If you are planning to hop between islands, there is news worth knowing before you reach the dock: boat fares have gone up. Since August 11, 2026, new fares apply to passenger boat service between Santa Cruz, Isabela, San Cristóbal and Floreana, the service residents and visitors use every day to get around the archipelago.
What each trip costs now
The new prices were set by Resolution No. MIT-SPTM-2026-0126-R of the Subsecretariat of Ports and Maritime and River Transport. What you pay depends on the type of service and on your status as a passenger:
- Regular service — residents
- USD 35
- Regular service — tourists
- USD 50
- Special service — residents
- USD 50
- Special service — tourists
- USD 65
The resident fare covers permanent and temporary residents and transients. The tourist fare is the same for Ecuadorian and foreign visitors. If you travel as a tourist on the regular service, the change is significant: the fare went from USD 30 to USD 50 per trip.
Not every boat can charge the new fare
Here is a detail many travelers miss: under the resolution, only vessels that meet every technical and documentary requirement may apply the new prices. Boats operating under extensions, deferred deadlines or other transitional arrangements are not allowed to charge them.
The catch is that, for now, there is no public official list showing which boats are authorized. The resolution assigns that oversight to the Maritime and River Transport Directorate together with the port authorities. In the meantime, if you are unsure about what you are being charged, write down the boat's name and the route: it will help if you need to ask or file a complaint.
Boat or plane?
With the regular fare at USD 50, the price gap with inter-island flights narrows, especially on journeys that need more than one boat connection. If more travelers choose to fly, the few available seats could sell out sooner in peak season. That is not certain, because airfares follow other rules and Galápagos' own limits, but it is worth booking ahead.
How long these fares will last
The new prices will stay in place until a full review of the fare structure, which will consider distances, sailing times, operating costs and demand. The resolution also calls for regular evaluations of service quality and of passengers' opinions, along with checks on how the authorized fares are charged.
The inter-island boat is much more than transportation: it is how people who live in Galápagos get to work, to the doctor or to see family, and how most visitors explore the archipelago. That is why every change in its price is felt on both sides of the dock.