Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
Internet Access
Cyber Jean Carlos (Calle Española; per hr $2; h8am-
10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-5pm Sat, 8am-3pm Sun)
Miconia (Av Charles Darwin) A row of computers in the
hotel of the same name.
Mockingbird Café/Internet (Española) Good place for
coffee and snacks.
Laundry
Laundry (Av Alsacio Northia; per kg $1; h8am-1pm
& 2-8pm Mon-Sat, 8am-1pm Sun) Next to the church.
Machine-washed and dried clothes in an hour and a half.
Superwash Laundry (J Villamil; per kg $1)
Money
Banco de Pacifico (Av Charles Darwin; h8am-3:30pm
Mon-Fri, 10am-noon Sat) Changes traveler’s checks and
has an ATM.
Telephone
There’s an international call center at the
corner of Avenida Charles Darwin and Avenida
Herman Melville, only a block from
the pier.
Tags: Information
Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
In an attempt to come out from under the
shadow of Puerto Ayora, its larger and more
high profile sister city in the Galápagos,
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is experiencing
something of a mini boom. Not that it’s in
danger of losing its sleepy, time-stands-still
fishing village feel, but there are more hotels,
restaurants and gift shops going up than in
years past. More flights are arriving daily
and some boat companies begin their island
tours from here. Locals affectionately call it
‘Cristóbal’ (even though that’s the name of
the island). The surfing is world-class, and
you can explore many places on the island
from here on your own.
Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
EL JUNCO LAGOON
A road leads from the capital to the village of
El Progreso, about 8km to the east and at the
base of the 896m-high Cerro San Joaquín,
the highest point on San Cristóbal (buses
go here several times a day from Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno or you can hire a taxi
to take you for about $20 round trip). Rent
a jeep or walk east along a dirt road about
10km further to El Junco Lagoon – a freshwater
lake at about 700m above sea level.
It’s one of the few permanent freshwater
bodies in the Galápagos. Here you can
see frigatebirds shower in the freshwater
(to remove the salt from their feathers),
white-cheeked pintails and common gallinules
and observe the typical highland Miconia
vegetation and endemic tree ferns.
The weather is often misty or rainy.
The road to El Junco continues across the
island to the isolated beach of Puerto Chino.
PUERTO GRANDE
Smaller than its name suggests, Puerto
Grande is a well-protected little cove on
San Cristóbal’s northwestern coast. There is
a good, sandy beach suitable for swimming
and various seabirds can be seen.
ISLA LOBOS
About an hour northeast of Puerto Baquerizo
Moreno by boat is the tiny, rocky Isla
Lobos, the main sea lion and blue-footed
booby colony for visitors to San Cristóbal.
There is a 300m-long trail where lava lizards
are often seen. Both the boat crossing
and the trail tend to be rough, and there are
better wildlife colonies elsewhere.
LEÓN DORMIDO (KICKER ROCK)
About a half-hour boat ride northeast of
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is little rocky island
that, because of a resemblance to a sleeping
lion, is named León Dormido. However,
it’s more commonly referred as Kicker Rock.
The island is a sheer-walled tuff cone that
has been eroded in half; smaller boats can
sail between the two rocks. Because there’s
no place to land, this site is usually only seen
from a passing boat, often to dramatic effect
when the sun is setting.
LOS GALÁPAGOS
At the northern end of the island is Los
Galápagos, where you can often see giant
Galápagos tortoises in the wild, although
it takes some effort to get to the highland
area where they live. One way is to land in
a bay at the north end of the island and hike
up – it takes about two hours to reach the
tortoise area by the trail. Some visitors report
seeing many tortoises, others see none.
It’s also possible to get to Los Galápagos
by taking the road from Puerto Baquerizo
Moreno through El Progreso and on to El
Junco Lagoon from where you can hike in.
OTHER SITES
The northeasternmost point of the island
is Punta Pitt, where volcanic tuff formations
are of interest to geologists (and attractive in
their own right), but the unique feature of
the site is that it’s the only one where you can
see all three Galápagos booby species nesting.
