Travel Dates: December 2022
Things to do in San Cristobal, Galapagos:
San Cristobal 360 Tour (booked through Grupo Galapagos) is a snorkeling tour around the whole San Cristobal island. The day before the tour, we stopped by at Andry Tours (right next to Hostel Andry) to try on short wet suits, fins, and snorkel mask. The next morning, we met at Andry Tours again at 7:30am to pick up the snorkel gear and they walked us to the pier where we met the rest of the tour group (10 people in total), along with our tour guide, Liam.
We took a water taxi (included in the tour package) to the boat, then set off. The boat ride on this trip was rocky at times because San Cristobal is on the far east side of all the islands (not surrounded by the other Galapagos islands), so I recommend motion sickness medicine for those who need it.
The first stop was Bahia Rosa Blanca where we saw blue-footed booby birds, and took a mini hike on lava rocks to reach the snorkeling area. The water was a bit cold in December, but the wet suit helped. We saw a large number of black-tip sharks (they’re less active during the day so you don’t have to worry about them attacking you), sea turtles, fish, and a ray.
We then headed towards Punta Pitt and watched Liam and our boat crew fish, and they caught a tuna! Afterwards, we stopped by Bahia Sardina to eat lunch onboard and then snorkeled again. There are noticeably more fish and sea turtles at this spot, along with a sea lion. Watch out for the flies and mosquitos here–there were a lot of them in December apparently due to the seasonal changes.
Next, we headed to Cerro Brujo where you can see Kicker Rock (León Dormido) from afar. We then pulled up to Kicker Rock and snorkeled in the open ocean (the other two snorkeling locations were in shallower waters near the beach/in an inlet). It was noticeably harder to snorkel in this area due to stronger currents and colder water. We swam with a hammerhead shark, spotted eagle ray, sea turtle, sea lion, and tons of fish.
Afterwards, we headed back to the pier and had to walk back to Andry Tours to return the wet suit and snorkel gear.
Overall, I definitely recommend this tour given all the animals we saw. This is also a great tour for those who love to snorkel, and if you’re not a great swimmer, they have life jackets and circle buoy to use. If you’re lucky to have Liam as your guide, you’re going to have a great experience. He’s very friendly and knowledgable about the animals and life in Galapagos, and you can clearly see this is his passion.
Walking along the boardwalks of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is a great way to see all the sea lions on the beach and pier, basking in the sun. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the main downtown area of San Cristobal, where most hotels, restaurants, and stores are located. Playa de Oro is one section of the boardwalk path (~5 minute walk from Galapagos Sunset Hotel) where you can see a lot of sea lion pups. Be prepared that these sea lion areas can be very malodorous.
Where to eat:
Post Office – An outdoor restaurant on the water, where we stopped for appetizers and drinks. We ordered the trio ceviche, taquitos (which were actually mini tacos), Aperol Spritz, and a flight of beer. The appetizers were nothing to die for, but the place is nice for the view.
Galapagos Republic Brewing Company – Our tour guide, Liam from San Cristobal 360 Tour owns this brewery so we thought to check it out. Unfortunately it was closed when we went, so I’d recommend giving a call to make sure they are open before walking over, since it’s a bit far. But if you don’t have a chance to visit the brewery, I recommend getting a glass ($6.50 – $8.50 pending on what type of beer) at the airport. There’s a small restaurant on the right once you get to the airport (before check in/passport control). We got the Red IPA, and it was by far the best beer we had in Galapagos. Liam and his brewery are all about sustainability for both the Galapagos community and the environment, so if you want to support a great cause/business and have some great beer, this is the place to go.
Wok By the Sea – San Cristobal is known for its fried scorpion fish, so we went here to try it. Although fried, the fish was still tender, juicy, and delicious. We asked for garlic butter on the side, which paired well with the fish. We also got an appetizer that consisted of fried plantain with avocado and shrimp, and that was also good to share.
Where to stay:
Galapagos Sunset Hotel – The hotel is conveniently located on the main street and across from the pier (where you take day tours on the island or ferries to/from Santa Cruz). It is also a few minutes from the airport ($2.50 taxi ride). The hotel offers complimentary breakfast (toast, eggs, and fruit) and if you have a tour, they can pack you a sandwich, apple, and juice box to-go. You can borrow beach towels from the front desk, and they also provide complementary bottled water. Note there are no elevators, and you can hear sea lions at the pier barking throughout the day/evening.
What you need to know/Other tips for visiting San Cristobal:
To get to San Cristobal, you can either fly in from Guayaquil, or take a ferry from Santa Cruz. We took the 2 hour speed boat ferry (Lancha) from Santa Cruz, which costs $30 per person and you can buy tickets from any tour operator in Santa Cruz. It only leaves twice a day (7am and 3pm) and it is recommended to get tickets at least one day in advance because they can sell out the day of.
In Santa Cruz, there is one main pier where tour boats and ferries operate out of. The pier complex also houses a large park, basketball court, and skating ramp. Passengers are expected to arrive 40 minutes prior to ferry departure time (there are tent/table booths with signs of the different ferry providers). Once you check-in at the booth of your ferry provider, they will give you a lanyard card and then you’ll proceed through security check (they check to make sure you do not bring organic produce to other islands). You’ll then have to pay $1 per person for “security access” of the pier and another $1 for the water taxi. Make sure to show your lanyard card so the water taxi takes you to the correct boat.
Our boat was fully packed with about 25 – 30 people, and the boat crew handled everyone’s luggage. The ride to San Cristobal was choppy, so make sure to bring motion sickness medication if needed. Once we got to San Cristobal, we took another water taxi for $1.
Globe Trotter 
Adding this to my list. I’m going to have to sell feet pics online because the amount of countries I want to visit is expanding haha
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