Bay. It’s an amazing sandy beach that was covered in sea iguanas.

We also got to experience the limited night life in Puerto Ayora. We checked out some local bars and actually had a pretty good time. There were plenty of delicious restaurants in the town. Overall, I would highly recommend a trip to the Galapagos!

Getting Home

After the Galapagos we ended up flying back to Quito and staying one more night at the Sheraton. We left the next morning and flew back through Bogota to JFK. Once again we were very impressed with Avianca and got to experience multiple lounges in Bogota. Overall, Anna and I would both say that the Galapagos do not disappoint. While we enjoyed Quito and we could have booked more items outside the city (like the cloud rainforests), two days are more than enough for the city. Please feel free to comment or disagree in the comments section below!

Points/Cost Breakdown

Two Avianca Business Class flights from JFK to Quito - $1284

Two economy flights from Quito to the Galapgos - $622

Four nights at the Quito Sheraton - 60,000 Marriott Points

Hotel.com "Hotel Santa Fe” in Santa Cruz 1 night - $129.00

Airbnb Isabella Hostel “La Jungla” 3 nights - $287.00

Airbnb Santa Cruz “The Dock House” 3 nights - $790 split 3 ways so $263

Total Cost: 60,000 Marriott Points and $2,585