One of our “Must See” locations for our honeymoon was the Galápagos Islands. We knew it would be pushing our budget boundaries, and for that reason we choose to skip the expensive all-inclusive cruises and visit only two islands: Santa Cruz and San Cristóbal. Both islands went above and beyond our expectations.
The Galápagos islands formed from volcanos between 9 to 90 million years ago. Some islands that have shifted off the hot spot have disappeared into the sea, while some islands, such as the Isabella and Fernandina, are still forming from volcanic movement today.
Santa Cruz Island is the second largest island (after Isabella), but the most populated. Their capital city, Puerto Ayora, has 12,000 residents. Santa Cruz is a dormant volcano, with the last eruption believed to be over a million years ago, leaving the island with unique features.
Where We Stayed
We stayed at an AirBnB apartment just minutes away from the dock, restaurants and stores. The apartment suited our needs as far as location, space and even included bikes for transportation around the city. The icing on the cake for this apartment was the owner, Yogo! He was a wealth of information about the islands, gave us tips about hot spots, and assisted us in getting our ferry ride off the island. We enjoyed conversations with him so much, we invited him over for Thanksgiving dinner! Yogo- many thanks my friend!
Getting To The Islands
Before our flight to the Galápagos, we did tons of research on getting to the Galápagos. The Galápagos is a national park and preserve, and visitors pay for the upkeep of the islands. At the airport we needed to first buy a pass that allowed us to get on the island, the Galápagos Entry Pass. This pass was $20 per person and must be shown for entry and exit of the islands. Once we bought the pass, we had to get our bags inspected – checking for organics. Once we completed that, we were allowed to check in to our flight.
On the flight, there was a movie all about protecting the islands – no littering, don’t get close to the animals, etc. the flight attendants opened all the overhead compartments and sprayed disinfectant onto all the bags.
After getting off of the plane we were corralled into lines similar to immigration. While in line, we ended up walking on a bleach mat which disinfected our shoes.
Once we finally arrived at the counter, we had to pay $100 each person for the national park fee – in cash, US Dollars only. Our bags were once again put through another scanner looking for organics. I was randomly selected to have my bags hand searched.
All in all, $120 is what it costs just to get to the island (in addition to airfare).
How We Got Around
The airport is actually on the small island of Baltra very close to Santa Cruz island. From the airport, everyone took a bus to the dock, only about a 10-minute drive. Once at the dock, we were ushered onto a small ferry, where we payed $0.60 for the 5-minute ride across the channel. Once we arrived on the island of Santa Cruz, we had several options as far as transportation to the city where most people stay, Puerto Ayora. Since it is about an hour across the island, walking is pretty much out of the question. That left us with either an $18 taxi ride or a $2 per person on the city bus. We attempted to get on the bus, but because most people were on tours and had prearranged transportation there were only 6 people on the bus, and the driver wouldn’t leave without a full load. He told us we would have to wait until the next plane came in (about an hour and a half). After attempting to bargain with the bus driver, we chose not to wait a few hours for more people and split a taxi with two other backpackers.
All Taxis on the island were white 4 door pickup trucks, most relatively new and in decent condition compared to taxis on the mainland. It was quite convenient to move luggage and bikes for example. There is no meter – everything is arranged beforehand. For sightseeing around the island, you could arrange for an all-day taxi, costing anywhere from $40-60, depending on how well you negotiate. As with most of South America, we made sure there was an agreement on price before we departed.
Most people in Puerto Ayora traveled by bike, motorcycle or scooter. Steve and I made plenty of use of the bikes provided with the apartment. We traveled to grocery stores, markets and even did a 15-mile bike ride inland to see the highlands highlights. Thanks to the advice of our host, we semi-cheated and took a taxi with our bikes to the furthest point and rode home (which was 70% downhill). If you know me, you know bike riding is not my forte, but I survived and even built up some confidence on a bike. Despite some iffy brakes and Steve’s chain falling off intermittently, it was an enjoyable ride where we got to see part of the island most people pass right over.
Our Favorite Eats
Nearby our apartment, were tons of restaurants. Every night they would close the street and put tables and chairs so you could eat outside. Different restaurants lined the street, but they all basically had the same menu. It is there that Steve had an amazing fresh whole Lobster cooked with lots of garlic and butter for only $15! I skipped dinner that night, as we had woken up in Quito at 3am on only several hours sleep to begin our journey to the Galápagos and by dinnertime I was exhausted. We did go back the next night and ate an amazing traditional Ecuadorian style coconut curry fish with rice and beans.
We also took the opportunity to cook as we had a full kitchen. Steve is an amazing cook, and made ceviche and rice for our Thanksgiving dinner which our friend Yogo joined us for. He also made pan fried fish the next day. We were able to go to the fish market and buy two red snappers for $18! They were fresh and delicious, and the fish lady filleted them for us while we watched!
