Practical · 4 min read
Money in Galápagos: cash, ATMs and cards, island by island
Ecuador uses the US dollar, and on the islands cash still does most of the work. Where the ATMs are, what only takes cash, where cards work, and how much to land with.
Published May 2, 2026 · Updated Sep 12, 2026
Ecuador has used the US dollar since 2000, so there is no exchange to worry about: the notes in your wallet at home are the notes you spend in Puerto Ayora. What does need planning is how much of it to bring, because the islands run on cash more than any mainland city, the machines that dispense it are few, and the things you cannot pay by card are exactly the things you meet first.
What only takes cash
Land with cash for these, because none of them has a card reader:
- The National Park entry fee at the airport, $200 for most foreign adults (the full tariff).
- The airport bus and the channel ferry at Baltra, about $5 and $1.
- Taxis, from $2 in town, and water taxis, $1 a ride.
- The Isabela dock fee, $10, paid on the pier when you arrive.
- Market stalls, the kiosks, small restaurants and shops, and the set lunch anywhere.
- Tips for guides and crews after a boat day.
Small bills, and why
Bring $1, $5, $10 and $20 notes. Anything larger is a problem: a $50 or $100 note gets refused in most small places, partly because change is scarce and partly because counterfeits of those two notes circulate on the mainland. Coins are in daily use, including the $1 coin you rarely see in the United States. If you arrive with large notes, break them at a bank or a supermarket in town on the first day.
Where the ATMs are
| Island | Machines | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Cruz (Puerto Ayora) | Several, on Avenida Charles Darwin and around the main streets, from Banco Pichincha and Banco del Pacífico among others | The most reliable on the islands, but weekends and holidays empty them; go on a weekday morning |
| San Cristóbal (Puerto Baquerizo Moreno) | A few, in the centre near the waterfront | Reliable enough; withdraw before a ferry to Isabela |
| Isabela (Puerto Villamil) | One or two | Often out of cash or out of service; arrive with everything you need |
| Floreana | None | Cash only, for everything |
International cards work in the machines, with a per-withdrawal limit that is usually a few hundred dollars and a fee from the local bank on top of your own bank's. Withdraw larger amounts fewer times, in daylight, at a machine attached to a bank branch.
Where cards work
Hotels, the larger restaurants, dive shops, the supermarkets and most tour operators' offices take Visa and Mastercard, sometimes with a surcharge of a few percent that the receipt will show. American Express is rarer. Two cautions: the island internet drops out, and when it does the terminal does too; and a card that has not been used abroad before may be blocked at the first attempt, so tell your bank the dates before you fly.
Everything you book on ToursTrust is paid by card online, so the tours, ferries and transfers are settled before you land and never come out of the cash you carry.
How much to bring
A rough guide per person and day, on top of anything already paid online:
| Style | Cash per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Careful | $30 to $40 | Set lunches, a market dinner, water taxis, a taxi or two |
| Comfortable | $60 to $100 | Restaurant dinners, a few taxis, drinks, tips |
| Everything on the go | $100 and up | Meals out three times a day, spontaneous rides and extras |
Add the one-off costs from the first list, and keep a reserve for the days you spend on Isabela, where the machines cannot be counted on. Do not carry it all at once: hotels have safes, and a day's cash in your pocket is enough.
Tipping
Not required anywhere, appreciated everywhere. After a boat day a few dollars per person for the guide and the same for the crew is the custom; at a restaurant, rounding up or ten percent for good service. Taxi drivers do not expect a tip.
In short
Dollars, small notes, and more of them than you think. Withdraw on Santa Cruz or San Cristóbal on a weekday, bring your Isabela cash with you, pay hotels and the bigger things by card, and keep the park fee separate in your bag until you have paid it. The money chapter of the travel guide has the short version.
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- galapagos atm
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- us dollar ecuador
In the travel guide
Money and connectivity
Cash rules the islands. What to bring, where the ATMs are, and how your phone behaves.
Open the chapter