Accommodation and Fees in the Galapagos
Accommodation
Accommodation is provided by one of our carefully selected host families. Our host families have experience with outside culture and international living and provide an amazing immersion experience.
You will have breakfast and dinner with your family. Lunch is provided at your choice of various restaurants in town offering meals in partnership with IOI. You simply sign for your meal and we’ll pick up the bill at the end of the month.
Internship Fee
Onboarding and Skill Development, 6 weeks: $4500 USD
Work Placement after onboarding session, choose a duration between 2-6 weeks: $500 USD per week
100% of your participation fee is invested in our outreach programs as our overhead (administrative cost) is covered by other means. Of your fee, 55% is spent on your courses and certifications, and accommodation, food, and transportation needs, thereby directly supporting local families and their businesses.
The other 45% of your fee is your contribution to sustainable development in Galapagos. These funds are allocated annually among the different sectors we support, determined using an allocation key that is co-developed with our local partners in government and civil society. IOI supports sustainable development in Galapagos in 4 core areas: conservation, education, sustainable agriculture, and social development. In 2020, IOI also contributed additional spending for COVID aid in Galapagos on PPE, food subsidies, and public health programs.
In the past few years, the available funds have been distributed as follows:
To book you need to pay a Reservation Deposit.
The deposit is deducted from your total program fee. Read our refund policy.
What’s Included
The internship fee includes food, full room and board, work permits, Galapagos visa (waiving the $100 USD National Park Entrance fee), local coordination and training at respective facility, course training and certificates, local ferry transport from Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz to Isabela (and return), full access to our facilities, etc.—everything minus travel insurance (learn more here), personal expenses, your airfare, and the obligatory $20 USD Galapagos tourist entry fee (cash at airport).
Puerto Villamil
Puerto Villamil is unique community on the south coast of Isabela Island in the Galapagos - located seven hundred miles off the coast of Ecuador. Isabela is the largest island in the archipelago but is home to only ~3000 people. The majority of its residents live in the port town and a small minority live permanently in the highlands on Sierra Negra Volcano as full-time farmers.
Aesthetically, Isabela is a sight to behold. The island boasts beaches that stretch miles along rocky, rugged coastlines teeming with exotic wildlife.
In the last fifteen years, Isabela’s economy has converted from one driven exclusively by its fisheries to one that is sustained almost completely by a nascent eco-tourism. IOI’s volunteer opportunities center around conservation and education efforts designed to protect Isabela’s still thriving but threatened natural habitats.
Accommodation
As an intern you will stay at the house of a host family where you will have a private bedroom and bathroom with a fan, hot water, dresser or closet, and potable water.
Breakfast and dinner are provided by the family and for lunch, you will be able to choose where to have your meal from the list of 10+ partner restaurants in town. Staying with a host family will give you the invaluable opportunity to learn how local people live, try local dishes, and practice or learn some Spanish. This unique opportunity facilitates the interchange of culture, language, and tradition with the aim to provide a memorable experience and a deepened understanding for both parties. Often deep and long-lasting relationships evolve.
