With their rugged volcanic hinterlands edged by an inviting green, white and turquoise margin, the Galápagos Islands are certainly photogenic enough to be enjoyed from the deck of a ship. From this vantage point, you’ll observe boobies arrowing into the ocean and spy the heads of sea lions as they nose above the surface. Neither is any fitness required to board a small motor launch and disembark in a string of locations populated by iguanas, giant tortoises and sea lions.
Indeed, these encounters could be enough to sate the species-spotting tendencies of the less-adventurous traveller.
Moreover, the quirks of the Galápagos Islands’ location – strewn across the tropics but cooled by the Humboldt Current – ensure that the climate is neither oppressively hot nor especially humid. The hotter, wetter season runs from December to May, during which time the air temperature averages 25°C and the sea is warmed under clear skies. The dry season, running from June to November, is not drastically different in character, but increased mist and cloud do tend to bring the air temperature down by a few degrees and prevent the sun from taking the chill off the water.
Therefore, visitors with sun hats and ample sunscreen need not fear the climate that prevails in this tropical anomaly.