The walk is a little strenuous but rewarding.
Maybe one of the nicest beaches in the
Galápagos is Cerro Brujo, a huge white sandy
expanse at the northeast end of the island
that feels like sifted powdered sugar. A colony
of sea lions and blue-footed boobies
call Cerro Brujo home and behind the beach
is a lagoon where you find great egrets and
great blue herons. There’s good snorkeling
in the turquoise waters. Also nearby is Turtle
Bay where you can see flamingos, turtles
and other wildlife; both Turtle Bay and
Cerro Brujo can be visited as part of a trip
to Punta Pitt and Los Galápagos.
On the northwest side is Ochoa Beach, a
horseshoe-shaped cove with a white sandy
beach and shallow water good for snorkeling.
Sea lions, frigate birds, pelicans, bluefooted
boobies can all be found frolicking
here however it’s only accessible by boat and
usually with a guide.
Part of the national park on the southeastern
part of San Cristóbal is Galapaguera,
a corral of giant tortoises living in seminatural
conditions. A taxi can take you there
and back for around $30.
Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
Some local boosters say that San Cristóbal is
the capital of paradise, which it technically
is since the port town of Baquerizo Moreno
on the southwest point is the political seat
of the Galápagos. It’s the only island with
fresh water, the only island with an airport
in town, and has several easily accessible
visitor sites, all of which means that its tourism
profile is second only to Santa Cruz.
San Cristóbal is the fifth-largest island in
the archipelago and has the second-largest
population. The Chatham mockingbird,
common throughout the island, is found
nowhere else.
Though first settled in 1880, it was the
establishment of a sugar factory by Manuel
J Cobos in 1891 that signaled the start of
any significant human presence on the island.
Cobos recruited jailed mainlanders to
work in his factory at El Progreso, imported
train cars and minted his own money called
the cobo. The experimental utopian project
lasted for 25 years until the workers revolted
and killed him in 1904. His son took
over but was not very successful; it’s now
a small village and you can see the factory
ruins and the site where Cobos is buried.
Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
The one sizable island in the central part of
the archipelago that has no visitor sites is Isla
Pinzón (Duncan). It is a cliff-bound island,
which makes landing difficult, and a permit
is required to visit it (permits are usually
reserved for scientists and researchers).
Isla Baltra
Most visitors’ first experience of the Galápagos
is from the archipelago’s main airport
at Isla Baltra. Baltra is a small island (27
sq km) off the north coast of Santa Cruz.
Nearly all tours begin here or in the town
of Puerto Ayora, about one hour away (by
a bus-boat-bus combination) on Isla Santa
Cruz. There are no visitor sites or accommodations.
Those on a prearranged tour are
often met at the airport and taken to their
boats – a host of pelicans and noddies will
greet you as you arrive at the harbor, and
you can begin your wildlife-watching within
minutes of leaving the airport. Public transportation
for here is described under Puerto
Ayora (see left ).
Islas Seymour & Mosquera
Separated from Isla Baltra by a channel,
Isla Seymour is a 1.9-sq-km uplifted island
with a dry landing. There is a rocky, circular
trail (about 2.5km) leading through
some of the largest and most active seabirdbreeding
colonies in the islands. Magnificent
frigatebirds and blue-footed boobies
are the main attractions. Whatever time of
year you come, there is always some kind of
courtship, mating, nesting or chick rearing
to observe. You can get close to the nests, as
there is always at least one pair of silly boobies
that chooses the middle of the trail as
the best place to build their nest. Swallowtailed
gulls also nest here, and other birds
are often seen as well. Sea lions, and land
and marine iguanas are common, while
occasional fur sea lions, lava lizards and
Galápagos snakes are seen too. It’s well
worth visiting for the wildlife.
Isla Mosquera is a tiny sandy island (about
120m by 600m) that lies in the channel be-
trail, but visitors land on the sandy beach to
see or swim with the sea lion colony.
Islas Plazas
These two small islands are just off the east
coast of Santa Cruz and can be visited on a
daytrip from Puerto Ayora.
