Volunteer Galapagos  |  Galapagos

Prices are available for any period between 2 weeks and 6 months.

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Read how your fees are spent or compare our prices with other volunteer organisations.

View our prices in other volunteer locations's or combine your stay in Galapagos with stays in other locations as part of a combination stay.

What you receive

• Orientation upon arrival
• 24 hour support
• Accommodation
• Regular follow-up meetings
• Ecuador culture introduction

Apart from our fees, you must pay for:

• Vaccinations and Visas
• Airfares and all transportation to your project location
• Health insurance
• Food (about 4-6 dollars per day) and other personal expenses

Our application process typically takes two or three weeks, but can be speeded up if there is a need for that. When we receive the initial application from you, we will send you our full application form.

(1) Complete the Initial Application Form:
The first stage of the application process is to fill out the brief initial application form. Upon receiving this we will send you the full application form.

(2) Complete the Full Application Form:
Fill out the application form. After receiving this we will assess your suitability and place you on one of our programs.

(3) Placement info:
We will return detailed placement information and an invoice. If you accept the placement you should pay the invoice and send us receipt of payment by email or fax.

(4) Program Fee:
The program fee should be paid to us at least 2 months before you are due to start your placement. However please be aware that we have a limited amount of placements, so placements will only be secured when we have received your payment.

(5) Communication:
Once you have made your traveling arrangements you should mail your time of arrival and the means of transportation and we will confirm pickup.

For the majority of our Ecuador programs, you can join us for any amount of time from 4 weeks to 6 months. However, some projects have minimum time restrictions.

We recommend a trip of 3-6 months since it offers the best value. Regardless of the length of your stay, you will be able to learn some Spanish and you will have time to get to know a new culture, come to know its people, and form relationships that will outlast the duration of your stay.

Dates for the Year 2012:

May: Sat 26 June: Sat 9, Sat 23 July: Sat 7, Sat 21 August: Sat 4, Sat 18

September: Sat 1, Sat 15, Sat 29 October: Sat 13, Sat 27 November: Sat 10, Sat 24 December: Sat 8, Sat 22

Dates for the Year 2013:

January: Sat 5, Sat 19 February: Sat 2, Sat 16 March: Sat 2, Sat 16, Sat 30 April: Sat 13, Sat 27

May: Sat 11, Sat 25 June: Sat 8, Sat 22 July: Sat 6, Sat 20 August: Sat 3, Sat 17, Sat 31

September: Sat 14, Sat 28 October: Sat 12, Sat 26 November: Sat 9, Sat 23 December: Sat 7, Sat 21

You will live with a host family in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. You will have a private room or if you prefer a shared room. There are rooms upstairs and downstairs, and you will most likely share a bathroom with other volunteers.

 

Volunteers have the opportunity to try water sports such us snorkeling, scuba diving, water skiing, fishing, swimming, fauna and flora watching, ecological excursions, cruises and much more.

Furthermore, The Galápagos has many restaurants along the sea front selling fabulous seafood. These restaurants are where people from Galápagos choose to relax.

During your volunteer program, you will have use of the kitchen and all of the cooking facilities. Apart from this, the streets of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno are filled with places to eat. Many of them are open throughout the morning and some of them part of the night. You should plan to spend from $3 to $10 per meal depending on your choice of food. (ie. A local lunch of rice, beans, and meat) for $3, a seafood dinner with drink for $10+). There are a fairly wide variety of restaurants on the island, you can find traditional Ecuadorian food and you can also find typical “Gringo” favorites like pizzas, burgers, and brownies.

In Puerto Baquerizo Moreno there are also many grocery stores and mini markets.

The ocean currents largely determine Galápagos Islands' weather. Normally from June to December the weather is cool, cloudy and dry with temperatures averaging 72F. From December to June, the weather is warm, sunny and rainy.

 

Galapagos Weather Chart

To get to our T2T program in Galapagos we ask that our volunteers get to San Cristobel airport in Ecuador where they will be met by our in country coordinator. Airlines such as Aerogal (Galapagos Airlines) fly directly into San Cristobel airport.

Due to the fact that the Islands are situated 970 km west of the Ecuadorian coast volunteers will then have to catch a connecting flight. The national airline TAME ("Transportes Aereos Militares del Ecuador") flies to the archipelago twice a day. For more information and help with this volunteers can either contact our International Programme Manager or our in country coordinator.

 

Ecuador welcomes tourists and travelers from every country. For citizens of the United States, Canada and most European countries and Asia traveling to Ecuador for tourism, business or study do not require a Visa unless these visitors expect to stay in Ecuador for more than 180 days in one calendar year (that is, 180 days adding every entry in one year), or if they are drawing income from an Ecuadorian source. Normally, the immigration officers will give tourists 90 day visas, but these can easily be extended to 180 days in the Migration Office in either Quito or Galapagos.

If you are planning to work in Cambodia then you will need to obtain a police records background check before starting your placement. For details on the application procedure in your home country please take a look at: www.travel-to-teach.org/CRB-information.php

At all other locations you will be required to abide by the Travel to Teach Child Protection Policy.

Hepatitis A: Recommended for all travelers.
Typhoid: For travelers who may eat or drink outside major restaurants & hotels.
Hepatitis B: For travelers who may have intimate contact with local residents, especially if visiting for more than 6 months.
Rabies: For travelers who may have direct contact with animals and may not have access to medical care.
Routine immunizations: All travelers should be up-to-date on tetanus-diphtheria, measles-mumps-rubella, polio, and varicella immunizations.
Yellow fever: Although yellow fever does not affect the Galápagos Islands immunization is recommended for anyone that will also be travelling to eastern parts of mainland Ecuador. It is also required for travelers arriving from yellow-fever infected areas in Africa or the Americas.

One of the conditions of entry onto our programs is that volunteers have travel insurance. Most importantly the insurance needs to include medical treatment and repatriation in case of unforeseen accidents or illnesses. Volunteers should purchase insurance independently and bring a copy of their insurance certificate with them for their local co-ordinator to check before starting their program. Read our terms and conditions.

You will get a Travel to Teach certificate stating the time and place you have been teaching.

All volunteers are required to read and agree to our terms and conditions before being accepted onto one our programs.
Read our Terms & Conditions
Download our Teach Terms and Conditions as a PDF File