A safari-style camp set in the highlands of Santa Cruz, Galapagos Safari Camp offers an elegant land-based alternative to exploring the Galapagos, combining private wildlife excursions with all the comforts of a boutique eco-lodge.
Set within 135 acres of private parkland, this discreet, family-run retreat brings the tented safari model to the tropics with quiet flair. Nine stylish canvas tents and a three-bedroom lodge sit above the forest canopy, opening onto misty highland views and a soundtrack of birdsong. Days are shaped around private guided excursions, including hikes through volcanic terrain, kayaking with sea lions, and boat trips to uninhabited neighbouring islands. It’s ideal before or after a cruise, or for travellers keen to experience the Galapagos without too much time at sea.
What we love about Galapagos Safari Camp
- The infinity pool is our favourite spot under a canopy of endemic trees, where you can relax and listen to the mysterious sounds of the forest.
- The nine teak-floored safari tents are simple and elegant, with ocean-facing balconies, handwoven Ecuadorian textiles, and en-suite bathrooms with solar-powered hot showers.
- The three-bedroom Family Suite (separate from the tents) is well-suited to multi-generational groups. It features its own living area and veranda, and is decorated in the same warm, safari-inspired style as the rest of the camp.
- Each stay includes a customised daily programme of private excursions, whether hiking volcanic trails, spotting marine iguanas in the wild, visiting remote beaches, or heading out by boat to nearby uninhabited islands.
- Dining is a highlight, with a kitchen that takes its cues from Ecuador’s Pacific and Andean larders. Dishes are fresh, local and unfussy, often made with produce from the camp’s own farm. Menus are set each day to reduce waste, and meals are served in the open-air lodge with panoramic views of the highlands.
- Galapagos Safari Camp is deeply committed to sustainability. Rainwater is purified and used across the property, tents are positioned for natural ventilation, and guests are welcome to help with reforestation projects or learn about the native cacao grown on site.
Days at Galapagos Safari Camp are shaped around your pace and interests, with expert guides tailoring each activity to suit the weather, wildlife movements, and your energy levels.
Explore lava tunnels, hike volcanic craters, cycle through the highlands, or snorkel with turtles and rays in quiet bays. Boat excursions take you to neighbouring uninhabited islands, such as North Seymour, Bartolomé, South Plaza, each home to a cast of endemic wildlife. Kayak alongside sea lions, surf remote breaks, or dive with hammerheads if you’re feeling bold. You’ll encounter blue-footed boobies mid-courtship, marine iguanas sprawled across black rock, and giant tortoises ambling through the misty forest, entirely unbothered by your presence.
For families, the camp offers engaging nature-based activities for children, from wildlife tracking to star-gazing. Every evening, return to camp for open-air suppers and stories under the stars.
Many choose to explore the islets by yacht, but an exciting alternative is to stay up in the wild highlands of Santa Cruz Island, where family-owned Galapagos Safari Camp has brought the concept of the luxury tented camp from the African savannahs to the tropics. It works perfectly. Located on a vantage point looking out across the Pacific Ocean and national park, the camp’s stylish raised tents epitomise discreet luxury, and expansive verandas immerse you in nature. For those with a curiosity of the natural world, this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that we couldn’t recommend more highly.
When to Travel
The Galapagos is a great year-round destination. It has two distinct seasons: the Warm and Wet Season (December-July) and the Cool and Dry Season (July-December). When it’s cool and dry, the water will be colder and choppier than at other times of the year, the upside being that marine life proliferates, making it a great time for snorkelling and scuba diving. If you’re lucky you may see migrating humpback whales. Warm and wet season brings more humidity and clearer, calmer waters. There is plenty of wildlife activity year-round, so no matter what time of year you visit, there will always be plenty to see.
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