It’s one of hose paddling trips I’ve ALWAYS wanted to take. There are your supreme paddling spots and then there are the supreme among the supreme and the Galapagos falls into this latter category. This piece by Tim Farmer
first appeared in the December 2006 issue of Canoe & Kayak, and in it, Herr Farmer paddles this amazing island chain where Darwin first glimpsed the flora and fauna that would lead hm (eventually…that is) to think up the theory of Natural Selection. But the paddling there is said to be some of the finest in the world, and a quick read of this article explains why.
Pristine waters, ample wildlife, a respectable climate all many many miles away from any pollution addled civilization. The islands are a volcanic archipelago composed of some 13 major islands and a handful of smaller islets. They are scattered over 28,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean, roughly 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador, so yes, you are about as far away from things as yo can get. Short, I suppose of paddling Easter Island off Chile, the world’s most remote island…which would also be cool to paddle, albeit more boring in a way since there is not nearly the same amount of wildlife there. We’re talking, of course, about iguanas, tortoises ,dolphins etc. There are many restrictions to paddling and diving around the Galapagos, but if you go with a local outfit, they can help you with them.
Man, hard to come off of a trip to Detroit and see this kind of article.