One of the places on my bucket list was the Galápagos Islands. This drew me to planning this trip but little did I know how much Ecuador, as a country, is a dream family travel destination, offering warm weather, breathtaking landscapes, adventure, unique wildlife, and rich cultural experiences. Our family trip was nothing short of extraordinary. Our favorite part was the ability to get so close to the animals in their natural habitat. That said, if boats and snorkeling aren’t your thing, this might not be the ideal trip for you. You still would love Ecuador but would likely want to skip the Galápagos Islands.
The author received discounted services or was hosted for parts of her family's Ecuador experience. All thoughts and opinions are her own.
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The two best decisions we made were choosing Rebecca Adventure Travel and doing this as a land trip versus a cruise or boat. Rebecca Adventure Travel handled everything, from pre-planning and booking hotels and transportation to daily logistics, and someone was always there to make sure everything went smoothly. Their personalized service made us feel like VIPs every step of the way.
Most people do this trip via a boat or cruise but I was so happy we did it by land because we learned how much the islands rely on tourism, which has the most impact through land tourists instead of through the boat trips. It was wonderful for our family to really immerse ourselves in the local culture and meet the people of the country and learn so much.
Once again, I seemed to select a vacation location which was very difficult to find information on which is why I promised myself I would write an article to help others. Typically when I take a trip I can go to travel review sites and see thousands of reviews. The place we went to had only a handful of reviews so it was super challenging! I hope this will help you with some recommendations and encourage you to travel to Ecuador and the Galápagos!
Our Galápagos Islands Trip Starts In Santa Cruz
Our adventure in the Galápagos began with Rebecca Adventure Travel navigating the complexities of inter-island travel so we didn’t have to because it is a LOT. Every detail, from airport pickups to boat transfers, was seamless. We actually arrived in Quito around midnight and stayed at EB Hotel By Eurobuilding Quito before being picked up at 5am for our flight to the Galápagos. We wish we had more time at that hotel because it was super modern and nice!
We made it to our first island which was Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz has an adorable street right off the water, full of cute shops and restaurants and is easy to walk everywhere and explore.
Accommodations:
- Hotel Villa Escalesia: This boutique hotel was beautiful with its stunning ocean views where you could gaze from their infinity pool and hot tub surrounded by iguanas, as well as a great location right in the heart of the cute town. It was the perfect place to unwind after days full of adventure. They also provided a delicious breakfast with fruit, yogurt, granola, bread, coffee, and made-to-order eggs.
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Activities:
- Day 1: As soon as we arrived, a guide greeted us and we headed to the highlands to see the iconic giant tortoises. Watching these tortoises, some of which were 150 years old, in their natural habitat, was nothing short of magical and set the tone for the rest of the trip. We also went to the lava cave which was very cool. We were extremely tired from our travels but so excited to see so much wildlife just upon arrival (you will see iguanas right as you walk off the airplane).
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- Day 2: Finally rested and ready to roll, this was our favorite day of the entire trip. We went on a snorkeling and fishing tour around Santa Fe Islands. As we snorkeled in the most turquoise blue water, we were in total awe of the schools of colorful fish and playful sea lions, and we even swam with sharks. The scenery was breathtaking and included the blue-footed boobies. Along with our great boat crew, our guide Jimmy was so sweet and helpful and made the trip extra special.
Check out scenes from snorkeling with the author and her family:
- Day 3 Hiking to and kayaking at Tortuga Bay was really fun. Paddling alongside iguanas and sea turtles and sharks. Later, we took a speedboat to our second island–San Cristobal—this was candidly our least favorite part of our trip. You must take Dramamine or something like it because it is a long (2+ hours) and uncomfortable speed boat ride.
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Dining:
Both islands had incredible fish to eat! We ate a lot of tuna and ceviche. Everywhere in Ecuador had delicious coffee. The juices were tasty everywhere as well. Here are our food recommendations for Santa Cruz.
- Midori Sushi Pub - there is actually a location as well in San Cristobal. We liked it so much we went here on both islands and ordered totally different food each night. All the sushi was fresh and delicious and the place has a fun vibe.
- Almar Galapagos - This was our nicest island meal. They are known for their fresh lobster and we all decided to get it. So big and yummy. This had a really nice ambiance.
- Bowl Acai Bar - located right across from our hotel, this was right up our alley. Their acai bowls and other healthy foods were delish!
San Cristobal aka “Sea Lion Island”
Our time in San Cristobal was absolutely incredible. What makes it so interesting is the population of sea lions is higher than residents (8,000 sea lions and only 7,000 people)! It is a smaller island with fewer restaurants but offers a great mix of adventures and relaxation.
Accommodations:
- Hotel Indigo Galapagos: You must stay at this modern hotel! It is not only gorgeous but you will look out your ocean-front balcony and there are tons of sea lions literally right outside. The location is right in the heart of all the action. The food here was also some of the best we had on our trip from breakfast to both lunch and dinner.
Activities:
- Day 5: More snorkeling but this time to Kicker Rock. On this trip which was on a larger boat with a bigger crew which was also great, we spent time swimming with the sea turtles and sea lions which honestly felt like we were flying right above them. There was so much amazing ocean life to see around the rocks as well. We also went to some gorgeous beaches.
- Day 6: We spent a laid-back day at Playa Mann, where the kids really enjoyed soaking up the sun and playing for hours with the sea lions on the beach and in the ocean. A highlight was seeing the cutest 3-day old sea lion. There are way more sea lions on this beach than humans. On our way, we visited the Interpretation Center and did a gorgeous hike to see the entire island and Kicker Rock from beautiful vistas.