The two islands were formed by uplift due
to faulting. Boats anchor between them, and
visitors can land on South Plaza (the larger
of the islands), which is only about 13 hectares
in area. A dry landing on a jetty brings
you to an opuntia cactus forest, where there
are many land iguanas. A 1km trail circuit
leads visitors through sea lion colonies and
along a clifftop walk where swallow-tailed
gulls and other species nest. The 25m-high
cliffs offer a superb vantage point to watch
various seabirds, such as red-billed tropicbirds,
frigatebirds, pelicans and Audubon’s
shearwaters. Snorkeling with the sea lions
is a possibility.
Islas Daphne
These two islands of obviously volcanic
origin are roughly 10km west of Seymour.
Daphne Minor is the one that is very eroded,
while Daphne Major retains most of its typically
volcanic shape (called a tuff cone). A
short but steep trail leads to the 120m-high
summit of this tiny island.
There are two small craters at the top
of the cone, and they contain hundreds of
blue-footed booby nests. Nazca boobies nest
on the crater rims, and a few red-billed tropicbirds
nest in rocky crevices in the steep
sides of the islands.
The island is difficult to visit because
of the acrobatic landing – visitors have to
jump from a moving panga on to a vertical
cliff and scramble their way up the rocks.
The steep slopes are fragile and susceptible
to erosion, which has led the national park
authorities to limit visits to the island. You
must arrange special permission in advance
(groups no larger than 12).
Isla Santa Fé (Barrington)
This 24-sq-km island, about 20km southeast
of Santa Cruz, is a popular destination for
daytrips. There is a good anchorage in an
attractive bay on the northeast coast, and a
wet landing gives the visitor a choice of two
trails. A 300m trail takes you to one of the
Some of the cacti here are over 10m high.
A somewhat more strenuous 1.5km rough
trail goes into the highlands, where the Santa
Fé land iguana (found nowhere else in the
world) may be seen if you are lucky. Other attractions
include a sea lion colony, excellent
snorkeling, marine iguanas and, of course,
birds.
Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
Most hotels and some cafés rent bicycles
(per hour $1), a good way to get around
town and the highlands for the aerobically
ambitious.
To/From Airport
The airport is on Isla Baltra, a small island
practically touching the far northern edge
of Isla Santa Cruz. If you are booked on
a prearranged tour you will be met by a
boat representative upon arrival and ushered
onto a bus for the 10-minute drive to
the channel – separating Baltra from Santa
Cruz – and the boat dock.
If you are traveling independently, don’t
take these buses. Instead, take the public
bus that’s signed ‘Muelle’ to the dock (a
10-minute ride, free) for the ferry to Isla
Santa Cruz. A 10-minute ferry ride ($0.80)
will take you across to Santa Cruz, where
you will be met by a CITTEG bus to take
you to Puerto Ayora, about 45 minutes
away ($1.80). This drive (on a paved road)
provides a good look at the interior and
the highlands of Santa Cruz. There isn’t
much waiting involved and you should be
in Puerto Ayora about an hour after leaving
the airport.
You can buy your ticket on the bus or
at one of the ticket booths near the airport
exit. The ride is always crowded.
Buses from Puerto Ayora to Baltra (via
the ferry) leave early every morning to meet
the first flight from Baltra, and again later
timed to meet any other incoming flights.
Tickets are sold at the CITTEG bus station
around 2km north of the harbor at the
corner of Padre Julio Herrera and Charles
Binford.
Taxis are also available on the Santa Cruz
side of the channel to take you to Puerto
Ayora ($15, 30 minutes).
Buses & Taxis
Taxis from anywhere in town to the CITTEG
bus station cost $1. Buses from Puerto
Ayora to Santa Rosa (about $1) leave from
the bus station four or five times a day Monday
to Saturday and less often on Sunday.
Charters can be arranged for groups.
The most convenient way of seeing the
interior and ensuring that you don’t get
stuck is to hire a bus or truck for the day
with a group of other travelers.
