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Boats in the harbour at Puerto Ayora
Departures boardSeasickness meter Updated Nov 6, 2026

Galápagos ferry schedule

The public speedboats ("lanchas") link Santa Cruz with Isabela, San Cristóbal and Floreana. Here is when they leave, what they cost and how rough it gets.

  • 2boats a day each way
  • ~2 hcrossing time
  • $30–55one way, foreigners
  • $10Isabela dock fee
Photo: David Broad, CC BY 3.0

Short answer: boats leave Puerto Ayora for Isabela at 06:00 and 14:00 and for San Cristóbal at 07:00 and 15:00; the return boats leave Isabela at 05:00 and 14:00 and San Cristóbal at 07:00 and 15:00. The crossing takes about 2 hours on open sea and costs about $30–55 one way. There is no direct boat between Isabela and San Cristóbal: you change in Puerto Ayora.

Departures board

⛴ INTER-ISLAND DEPARTURESGalápagos time (UTC−6)

TimeFromToCrossingStatus
05:00IsabelaSanta Cruz~2 hScheduled
06:00Santa CruzIsabela~2 hScheduled
07:00Santa CruzSan Cristóbal~2 hScheduled
07:00San CristóbalSanta Cruz~2 hScheduled
08:00Santa CruzFloreana~2 hScheduled
14:00Santa CruzIsabela~2 hScheduled
14:00IsabelaSanta Cruz~2 hScheduled
15:00Santa CruzSan Cristóbal~2 hScheduled
15:00San CristóbalSanta Cruz~2 hScheduled

Times can shift by an hour between operators (some list the Isabela boat at 15:00) and boats are moved in bad weather. Check in at the pier 50–60 minutes before departure for the passport and luggage check.

Routes on the map

EQUATOR · 0° Volcán Wolf≈ 1,670 mVolcán Wolf: highest point about 1,670 m in the GMRT elevation gridCerro Azul≈ 1,650 mCerro Azul: highest point about 1,650 m in the GMRT elevation gridSierra Negra≈ 1,110 mSierra Negra: highest point about 1,110 m in the GMRT elevation gridAlcedo≈ 1,130 mAlcedo: highest point about 1,130 m in the GMRT elevation gridVolcán Darwin≈ 1,370 mVolcán Darwin: highest point about 1,370 m in the GMRT elevation gridLa Cumbre≈ 1,440 mLa Cumbre (Fernandina): highest point about 1,440 m in the GMRT elevation gridSanta Cruz highlands≈ 820 mSanta Cruz highlands: highest point about 820 m in the GMRT elevation gridSan Cristóbal highlands≈ 680 mSan Cristóbal highlands: highest point about 680 m in the GMRT elevation gridSantiago≈ 890 mSantiago: highest point about 890 m in the GMRT elevation gridPinta≈ 610 mPinta: highest point about 610 m in the GMRT elevation grid ISABELAFERNANDINASANTIAGOSANTA CRUZSAN CRISTÓBALFLOREANAESPAÑOLAPINTAMARCHENAGENOVESASANTA FEPINZÓNBALTRA North SeymourBartoloméSanta FeSouth PlazaPinzónKicker RockLos TúnelesTintorerasTortuga BaySierra NegraPunta SuárezEl Chato Puerto AyoraPuerto Baquerizo MorenoPuerto VillamilPuerto Velasco Ibarra ✈GPSBaltra (GPS)✈SCYSan Cristóbal (SCY)✈IBBIsabela (IBB) 🐢Giant tortoises🐧Penguins🐧Penguins🦶Blue-footed boobies🦩Flamingos🦩Flamingos🦭Sea lions in town🦎Marine iguanas🦦Flightless cormorants🕊Waved albatross (Apr–Dec)🔴Red-footed boobies🐠Turtles & sharks (snorkel)🦈White-tip sharks ↖ Darwin & Wolf: dive boats only 050 km N
sea depth 3,000 m → shore land 0 → 1,400 m+ FerryAirportTown Relief and depth: GMRT (Ryan et al. 2009, CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation.

What the ferry costs

ItemPriceNote
Ferry ticket, one way (foreigner)$30–55Depends on the operator
Water taxi to and from the boat$1 per person per rideCash, at Puerto Ayora and the other piers
Isabela dock fee (foreigner)$10Charged on arrival in Puerto Villamil
Seat booked online in advanceabout $61–81GetYourGuide resellers incl. booking service, some with hotel transfer

Seasickness meter

😐 Choose your month.

A rough guide from typical sea conditions in each month and the two-hour open-sea crossing. The afternoon boat gets a notch more because the wind picks up during the day.

  • Sit at the back, low down, and look at the horizon. The front of a speedboat slams hardest.
  • Take your seasickness tablet before you board, not when you start feeling it.
  • Keep a light jacket and a plastic bag on you: open speedboats get spray.
  • Prone to seasickness? Small planes fly between Baltra, San Cristóbal and Isabela (Emetebe, from about $153, strict baggage limits). See getting there.

How to take the ferry, step by step

  1. Buy a ticket the day before at an operator office in town (several sit around Avenida Baltra and Charles Binford in Puerto Ayora) or book a seat online.
  2. Be at the pier 50–60 minutes early. Bags are checked for plants, food and animal products before every inter-island trip.
  3. Take the water taxi ($1, cash) from the pier to the anchored speedboat.
  4. On Isabela, pay the $10 dock fee as you arrive in Puerto Villamil.

Planning a multi-island trip? The itinerary planner lines up the ferries for you, and the cost calculator adds them to your budget.

Book a seat or skip the ferry

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Prices and ratings as listed in November 2026; the price at checkout is what counts. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Disclosure

Not keen on two crossings? The Isabela day tour from Santa Cruz includes the boats both ways, or stay two nights on Isabela instead.

Sources (12)· checked 2026-11-06

Updated 2026-11-06. Fees, boat times and prices change, so confirm with the operator before you travel.