Travel Dates: December 2022
Hotel:
Hotel La Isla – The hotel is conveniently located near the main street in Puerto Ayora where stores, restaurants, and attractions are all within a short walking distance. The accommodation provides complimentary breakfast, and to-go boxes for early morning tours. The hotel also offers tea and coffee throughout the day, and filtered water via dispensers (tap water is not recommended in Galapagos). You can also borrow beach towels and umbrellas at the front desk. Staff here were all very welcoming and friendly. Note there are no elevators (like most hotels in Galapagos), and music outside was very loud until ~2am on Saturday evenings.
Food:
El Muelle de Darwin – We ordered the seafood barbecue for two which consists of lobster, prawns, shrimp, octopus, squid, and fish. The fish was tender but the octopus was overcooked. The dish came with two sides–we ordered toasted plantains and sautéed vegetables. Overall it was decent, but their homemade complimentary chips and salsa stole the show.
Galapagos Deli – We stopped here for ice cream and it did not disappoint; I highly recommend the passion fruit sorbet.
Santa Cruz Brewery – Bar with a nice panoramic view of the pier (Muelle de Los Pescadores), but other than that, nothing too special–typical pub food and drinks.
Los Kioskos – This street is filled with small restaurants/vendors primarily selling fresh seafood, cooked to order. We went to Encanto de Aracely (cash only), and ordered a grilled lobster and fish cooked in two ways: grilled with vegetables and steamed with garlic butter. It came with plantains, rice, and salad. The food was very delicious, but we both got food poisoning. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to pinpoint exactly which dish made us sick, but we were both sure it was something from this meal. If you’re a risk taker, the food here is delicious and at reasonable prices. Otherwise, it might be safer to steer clear or risk getting sick.
Activities:
Bartolome Day Tour (booked through Galapagos Last Minute) is a hiking and snorkeling tour at Bartolome Island, an extinct volcanic islet. Our hotel pick up was at 7am, and we took a ~40 minute bus ride to the Santa Cruz Ferry Terminal. We then took a Zodiac (inflatable boat) to a larger tour boat before setting sail. There were snacks and drinks throughout the ride, and the boat was large enough to comfortably fit our group of 16 people. The ride to Bartolome was slow and smooth, and 2 hours long. We were able to get a seat on the top deck to spot a ray, sea lion, shark, and several turtles along the way.
Once at Bartolome, we hiked up to an overlook for views of the island and the famous Pinnacle Rock. Due to the altitude (maximum height is 114 meters above sea level) and intense heat from black volcanic rocks, vegetation is sparse, but some cactus plants are able to thrive. The hike is on wooden planks and steps, and took ~40 minutes total, inclusive of a few stops and history lessons from our tour guide, Jairo.
After the hike, we had lunch back on the boat and then headed to Sullivan Bay to snorkel. For this tour package, a wet suit was not included (although I would recommend paying to rent one because the water does get cold), but fins and snorkel masks are included. Once in the water, we saw a sea lion, sea turtle, penguins, and various tropical fish species.
On our way back to Santa Cruz, we were lucky to be greeted with several pods of dolphins. But on the down side, the 2 hour boat ride back was extremely rocky, so motion sickness medication is recommended if you get seasick. Once back on the island, we took the bus back to Puerto Ayora with drop-offs at our hotel.
Overall, I recommend this tour because the Pinnacle Rock Overlook is beautiful, and snorkeling with the animals, especially penguins, was an experience of a lifetime. Jairo was also a great tour guide; he was very knowledgable about the geology of Bartolome Island.
Pinzon Island Day Tour was booked last minute through a travel agency store next to our hotel. We were able to negotiate the package, saving $20 per person.
We met at the travel agency at 8am, and the owner walked us to the tour operator’s meeting point to try on short wetsuits. We then headed to the main pier and paid $1 for the water taxi to get to the boat. From there, the boat ride was ~45 minutes to get to the first stop, La Fe, where we tested our snorkel equipment (fins and masks are included). We saw plenty of sea turtles here, along with other tropical fish and marine iguanas.