All taxis are pickups which means you
can toss your bike in the back if you want to
return to Puerto Ayora by pedal power. To
Bellavista by taxi is around $2 and to Santa
Rosa is around $15 – both one way.
Tags: Transportation
Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
La Panga (Av Charles Darwin) The most popular
disco in town, next to Garrapata.
El Bongo (Av Charles Darwin) This popular bar
downstairs from La Panga is where most
people start out the night.
Limón y Café (Av Charles Darwin) An outdoor bar
with a gravel floor heavy on the maritime
and surf decor. Always busy on weekends.
Champions Bar (Av Charles Darwin) This bar is
a cool, laid-back hang out serving up good
capahrinas (a sugarcane-based drink), cuba
libres (a rum-based cocktail) and other
drinks.
La Taberna del Duende (Barrio Miraflores) Live
music Thursday through Saturday nights.
A taxi ride there should cost $0.80 – cab
drivers know the place
Tags: Entertaiment
Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
Often it’s only higher prices that distinguish
the restaurants that cater to locals
from those that cater to tourists; although
all the latter are congregated along Avenida
Charles Darwin from the harbor to the
Charles Darwin Research Station. Most of
the hotels have restaurants as well. Proinsular
is the cheapest and best-stocked market
by the harbor.
Restaurants
Angermeyer Point (%252 7007; mains from $11) It’s
only a two-minute water taxi ride ($0.50)
from the harbor to this picturesque spot
perched over the water. The restaurant,
in the former home of painter Carl Angermeyer,
serves up mostly seafood and
Western mains and is often booked by large
groups. Breakfast and lunch by reservation.
Set menus change monthly and there are
specials every night. Saturday’s happy hour
means two-for-one drinks.
La Dolce Italia (%284 8666; Av Charles Darwin;
mains $9; h11am-3pm & 6-10pm) The Sicilian
owner of this upscale Italian bistro is a boisterous
and welcoming booster who may accost
you on the street and draw you in. The
interior is nautically inspired and excellent
pizzas and pastas are served up on white
tablecloths. Does Dominoes one better and
delivers to boats.
Garrapata (%252 6264; Av Charles Darwin; mains
$4-9; h7-10pm Mon-Sat) This popular outdoor
restaurant serves basic sandwiches ($4) to
more substantial fare such as chicken in
pineapple sauce ($9) and shrimp in garlic
sauce ($9). Next to the La Panga disco, it
catches a nice offshore breeze.
Hernan Café (Av Padre Julio Herrera; mains $3-9;
h7am-9pm) With the same owner as La
Dolce Italia and much of the same menu,
Hernan Café is an excellent more affordable
and casual choice. Near the central park
and iguana statues, Hernan serves sandwiches
($2), hamburgers ($3), pizzas ($5)
and slightly pricier ceviches, fish and Western
dishes in an outdoor setting.
Rincón de Alma (%252 6196; Av Charles Darwin;
mains $6-9; h7am-9pm) A streetside casual restaurant
that serves ceviches and other seafood
dishes such as a lobster omelet ($16).
Inexpensive ($3) almuerzos (set lunches)
are also available.
Restaurant Salvavidas (%252 6418; mains $6-16;
h9am-8pm Mon-Sat) Frequented as much because
of it’s convenient dockside location as
because of its standard seafood and snack
menu, Salvavidas has been the daytime harbor
hangout of choice for years.
Cevicheria Restaurant (Av Padre Julio Herrera; ceviches
$4; h9am-8pm) This cevichería (ceviche
restaurant) is nothing more than a few outdoor
tables next to Rincó de Alma. Specializes
in, you guessed it, ceviches.
Descanso Del Guia (Av Charles Darwin; h9am-8pm)
Like the name suggests, this is a favorite
with boat crews and guides.
Cafés & Quick Eats
The cheapest places to eat are found along
Avenida Padre Julio Herrera. East from
this street, along Charles Binford, are some
very popular kiosks selling cheap and wellprepared
meals – mainly fish and meat
dishes.
