ABOUT US
Isn’t it great to be hosted by locals
when you travel somewhere new?
Meet Captain Walter Córdova
Born on the island of Santa Cruz back when the local community was just a few dozen families, Captain Walter knows the Galápagos like the back of his hand. With over 20 years of experience navigating these iconic waters and welcoming travelers from around the globe, he’s become a trusted guide to the islands’ wonders.
His story took an unexpected turn when he met Amy — a world traveler on what was meant to be a “once-in-a-lifetime” escape from her corporate marketing career. That trip sparked a lifelong adventure together, now shared between their home bases in the USA and the Galápagos.
Native Galápagos Experts
Working for us and with us are Galápagos natives born & working for decades in this unique place like no other on Earth. And since high-speed internet only arrived couple years ago, no amount of internet searching will find all the info our Galápagos natives can share to make your trip smooth & memorable.
We Get Your Expectations
With our toes in both Galápagos and the USA we understand your baseline expectations as well as what you may not even know to ask about traveling in Galápagos & Ecuador! That’s why our exclusive “Insider Tips” come with each booking as we think about everything from keeping your tummy & skin happy to knowing how paying with the US dollar is a bit different in Ecuador.
Group Customization
Walter has 20+ years hosting Galápagos visitors from around the world while Amy has lived & traveled in multiple countries as well as managed a 500,000 visitor event center--so we know what it takes to customize & deliver to your group’s interests & needs. We are passionate about getting to know your group and sweating the details to craft your group’s experience from scratch.
Top Notch Service
& Safety
We set high service standards as we design your travel itinerary and choose the local partners to deliver your experience first with safety in mind. With a developing country comes looser controls, so we plan our tours to eliminate surprises where we can. And when surprises come up, we have local staff in place to support you.
Support Galápagos'
People & Future
Be assured your travel will help protect Galápagos since we prioritize working with native staff and locally-owned companies certified by the Ecuador Ministry of Tourism so they have skin in the game to conduct tourism sustainably for now and generations to come. For this reason, we have recently been recognized by the nearly 60K-member We (heart) Galapagos Facebook group as a trusted travel agency provider.
Our Founders
Captain Walter Córdova
Safety Officer
Walter has unbelievable stories to share with you after growing up in the now 4-generation Galápagos-pioneering Córdova family. He has nearly 20 years of tourist yacht experience, including serving as the captain of 16-passenger, 6-crew 110' yachts. Today, Walter acts as our Safety Officer, guiding the selection of the safest, best-experience boats & tours by local family-owned operators he knows from decades of island relationships--so your travel dollars support the locals protecting this world-unique ecosystem.
Amy Dickerson de Córdova
Guest Experience Director
Amy is an avid world traveler after growing up in the heart of the USA in Nebraska. She's lived in Sweden, Far East Russia (U.S. Peace Corps), Galápagos & both coasts of the USA.
Amy met Walter while learning "too much" in a Spanish immersion program in 2000. After an award-winning career in marketing, event design and non-profit management for well-known brands, she now puts all these passions together to ensure all GLT custom trips are memorable, safe & smooth while strengthening the local community.
Marvi Córdova
Expedition Leader
Born and raised in the Galápagos, with a brief stint in San Diego for high school, Marvi brings a unique blend of local insight, scientific expertise, and genuine enthusiasm to his groups. After 18 years as a certified Galápagos National Park naturalist guide, he trains guides for luxury expedition cruises. As our Expedition Leader, Marvi is able to tailor each day to your group's interests as he gets to know you. His passion for wildlife photography and underwater videography means you'll return home with stunning images and videos.
Ready to dive in? It's never too early to start exploring
what is your ideal Galápagos adventure.
Whether you have a couple questions or are ready to finalize your plans--
just give us a call or fill out our quick dream trip survey. We'd be happy to help!