Galápagos Islands Travel Safety: Illness While Traveling

Picture of glass of water on brown wooden picnic table
Glass of water. Photo © Anthony Maragou/Dreamstime.

If you’re going to get sick while traveling, it will probably be from water or food. Get in the habit of washing your hands at least 2-3 times a day, preferably before every meal and certainly after every restroom visit.

Hygiene is generally of a good standard on organized tours, and you’re more likely to get sick eating and drinking at cheap places in the ports. Obviously, drink only bottled water and never from the faucet. Regarding food, the biggest risks are raw produce; although many travelers happily eat salads and have no problems, others can get a case of traveler’s diarrhea. Probiotics taken daily can be good preventative measure; if you get an upset stomach, drink plenty of water and noncaffeinated liquids and head to the nearest pharmacy.

Dengue fever, transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, is present on the Galápagos, although it is rare. There have been outbreaks occasionally on San Cristóbal and Santa Cruz. Flu-like symptoms, such as nausea, bad headaches, joint pain, and sudden high fever are often misdiagnosed as other tropical diseases. Severe cases leading to shock syndrome or hemorrhagic fever are rare, but if you have already had dengue fever, a second case can be more dangerous. The only treatments known so far are rest, fluids, and fever-reducing medications. Medical attention is strongly recommended, if only for diagnosis.


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Lisa Cho

About the Author

Lisa Cho is a writer based in San Francisco, California. She considers herself fortunate to have had the opportunity to wander the globe. She’s visited nineteen countries, but Ecuador has particular significance. She first arrived in Ecuador in 2012 with just a suitcase, planning to see the sights; she ended up living there for three years.
 
She has visited the Galápagos several times with an interesting mix of experiences. She has stayed in backpacker hostels, upscale eco-lodges, and sailed on cruises. She’s taken the most popular tours and ventured off the beaten path. She has gone hiking, biking, kayaking, SUP, snorkeling, SCUBA, taken surfing lessons, and camping on the islands. After several trips spanning a decade, she still considers herself a tourist on the islands: She loves to watch blue-footed boobies, playful sea lion pups, and giant tortoises, and snaps photographs by the thousands.

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Picture of glass of water with text reading Preventing Illness in the Galapagos Islands