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Galapagos National Park Rules & Regulations

All visitors to the protected areas within the Galapagos National Park must be accompanied by a licensed naturalist guide. Guests must stay with their guide and remain on marked trails to protect the wildlife and for their safety.

During orientation, your guide will go over the Galapagos National Park rules, which you are required to follow during the cruise. Signs posted on our vessels list the National Park Rules & Regulations.

• Maintain a distance of at least six feet from wildlife to avoid disturbing them, even if
• they approach you.
• Do not touch, pet, or feed the animals. Do not startle or chase any animal from its nesting place.
• Do not disturb or remove any native plant, rock, or animal on land or in the water.
• Do not buy any products or souvenirs made from banned substances, including black coral, shells, lava rock, animal parts, or any native wood or vegetation. This is illegal and must be reported.
• Be careful not to transport any live material or sand from one Island to the next.
• Food or drinks, except for water, are not permitted on the uninhabited islands.
• Do not bring any food, animals, or plants to the islands.
• You must cooperate fully with the inspection officials at the airports.
• Do not leave any trash on the Islands or throw any litter overboard. Practice “leave no trace” principles to maintain the beauty of the environment.
• Motorized aquatic sports, mini-subs, aerial (drone) are not permitted in the national park or marine reserve.
• Flash photography is not permitted when taking photos of wildlife.
• Smoking and campfires are strictly prohibited within the Galapagos National Park protected areas.
• Fishing is only permitted on recreational boats authorized by the GNPD licensed for “pesca vivencial”.

Additional Rules & Regulations (effective March, 2024):

Visiting hours to areas of the Galapagos National Park are as established in the Management Plan, from 6:00 to 18:00, with diving activities ending at 17:00, excluding permitted night diving.

The use of sound players such as radios, cellphones, speakers is only allowed through headphones.

The use of sunscreen containing the chemicals oxybenzone, octinoxate, and others harmful to marine ecosystems is regulated and restricted to sustain and protect the coral reefs.

In addition, to avoid disturbing or provoking the wildlife, Ecoventura suggests guests avoid wearing bright colored clothing while on the Islands, refrain from using selfie sticks. Ecoventura has always encouraged guests to use bio-degradable sunscreen.

In 2017, Ecoventura eliminated the use of plastic straws and single-use plastic bottles in our entire fleet. By mid-2018, most plastics were prohibited from entering Galapagos including plastic straws, single-use plastic bags, Styrofoam containers, and non-returnable plastic bottles. 

We are conscious of the damage plastics causes to marine life and is why we started this initiative before the resolution became mandatory.

In 2022, Ecoventura opened a Recycling Facility in Galapagos to ensure no garbage produced on board our fleet is left behind. All plastic, cardboard, and glass are compacted and recycled. We ask guests do their part by removing packaging materials at home or taking them to the mainland rather than leaving trash onboard in Galapagos.