El Chocolate Galápagos (Av Charles Darwin; mains
$3-6; h7:30am-10pm Mon-Sat) This café across
from the bank is an excellent place for people
watching. Besides coffee, fruit drinks
and chocolate cake, there’s an extensive
menu with everything from sandwiches
($3) and burgers ($3) to ceviches ($7) and
salads ($4).
Familiar William’s (Charles Binford; encocados $4-7;
h6-10pm Tue-Sun) One of the many eateries
lining both sides of this street, William’s
stands out because of its delicious encocados
(fish, shrimp or lobster smothered in a
savory coconut sauce).
Restaurant Ronald (Av Padre Julio Herrera; almuerzos
$2) A hole in the wall frequented by locals.
Serves up filling and cheap almuerzos.
Tropicana Restaurant (Av Bolívar Naveda; mains $2)
Another inexpensive local option, Tropicana
does almuerzos and standard seafood
dishes.
Casa de Lago Café (%271 4647; cnr Moisés Brito
& Juan Montalvo) A great place to while away a
few hours, the café serves excellent homemade
ice cream, coffee, fruit drinks and
bagels with cream cheese. There’s a small
bar and 2nd-floor balcony (see p365 ).
Tags: Restaurants
Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
Budget
Hotel Salinas (%252 6107; fax 252 6072; Av Bolívar
Naveda; s/d from $10/15) Some of the 2nd-floor
rooms at Salinas have high ceilings and
are much nicer than the dark and small
ground-floor rooms. All have hot water, TV
and tile floors. Look for the white building
with blue trim.
per person incl breakfast $13) This small place,
only four simple rooms in total, is popular
because of its central location and warm,
family-like atmosphere.
Hotel Sir Francis Drake (%252 6221; Av Padre
Julio Herrera; s/d $8/15) Just up the street from
the harbor, this grandiosely named hotel
won’t disappoint if you only expect bare
bones simplicity. While the dull grey colors
and concrete won’t delight the eye, the tile
rooms are well maintained.
Hotel Lirio del Mar (%252 6212; Av Bolívar Naveda;
r per person $8) Across the street from Hotel
Salinas, the Lirio del Mar is a slight step
down in quality though the basic concrete
rooms here are kept clean. A terrace on the
2nd floor catches a bit of a breeze.
Midrange
Gran Hotel Fiesta (%252 6348; s/d incl breakfast
$33/56; as) The Fiesta is both quiet and
almost directly in front of the Laguna Las
Ninfas, perfect for a quick dip. Rooms in
this orange and yellow concrete building
are well kept and have hot water. There’s
a pool table and modern restaurant on the
grounds.
Hotel Castro (%252 6173; Av Padre Julio Herrera; s/d
$20/30) The most affordable option in this category,
the Castro has clean, well-maintained
rooms with tile floors and hot water; air-conditioning
is available if needed and it’s only a
block from the harbor.
Hotel Ninfa (%252 6127; galaven@pa.ga.pro.ec;
Moisés Brito; s/d from $50/65; as) While the
rooms at the Ninfa aren’t twice as nice as
the Castro across the street, this hotel does
boast a sunny courtyard and nice restaurant.
Rooms here do have cable TV and
little decorative touches.
Estrella del Mar (%252 6427; estrellademar@ayora
.ecua.net.ec; s/d from $28/40) Though the rooms at
this friendly, family-run hotel are basic and
the furniture is old, those with windows
and ocean views make up for the shortcomings;
others are less expensive. It’s on the
waterfront behind the school playground
and near the police station.
Hotel Fernandina (%252 6499; cnr 18 de Febrero
& Los Piqueros; s/d $50/80; as) Only a short
walk from Avenida Charles Darwin, this
friendly, family-run hotel nevertheless feels
pleasantly secluded. Rooms are surrounded
by a nicely landscaped garden, and there’s a
pool and Jacuzzi on the premises.
Grand Hotel Lobo del Mar (%252 6188; 12 de Febrero;
s/d from incl breakfast $50/65; ais) From
the outside this hotel does look somewhat
grand, however inside it’s fairly spare and
the spacious rooms are basic. The central
courtyard has a little pool. It also has a bar,
restaurant and a 4th-floor terrace.
