Experience matters...

Galapagos Travel has been specializing in the Galápagos islands since 1989. We focus on exposing our guests to as much as possible of what Galapagos is all about - and on helping them better understand the nature of this unique archipelago.

Established by Barry Boyce (author of one of the first comprehensive Galapagos travel guides “Traveler’s Guide to the Galapagos Islands”), the company was later handed over to Mark Grantham, who had been working with Barry for 15 years. Mark stepped down in 2024, and Galapagos Travel is now in the capable hands of Galapagos veterans Heather Blenkiron and her husband, Marc Patry, co-founders of Cultural & Natural Heritage Tours - their sister agency.

Meet our front-office team

Heather Blenkiron was invited to be TripAdvisor’s Destination Expert for Galapagos in 2008, thanks to her dedication in helping people plan their trips to Galapagos. She spent 4 years in the islands, during which time she was hired by the Charles Darwin Research Station to improve the visitor experience there. Heather has been helping people plan their Galapagos adventures since 2003.

Kelsey Bradley joined the team in 2018, after having spent 8 years in Galapagos (2010-2018). She first volunteered at the San Cristobal hospital and then made her way to Santa Cruz island to work at the Charles Darwin Research Station (CDRS). She spent her time there closely connected to both the CDRS and the local communities, having lived on both Santa Cruz and San Cristobal Islands. Kelsey spent the last two years at the Station working with various members of the tourism industry to further bridge the gap between tourism and conservation in Galapagos.  This helped her develop a good knowledge of the various hotel and ship representatives we work with. 

Daniela Aguirre Schiess is a third generation Galapagueña. She learned to walk on lava fields. Finches, iguanas, giant tortoises and sea lions were her daycare companions. After high school and a year abroad she settled in Ecuador’s main coastal city of Guayaquil city where she obtained her university degree.  In 2016 her love for nature brought her back to Puerto Ayora, where she became a certified naturalist guide.

Since then, Daniela has had the chance to experience a wide range of different tourism options available to visitors in Galapagos, acting as a guide on a variety of ships.  Given her extensive first-hand experience, she is well-placed to provide excellent advice for those requiring help in planning their Galapagos trip of a lifetime.  

Tina Fitter born and raised in England, Tina always had a sense for adventure.  Adventure personified made his apparition in 1992, when she met Daniel Fitter, a Galapagos native and veteran naturalist guide. He was in the UK on a mission to see more of the world.  Tina and Daniel were married in 1993, and she first set foot in Galapagos in 1995. Tina straight away started working for one of the early tour agencies.  She also managed ground arrangements for small expedition cruise ships – assigning naturist guides, ensuring food and supplies were delivered, staff was informed of schedules and more. Over the years, Tina acquired a wide experience and knowledge of how the tours are designed and the kind of ships that are available. She has participated in innumerable expedition cruises and scientific outings, giving her a deep, first-hand understanding of what the islands are all about.   

Mercedes Mugueytio is a native of Quito. We first got to know Mercedes in about 2010 when she was working as a sales representative in the Quito office of one of the original Galapagos tour companies. She ended up leading the continental land extension portfolio for that company.   She travelled extensively in Ecuador, developing an intimate first-knowledge of many of the country’s diverse regions, hotels, attractions and more.   In her own words: “When I graduated from high school, I was keen on helping foreigners see the beauty of my country.  This led me to enroll in a Tourism Administration program at university.  After finishing my studies, I quickly found a job with one of the largest tour companies in Ecuador – giving my first opportunity to work with visitors coming to Ecuador.” Mercedes is your personal concierge - helping plan wonderful discoveries and adventures before or after your time in Galapagos.

Our back office person is Marc Patry. Marc was invited by the Charles Darwin Research Station and the Galapagos National Park Directorat to help start up the largest ever ecological restoration project in Galapagos (1998-2002). He then went on to work at UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre where he was in charge of monitoring the state of conservation of natural World Heritage sites in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Galapagos. He left UNESCO in 2015 and since then, he has been managing the “back office” for both Galapagos Travel and CNH Tours.

We are confident that few travel companies have such a depth of experience in, and first-hand knowledge of the islands and with the ability to provide you with a high level of personalized service.

In short, we’re in an excellent position to make sure this will be the trip of a lifetime you have been dreaming of.