The regional language of Ecuador (and the Galapagos Islands) is Latin American Spanish. Because a great deal of tourists travelling to the Galapagos speak English, most people employed at any level of that tourist industry will usually have some level of English speaking ability (some exceptional, some more basic). Most people involved in tours have good English (tour operators, guides etc) as do most people working on the “tourist strips” of the islands (restaurant staff, hotels, shops etc). Many of the taxi drivers also have at least a reasonable grasp of the language.
However, when you leave the “touristy” areas (back street café’s, areas outside of the towns that aren’t designed specifically for tourists to visit etc) English ability starts becoming more random with some locals speaking it quite well and others only understanding some words or sometimes none at all. So while knowing Spanish is not essential, learning some basic words can occasionally come in handy (and locals seem to love it when foreigners try to speak the local language, even if it is awkwardly or incorrectly).
DO NOT book anything big or expensive for your 1st day of arrival in the Galapagos. Plane flights get delayed and things can go wrong, which runs the risk of your time and money getting wasted and can ruin your trip before it has begun. Things like accommodation is fine to book for day 1 on the islands, but be smart and organise your bigger expenses for later days when are confident that you will have definitely arrived, got basically settled and had a little time to orientate yourself.
The less things you book before you arrive, the more money that you can save. Online pre-booking of things like accommodation and Day Tours can cost as much as 3 TIMES more than what you can pay if you just wait until you are on the islands in person. If arriving in the Galapagos without arranging anywhere to stay makes you too nervous, then I recommend booking only the 1st night (or 2 nights max) for when you arrive, which should give you plenty of time to find alternative accommodation in the following days. *Note - While I admit that not booking ahead is a bit of a gamble, I literally booked nothing but my plane tickets when I travelled there in early August for 16 days (14 full days and 2 half days). Despite August being considered to be in the last month of the “peak tourist” period, I still had a plethora of options of places to stay from day 1 and never experienced any problems whatsoever. I also never missed out on any of the Day Tours I wanted to do and in the process saved myself a MASSIVE amount of money.*
The “peak tourist” seasons are considered to be around mid-December to mid-January (near Christmas and New Year’s) and from around mid-June to early September. During these times it may be more difficult to barter for discounted accommodation and Day Trips due to higher demand and things may be filled up or sold out on some days if they are popular. Therefore, it might be best to decide what your “must have” experiences are and consider booking those specific things in advance, but be prepared to pay more for the privilege. The “low tourist” seasons are considered to be April to May and September to October.
Weather wise, the Galapagos Islands only has slight climatic variations throughout the year. The warm, slightly rainier season is from late December to June. This means warmer waters for swimming, but the chance of cloud and showers (though these are often quick passing).
The cool, dry season is from late June to December (meaning blue skies and occasional mid-day showers). However, “cool” is a relative term in the Galapagos as the days are still warm but the water is cooler due to the southern tradewinds. The warmest and sunniest months are usually February and March and from December to May the waters are meant to be clearer and calmer which should mean increased visibility underwater.
**IMPORTANT - Ecuador only uses North American dollars (USD) and locally minted Ecuadorian coins as its currency and once on the islands there’s nowhere to exchange foreign currency.
There will be a $20 fee for the INGALA Transit Control Card (up to 90 day Tourist Visa) which you MUST PURCHASE at the “check in area” BEFORE going through security at the Airport in Quito or Guayaquil (they won’t let you board the plane without it and you risk potentially missing your flight). There’s also a $100 fee per adult ($50 for children 11 or under) for the National Park Fee that you buy after you’ve landed at the Galapagos Airport (which is a requirement for all foreigners). THIS MUST BE PAID IN CASH before you can enter the islands (so credit/ debit cards will be useless for this). Therefore it’s 100% NECESSARY to have the PHYSICAL MONEY you need on you BEFORE catching your plane.** *Hint - You can fill out your details for the $20 “INGALA Transit Control Card” (Tourist Visa) online and pick it up in the Ecuador Airport to save yourself some time and hassle.*
*Additional Hint - As soon as you receive your $20 “INGALA Transit Control Card” at the Ecuador Airport, KEEP IT INSIDE YOUR PASSPORT at all times for your entire trip. You do not want to lose it until well after you have left the islands and returned to Ecuador.*
**WARNING - There’s a local rumour that the $100 National Park Fee is going to be increased to $200 per adult at some point this year (unconfirmed).**
**IMPORTANT - While the islands are much more expensive than the Ecuadorian mainland, many things in the Galapagos are still cheap enough to make credit cards worthless for smaller purchases and services (also there’s between 12% up to 22% for VAT and card surcharges). On top of that, most places do not take credit cards anyway, which MAKES CARRYING PHYSICAL MONEY ALWAYS ESSENTIAL in the Galapagos (preferably in lower denomination notes as many local vendors will also refuse to give change for $50 and $100 notes).** *Note - Traveller’s cheques are pretty much useless as well. But the banks on the islands MAY accept them (but I couldn’t confirm this).
There are several ATM’s at Puerto Ayora (Santa Cruz) and near the San Cristobal town waterfront, but they have a withdrawal limit of $300 per ATM and $600 maximum daily total withdrawal limit. This being said, there have been past reports that sometimes ATM’s in the Galapagos have been used for “scamming”. Therefore the safest method to withdraw money is from one of the banks and getting your cash from a human teller directly (You will need to bring your passport as proof of ID to do this). Banks will also exchange $50 and $100 notes into smaller “more useful” denominations for you. There’s a bank on the main street of Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz that is perfect for this.*Hint - If carrying large amounts of money to cover foreseeable expenses on your trip, it’s probably in your best interests to seek out accommodation that has onsite or in-room safes available (I found multiple mid-range expense accommodation that offered these).
**IMPORTANT - THERE ARE NO ATM’S OR BANKS ON ISABELA ISLAND OR FLOREANA and Credit Cards are useless there. So MAKE SURE you are cashed up BEFORE catching the “inter-island” boat (ferry) to Isabela or Floreana.**