Hotel Sol y Mar (%252 6281; Av Charles Darwin;
r $30-60) The Sol y Mar’s saving grace is its
waterfront location where you can share the
patio with sea lions and iguanas. The rooms
are decidedly unattractive, the furniture old
and mismatched and the tile floor reminiscent
of a school cafeteria.
Top End
Red Mangrove Inn (%252 7011; www.redmangrove
.com; Av Charles Darwin; s/d $115/145; ai) This
charmingly decorated inn at the northern
end of Avenida Charles Darwin has the most
character of any top-end hotel in Puerto
Ayora. Each of the rooms are bright and
sunny with white adobe walls and colorful
tiled bathrooms. There are good views of the
water from the attached Japanese restaurant
and the common areas are outfitted with
hammocks and a Jacuzzi. Sea-kayaking,
windsurfing, horseback riding, mountain
biking, fishing and camping trips can be
arranged.
Finch Bay Hotel (%252 6297; www.finchbayhotel
.com; r from $200; ais) This boutiquelike
hotel across the bay from Puerto Ayora
would not look out of place in Santa Fe,
New Mexico, that is if it weren’t situated on
an exceptionally pretty little beach (open to
the public). The rooms themselves, a mix of
tasteful wood and modern appliances, aren’t
especially large or luxurious but the grounds
which include a pool, Jacuzzi and barbecue
area, justify the splurge. Water taxis ($0.50)
can zip you back and forth to the harbor.
Metropolitan Touring (see p89 ) based in
the hotel, can arrange kayaking, snorkeling,
scuba diving, boat trips and any outdoor
activity imaginable in the Galápagos.
Hotel Silberstein (%252 6277; www.hotelsilber
stein.com; Av Charles Darwin; s/d $79/105; ais)
Previously known as the Hotel Angermeyer,
the Silberstein looks like a whitewashed
Mexican villa from the outside, however
once through the opening archway, an attractive
pool and garden area reveals itself.
While the surrounding rooms are simple,
modern and clean, but not exceptional, the
hotel is near the Charles Darwin Research
Station at the quieter end of town. An inhouse
agency offers island tours with overnights
here.
Tags: Galapagos Hotels, Hotels
Posted September 21st, 2008 by Bob the Sea Lion
Galápagos Tour Center (cnr Av Opuntia & Av Padre
Julio Herrera) Offers half-day snorkeling trips and half-day
trips to the highlands (each $25 per person). Also rents
mountain bikes (half-/full day $8/15), surfboards ($8/18),
snorkel equipment and body boards.
Galapatour (%252 6088; Av Rodriguez Lara &
Genovesa) Behind the municipal market.
Galaven (%252 6359; galaven@pa.ga.pro.ec) At the
harbor.
Metropolitan Touring (%252 6297; www.metropoli
tan-touring.com) Located at the Finch Bay Hotel, operates
the fastest day-tour yacht at Santa Cruz, the Delfín II. The
price is $115, and includes snorkeling (and gear), a buffet
lunch and guides. All water activities offered.
Moonrise Travel (%252 6348; sdevine@pa.ga.pro
.ec; Av Charles Darwin) Run by the Devine family, who are
well established as Galápagos experts and guides. They can
help with finding a tour boat or with confirming a flight, in
addition to other things.
Ninfa Tour (Quito %222 3124) Operates the ‘touristsuperior’
class of motor yacht Lobo del Mar, so it’s a good
place to check for last minute cruise deals. Also organizes
various daytrips to other islands.
Red Mangrove Inn (%/fax 252 6277; Av Charles
Darwin) Offers day tours to Islas Plazas, Seymour and Santa
Fé. Also rents sea kayaks, surfboards, mountain bikes and
snorkel equipment.
We Are the Champions Tours (%252 6951; www
.wearethechampionstours.com; Av Charles Darwin) Run by
an experienced Ecuadorian guide and an English-speaking
German woman, Champions offers all kinds of ecologically
minded Galápagos trips.
Tags: Tours
