El Garrapatero Beach, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

BEACH: El Garrapatero Beach

WHERE: Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

WHY: A nature-lovers’ dream. From pink flamingos to herons and Galapagos penguins, to ghostcrabs – the mangrove-lined El Garrapatero Beach is host a vast array of weird and wonderful creatures. You can also swim, snorkel, camp and have yourself a little BBQ right on the beach. How delightful.

HOW: Located on the northern side of Santa Cruz Island, navigate your way to the little town of Puerto Ayora. From there it’s a simple 30 min taxi ride and a 15 min stroll to the sandy shores of El Garrapatero. It’s not the easiest beach to get to, but that usually means it’s rather special.

H2O TONE: Cerulean blue

SAND TONE: Buttercream icing

STAY: Super-luxe and grand, a stay at the Royal Palm is nothing short of magical.

WHEN: The island is on the equator, but the weather is not tropical. There are two seasons, with the warmest from December to May, when the sun shines in clear skies. Scuba divers should try to go from June to November. Avoid February, March and April, when it tends to rain more often.

By Jennifer Needham

WHAT TO PACK: