Our Galápagos Journey: Wildlife, Adventure and the People Who Made It Unforgettable
Accessible Travel in Galápagos: A Journey Where Nature and People Leave a Lasting Impression
Some journeys impress you with their landscapes. Others stay in your heart because of the people you meet along the way. Our journey through the Galápagos Islands managed to do both.
Before traveling, I have to admit that I had many doubts. We were traveling with someone with reduced mobility, and although we always look for accessible destinations, we imagined that an archipelago filled with beaches, nature trails, boats, and wildlife excursions would be challenging.
We wondered how accessible travel in Galápagos would really be. We thought we might have to miss out on some experiences.
From the very first day, we realized how wrong we were.
We were welcomed at Hotel Casa Playa Mann in San Cristóbal with fresh juice while our rooms were being prepared. We then coordinated the equipment we would need throughout the trip, as well as something we had never imagined would be possible: an adapted scuba diving experience for my partner.
But what truly surprised us was not just how well everything was organized.
It was the way people made us feel.
After our first breakfast at the hotel, the staff already knew that we drank mate every morning. From then on, the hot water was ready before we even had to ask. They remembered our preferences and were always attentive to the smallest details.
These are the little gestures that make you stop feeling like a guest and start feeling at home.
And that warmth extended far beyond the hotel.
In Galápagos, people greet you as you pass each other on the street. One day, a group of children spontaneously approached us to warn us about an uneven section of the path ahead so that we could be careful with the wheelchair.
They may seem like simple gestures, but they say a great deal about a community that is proud of its home and genuinely welcoming.
That same sense of respect can also be felt in the relationship between people and nature.
As soon as we walked along the waterfront in San Cristóbal, we saw sea lions resting on the rocks, others sleeping on the pier, and seabirds sharing the same space with tourists and fishermen.
In Galápagos, wildlife is not simply an attraction.
It is part of everyday life.
An Unforgettable Adapted Scuba Diving Experience at Kicker Rock
The days that followed brought one unforgettable moment after another.
One of the most extraordinary was our excursion to Kicker Rock, one of the iconic wildlife sites near San Cristóbal.
While I went snorkeling, my partner fulfilled one of her greatest dreams by taking part in an adapted scuba diving experience accompanied by a specialized instructor.
Thanks to the coordination of Latin America for All, something that had once seemed impossible became the most exciting experience of our entire journey.
Beneath the surface, hammerhead sharks, sea turtles, sea lions, and enormous schools of fish appeared before us, moving through the water almost as if they were a single organism.
Seeing the happiness on my partner’s face when she came out of the water was one of those moments that needs very few words.
It was also a powerful reminder of what accessible travel can really mean.
It is not necessarily about changing the adventure.
Sometimes it is simply about finding the right people, equipment, experience, and determination to make that adventure possible for everyone.
Discovering Isabela Island
We later flew in a small aircraft to Isabela Island—an adventure in itself.
There, we met the famous Galápagos giant tortoises at the breeding center, kayaked across waters so clear that we could see sea turtles swimming beneath us, and made our way to a hidden mangrove where a blue-footed booby treated us to an unforgettable show, diving into the water again and again in search of fish.
Each day somehow seemed to surpass the one before it.
And despite our initial concerns about traveling through the Galápagos Islands with reduced mobility, accessibility gradually stopped being the main focus of our trip.
We were simply enjoying Galápagos.
That, perhaps, is one of the best things that can happen on an accessible journey.
What I Remember Most About Galápagos
When I think about Galápagos, of course I remember the hammerhead sharks, giant tortoises, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, crystal-clear waters, and dramatic volcanic landscapes.
But, surprisingly, the first thing that comes to mind is the people.
The people who greeted us without knowing us.
The people who paid attention to every detail.
The people who helped make wheelchair travel in Galápagos feel less like a challenge and simply part of the journey.
Because true inclusion is not only about having a ramp, accessible transportation, or an all-terrain wheelchair.
It is about finding committed people who genuinely believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to experience the same adventure.
That is exactly what we found in Galápagos.
And perhaps that is why, when someone asks me what the best part of the trip was, I do not talk only about the extraordinary wildlife or landscapes.
I talk about the smiles of the people who welcomed us.
I remember the children who warned us about an uneven section of the path.
I remember the people who helped make an adapted scuba diving experience possible.
And above all, I remember the feeling of discovering a place where extraordinary nature and human kindness coexist in perfect harmony.
Galápagos gave us much more than a journey.
It reminded us that when accessibility is approached with care, experience, commitment, and genuine human warmth, it can open the door for everyone to discover some of the most extraordinary places on our planet.
By: Maria Cristina Ruiz & Ariel Correa