Emergencies in Galápagos

Good to Know

• 911 works the same way in the Galapagos as on the Ecuadorian mainland and connects you to police, fire, and ambulance dispatch through the ECU911 system.
• On smaller Galapagos islands, phone connectivity can be less reliable than on the mainland — if a call doesn't go through, retry, and try to move to an area with better signal.
• Save the direct legacy numbers (101 police, 102 fire, 131 ambulance) as a backup in case 911 is congested or unavailable, though 911 is the recommended first call.
• When calling, state your exact location first (island, town/port, and any nearby landmark) — this is the single most important detail for a fast response, especially in a remote island setting.
• We could not confirm a dedicated official Ecuadorian government safety app for tourists — don't rely on an app; save the phone numbers directly instead.
• No hospital in the Galápagos has a formal, US-style trauma-level designation — for major trauma or specialized care, evacuation to San Cristóbal, mainland Ecuador (Guayaquil), or further is the normal pathway, so comprehensive medical evacuation insurance is essential before you arrive.
• If you're diving, know that neither main hospital has its own hyperbaric chamber built in — that specialized decompression facility (Protesub) is a separate operation in Puerto Ayora.
• Public hospitals in Ecuador provide free treatment and medication even to tourists, but facilities and specialist availability are genuinely limited compared to mainland Ecuador — plan accordingly, especially for anything beyond routine emergency care.
• Smaller islands like Isabela only have a basic health center, not a full hospital with ER — for serious issues you may need to travel to Santa Cruz or San Cristóbal.