Travel Galapagos Islands & Ecuador

Getting to Puerto Ayora

Air 

More information on flights to and from Santa Cruz  . Reconfirming your flight departures at either the Aerogal (252 6798; www.aerogal.com.ec; Av Padre Julio Herrera) or TAME office (252 6165;www.tame.com.ec; Av Charles Darwin; h8am-noon & 2-10pm Mon-Fri, 4-6pm Sat) is essential. Flights are often full, and there is sometimes difficulty in changing your reservation or buying a ticket. EMETEBE (252 6177; Av Charles Darwin) has small aircraft that fly between Baltra and San Cristóbal and Isabela. You must reserve your ticket at least a few days in advance. Departure times vary.

Boat 

The capitanía has information about (infrequent) boats to the mainland and has details of every boat sailing from Puerto Ayora.

The passenger ferry Ingala II sails Monday, Wednesday and Friday to San Cristóbal and two Fridays each month to Isabela. Both trips are about four hours and cost $50. Tickets are sold the day of departure below the EMETEBE  office near the harbor. You can pick up schedules at the Cámara de Turismo, at the capitanía and at the main Ingala office (252 6151), north of the harbor off Avenida Padre Julio Herrera.

Ask at Restaurant Salvavidas about smaller boats that usually head daily to Isabela (one trip at 2pm) and San Cristóbal (up to eight trips in the morning). They reach the islands in less than three hours and charge about $30. There are no toilets on these little boats and the ride can be rough and even terrifying to some.

One recommended company that plies the Santa Cruz–San Cristóbal route in a larger, more trustworthy and comfortable boat than most is Blue Attractions 

Tags: Transportation