What We Did
Charles Darwin Interpretive Center – The Charles Darwin Foundation has a research center on the island of Santa Cruz – but really does research throughout all the islands. Today, the foundation conducts ongoing research and education on conservation. Steve and I got a good preview of what the islands were like, the animals they preserve, and what threatens the natural habitat most, by viewing the exhibits. It is not surprising that in the early days of island discovery, Pirates brought in disease, goats, cows, plants and other species that threaten the natural inhabitants. Feral cats continue to be a huge problem here, as most of the cats kill or eat the marine iguana babies.
Near the Charles Darwin center, we visited a few beaches and had our first of many encounters with Marine Iguanas and Galápagos Crabs. Fun fact – Marine Iguanas snort a lot; the purpose is to expel the salt. Overall we spent a few hours at the interpretive center.
Hike to Tortuga Bay – The hike was about 1.55 miles each way, and gave an interesting view of the island. It is open from 6am to 6pm and you have to check in with the guard before embarking on the path. We hiked with a bag of stuff and snorkeling gear, although not super challenging, with the humidity, not a walk in the park either. Once you make it to the first beach, you are treated to quite a view. The first beach has some serious waves and currents, and therefore, you are not allowed to swim in it. Another 20-minute walk or so, you make it to a cove, where you can swim. We were lucky, the first thing we saw was a group of white tipped sharks near the mangroves. We didn’t need snorkeling gear to see them, it was shallow enough to see them through the top of the water. This time of year, the water is pretty cold. As I hung on the beach for a nap, Steve took his snorkel gear out to check out the sea life. Much to his disappointment, the water wasn’t really clear enough to see much, and after about 30 minutes he returned. We later talked to Yogo about this, and he agreed that it isn’t the best beach to snorkel at, and gave us tips for the next day’s adventures. On our way out, we made sure to check out with the guard.
Las Grietas – Steve and I took a water taxi to access this part of the island. For $0.80 each, and a 5-minute ride, put us near the German Beach. We walked past the German Beach and kept going for about another mile. There was a part of the hike that looked similar to Yellowstone, it was really weird. We reached Las Grietas just before 10AM and were surprised at how many people were there. Yogo told us that starting at 10:30, tours start arriving there, so be sure to get there before them. Las Grietas (the cracks) was an interesting volcanic rock formation, that overtime, both fresh water and sea water were able to penetrate through. We had read that people cliff jump here, as the water is 60-80 feet deep, but to do it before the guard arrives at 10:30am. Steve and I had no interest in doing that, as there was so many people, and the cliffs looked pretty sketch. No thanks. Instead, we grabbed our snorkel gear and were able to see such beautiful colorful fish. The water was cold, so after about 30 minutes we were done, and it was just in time, a tour group of 30-40 people showed up. We grabbed our stuff, and hiked to the scenic vistas. Overall, we spent about an hour here. It is worth it!
La Playa de las Alemanes (German Beach) – We walked back to the beach from Las Grietas and decided to have our picnic lunch here. From the shore, I could see sting rays swimming nearby. After lunch, I headed into the water and saw a dozen sting rays, and hundreds of colorful fish. Steve went after me, and was disappointed he didn’t see as many rays (only one), but saw plenty of fish. We ended up really enjoying this beach. It wasn’t that crowded, and the snorkeling was really good. If you were a strong swimmer, you could go very far and see a lot.
Los Gemelos – On this day, we took a taxi with our bikes, and had him drop us off at Los Gemelos (the twins). These are two craters formed by a collapse of a magna chamber. They were impressively big. The area offered hiking trails around the craters and in the surrounding areas. Steve and I jumped at the opportunity and enjoyed some peace and quiet off the beaten path. There were a large amount of finches on the trail, but they didn’t pose easily for the camera. We spent about 45 minutes hiking the various trails and checking out the craters.
Reserva El Chato – From Los Gemelos, it was an 8.5km (~5.3miles) bike ride downhill to the Reserva El Chato. This was a large, privately owned land, where for $2.00 each we could roam the land and checked out the large tortoises as well as lava tunnels. The tortoises were not there in captivity, but instead freely roamed the area. We walked around for 30 minutes, and saw plenty of them. We also really enjoyed the lava tunnels.
Fish Market – We had heard this was a place to go to see quite the sight. Boats fresh from a day of fishing pulled right into the market and sold fish directly to customers. It was quite the show, as the resident sea lion, and the pelicans also begged for any scraps. We bought fish here, and it was amazing! Whether you plan on buying fish or not, you need to check this out.
Final Thoughts On Puerto Ayora
We loved our time here. We did all of our grocery shopping at the “super” market, and visited the farmers market daily for fresh fruits. Similar to Hawaii, everything was expensive (with the exception of fruit and vegetables). We had to buy sunscreen because ours ran out, it set us back $20! It’s an island, so they import everything. No complaints here, just be aware of it. The city had some of the nicest people. On our last night were treated to a festival and enjoyed seeing locals dance, drink, play volleyball and be happy. It is here that you can find amazing last minute cruises to the islands. When we do come back, we think we will start in Puerto Ayora for a few days to find a cruise that suits us.
What’s Next
Sounds like you had a wonderful time here:)
Love,
Mom
Enjoyed reading about your experience.Food looks great and sounds like a bargin.
I think you and Aunt Patty should make your way there! Lots of birds!