When you book your Galapagos holiday with us your are helping to conserve the Archipelago’s future.
We offer a complementary one year membership to the Galapagos Conservation Trust to all our Galapagos travellers.
The Galapagos Conservation Trust (GCT) is the only UK registered charity to focus exclusively on the conservation and sustainability of the Galapagos Archipelago.
Science, conservation, education and sustainability are focal points of their work, with the vision that the challenges faced by the Galapagos Archipelago can best be addressed using a holistic approach.
Funds support conservation projects in Galapagos, helping to contribute to the overall management of this unique ecosystem.
Galapagos Conservation Trust news: challenges, successes and plans
Unfortunately, the marine life of Galapagos continues to face threats such as over-fishing, illegal fishing and plastic pollution. But research is being undertaken, in collaboration with partner organizations and researchers, to gather more data and secure greater protection for biodiversity.
Galapagos Conservation Trust is also seeing the results of its increased political campaigning and will continue to provide advice directly to the Ecuadorian government. Only 4 short years ago, the issue of plastic was barely acknowledged but the Ecuadorian government is now very aware of GCT’s work, particularly on plastics.
However, it is still critical that marine protection in Galapagos be strengthened. A major milestone was the establishment of the Hermandad Reserve in January 2022, extending the GMR by 60,000km2. But, according to Galapagos Conservation Trust, “protected areas also need science-informed management plans to enhance species recovery, protect sustainable livelihoods, and improve waste management, and managers need to have the capacity and tools available for monitoring, surveillance, and impact tracking. This is the approach we are helping to drive for Galapagos.”
The Trust has been collaborating the Galapagos National Park and other partners looking into and tackling the plastic pollution in the Archipelago. As a result there is a Plastic Pollution Free Galapagos programme, which is a multi-million pound, multi-year project, feeding into larger projects attempting to tackle pollution in the wider Eastern Pacific region through the Pacific Plastics: Science to Solutions Network.
Andean Trails donates £500 a year to the Galapagos Conservation Trust.
Read more on Galapagos Conservation Trust their website.
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Pam and Paul, Australia, Paine W self-guided, Chile. March 2025 As an older non Spanish speaking couple hailing from Australia, booking our 5 day solo Torres del Paine W trek with Andean Trails was the perfect start to realise our adventure. Having all our accommodation, transfers, inclusive meals and comprehensive pack list sorted to suit our itinerary by such knowledgeable, professional and amenable travel experts meant we could focus our efforts entirely on the trek. We were blessed by great weather - a considerable bonus given we took a few hours longer to complete each daily walk as some of the trails were challenging too but the stunning views that unfolded along the trails provided impetus for us to persevere. We also found our walking poles were essential for ascents and descents on steeper slopes. Our last night was a fixed tent camping spot - comfortable enough and allowed for unreal Milky Way stargazing in the wee small hours. Our 3 nights in Refugios were good - took a bit of getting used to sharing space with 4 other bunk bed mates and it helped being organised the night before when setting off for a pre-dawn start with head torches. The food provided was fine and portions adequate to needs and the Chilean staff were all friendly and helpful. In summary whilst we have physically come down from the mountain tops we are still on an emotional high! Our entire Patagonian trip was nourishment for the heart and soul and a truly awesome experience to be immersed in such an incredible, diverse and unique natural environment - the sound of roaring rivers, the thunder of shifting glaciers , the winds through the forest and high peaks further complimented our sensory experience. There are many options for trekkers to explore in terms of walks and destinations within this mighty National Park to suit fitness and/or time constraints. Our advice would be take your time considering what you feel comfortable with challenging yourself (I was certainly apprehensive about my ability to complete the full 70km circuit and we ended up doing less kms towards the end which felt just fine and meant we we could have more time sitting on a rock admiring Grey glacier from a greater distance) and then make it happen, one beautiful step at a time - you might even glimpse a Puma along the way!
Pam Christmas » Self-Guided Paine W Trek
C. Cooper, UK. Photography Tour, Chile and Bolivia, April 2025 We had a truly amazing experience. Chile and Bolivia are stunning. Our guides were professional, knowledgeable and friendly. All of the guides said we had a very well planned itinerary that gave us the best chance of acclimatising to the altitude properly (the hike in Atacama and the trek to the Hot Springs before departing for Bolivia). Our driver in Bolivia was fantastic. He was professional and very competent. Despite the condition of the roads and the amount of time we spent travelling we always felt completely safe. The hotels in Bolivia were basic but charming. Some of the facilities were a bit more rustic than we had expected (no heating and/ or no hot water in the mornings) but we managed. Food was simple but good. Overall, it was a very special trip and has given us a lot of amazing memories. If someone asks what the best part was, I couldn’t decide because there were so many best bits….Moon Valley, the flooded Solar de Uyuni, The Milky Way, Sunsets & Sunrises, the Flamingos at Laguna Colorado. It was exhausting and unforgettable - just how we like it :-) I will eventually get to reviewing my photos and will send you some. Many thanks for your help in organising everything.
C. Cooper » Bolivia Uyuni Salt Flats 4WD Tour