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Dining:
- Post Office - this is a casual restaurant located right off the water which is partly a brewery with its own beer which we sampled and enjoyed. My kids are still talking about the cheese crunchers as being the best in their life. I thought their tuna was excellent and the place had a fun and beachy casual vibe.
- Midori Sushi - see above
- Darwin Secret - this is the restaurant in our hotel. Definitely worth going even if you don’t stay there.
- Calypso - This is a cute ice cream shop we went to each night after dinner. Very good selection!
City Time and Cloud Forest in Quito
After the wild beauty of the Galápagos, Quito offered a vibrant and cultural end to our trip. We kept saying how there is just so much uniqueness about this city. It has both the modern and historic and colonial feel to it depending on which pocket you are in - the north or south side. It is in a valley surrounded on both sides by mountains and hills, an active volcano, and you are at a crazy high altitude.
Accommodations:
- GO Quito Hotel: This new, modern boutique hotel gave us some of the best views of the city. It had a real cool vibe to it and was very clean and everything was on motion sensors. I highly recommend staying at this hotel. Also, the breakfast buffet at the “Altitude” on the top floor was included in our stay and might be in my top 5 best hotel breakfast buffets I have ever had (and I have had breakfast buffets in cities all over the world!). We also had dinners here and they were amazing as well. The crazy part is that this hotel is only like $100-$200 a night!
Activities
- Day 8: This was a super fun day trip outside Quito to Mindo for adventures. This was a 2-hour drive but well worth it and special as you are driving into the clouds and rain forest. We ziplined through the cloud forest (everyone loved this!), explored a bird farm where hummingbirds came over and sat on your hands (I could barely drag the kids away, they loved it so much), and did a chocolate tour at Mindo Chocolate Makers farm. We also passed the equator line where you can go to a museum and take pics but we ended up scrapping it due to our tight schedule.
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- Day 9: We drove up to the huge statue of the Virgin of Panecillo which is the central point of the city and offers its best panoramic views and saw Quito from above. We then went to Quito’s historic and colonial center and saw the Basilica and San Francisco Church. We did some shopping at the markets which is always my favorite thing to do and got some cool art for our house (of course featuring a sea lion and tortoise)!
Then we took a cooking class which was outstanding and absolutely delicious. It was a delectable potato and cheese soup alongside a yummy swordfish and shrimp dish, both classic Ecuadorian fare. The highlight was this dessert dish where we cut up all the exotic fruits I had never experienced from Ecuador and covered them in warm chocolate! Literally to die for.
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Also, this last day was New Year's Eve. If you can time your visit to come for New Year's in Quito, it is UNREAL. I could not believe all the traditions this city has. The first is that the men dress up as Widows (there is a long story to this) and beg for money in the streets which is quite a site! Second, they build all these dolls out of paper of famous politicians and celebrities and then burn them all at midnight. There are tons of parties and parades at Avenida Amazonas. It is very festive and fireworks went off all over the city at midnight.
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Dining:
Finally, the foodie in me got to focus a bit more on food in the city!
Somos - This was our highlight meal of the entire trip! We were hosted for a tasting menu and a cocktail tasting menu at this incredible restaurant. The restaurant was located right near our hotel and it was really cool and vibrant inside. Some of our favorite dishes (which I am totally going to botch what they are called because everything was in Spanish), but just trust me they were delish: a sliced octopus dish with Vietnamese vinaigrette, guinea pig dumplings (I know it sounds horrific but we actually liked!), a delish corn and cheese empanada and lastly a delicious dish with green plantain and crab.
The drinks were unreal too, so many unique flavors I had never had before, and got stronger as the meal progressed. If you go, you must do the cocktail tasting with the tasting menu. Make reservations and do not miss this one in Quito if you only have one night.
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There are tons of different foods to taste in Quito but we did not have enough time to do a food tour. It is extremely inexpensive! For example, on our Mindo Adventure, we stopped in the town for lunch and we received this entire meal plus soup and watermelon juice for, I kid you not…$3!
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Final Recommendations
I do recommend using a tour company, especially if you don’t speak Spanish. This was a country where there were very few English speakers. We struggled despite both my kids being in high school Spanish! Rebecca Adventure Travel made what could have been a complicated trip feel effortless. They handled all the logistics, leaving us free to enjoy each moment. Every destination had a friendly guide waiting for us, activities set up for us, and the hotels were spot-on. Knowing we had someone to rely on throughout the trip gave us peace of mind, which is priceless when traveling with kids, especially internationally. It helped in Ecuador that we were basically in the same time zone as the states and they use US currency which is such an advantage.
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One thing to note in Quito is that it is at a very high altitude. Ironically it really set Brian off his game while we were there with dizziness. It is not supposed to last more than 48 hours but I recommend really preparing to be there by drinking enough water before and during your stay, and not having any alcohol the day of your arrival.
Winter Break was a perfect weather time to visit Ecuador and the Galapagos. In the islands, it was warm and sunny in the 70s; and in Quito, it was in the low 60s with some afternoon light rain, but the sun occasionally came out. Make sure to check the time of year you are going. I still needed a wetsuit in the Galapagos and a fleece in Quito, so I can’t even imagine if I had gone when it was colder.
Ecuador is a family destination like no other, and our family made some of the most special memories (minus the typical family and teenager bickering that all families have or is it just my family?). I highly recommend making the trip. My prediction is that in 20 years, Ecuador will be the next Costa Rica and will be much more expensive, so my personal opinion is to make the trip now when it is not so commercialized!