Lunch was served on the boat before heading to Pinzon for more snorkeling. The water here is colder and at one point, we had to swim in the open ocean with stronger waves. We were able to see white-tip sharks, sea lions, starfish, and of course, more tropical fish. The sharks were a bit hard to find because they get startled/scared easily and the water was cloudy–shark attacks are very uncommon.
We started to head back to Santa Cruz, and along the way the crew casted a few lines and was able to catch a barracuda. We were also very lucky to see more dolphins swimming all around our boat.
Once we got back it was high tide, so we were able to dock right at the pier without needing a water taxi. We then had to drop off the wetsuits back at the tour operator’s store.
Overall, I would skip this tour if you’ll be doing the Bartolome tour and San Cristobal 360 tour since both will cover the same marine species in Pinzon. Also, the tour company we went with for Pinzon was a bit of a mess and unclear on the itinerary and instructions. Although you do save money by booking tours last minute at travel agencies in the Galapagos, the downside is you won’t know what the exact tour company is and won’t be able to do research beforehand. Booking online allows you to read reviews and find the best tour company to go with.
Muelle de Los Pescadores is a fishing pier right across the street from Hotel La Isla where fishermen prepare and sell their catch of the day. What makes it exciting here are all the animals that gather by, fighting for scraps of fish that are thrown away. There are sea lions, pelicans, frigate birds, and iguanas. If you’re lucky, you may even be able to spot a small whitetip shark swimming in the water nearby. Muelle de Los Pescadores is busiest in the morning (around 10 – 11am) with animals showing up for free bites. Though if you go later in the day, or in the evening, you can probably still see a few sea lions and iguanas laying around.
El Chato Reserva is a nature preserve where you walk around with a guide to see giant tortoises up close. It’s amazing how large some of these tortoises are, and some are over 100 years old! There are also a few lava tunnels to walk through at El Chato Reserva. The preserve offers free coffee and tea, although gratuity is encouraged. It’s a nice stop on the way to Puerto Ayora. Otherwise, it’s out of the way if you decide to do a day trip, and there isn’t anything else to do in the area.
Miscellaneous:
Airport Logistics/Transportation
Getting to the Galapagos from Guayaquil can be a bit tricky. At the Guayaquil airport before you check-in your luggage or go through security, you’ll need to purchase a transit card ($20 per person; cash only) first. There is a specific counter for Galapagos travel, next to all the other domestic airline check-in counters–it’s most likely the one with a very long line. You’ll need to show your passport, boarding pass, and a confirmation that you booked a return flight from the Galapagos. The transit card is crucial as you won’t be able to fly to the Galapagos without it. You’ll also need to show it again at the airport when you return to mainland Ecuador.
Afterwards, you’ll need to do a quarantine check to make sure you are not brining any organic produce to the Galapagos Islands. All luggages go through a scanner, and any checked in luggage will be locked with a zip tie and taped completely so no one will be able to open it. You’ll then be able to go through airline check-in and regular security to get to the boarding gates. This whole process took about an hour so make sure you allocate enough time for the airport transit.
Once you land in the Galapagos (Seymour Island), you’ll go through passport control where you have to show the transit card and pay an entrance fee ($100 per person; cash only) to the islands. Then before you can pick up your luggage, there’s an airport security dog that will sniff all the luggages for food, so make sure you don’t bring any.
To get to Santa Cruz from Seymour, everyone has to take a 10 minute bus ride (called Lobitos). You’ll see signs when exiting the airport that will show you where to buy tickets, which are $5 per person (cash only). Then you will take a 5 minute water taxi ride ($1 per person) through Itabaca Canal to get to Santa Cruz. From there, you’ll have the option to purchase a bus ticket ($5) or hail a taxi (which are pickup trucks) to get to Puerto Ayora (the main town area of Santa Cruz, where almost all of the tourists will be staying). Either way, the ride is 45 minutes to Puerto Ayora. Some hotels may offer airport transfer, and they will help manage this whole process for you, although the cost is more expensive. They may even have an add-on to stop by El Chato Reserva, which I recommend to do (per the above activities section).
We had a personal contact (who only spoke Spanish) in Galapagos so they picked us up in Santa Cruz after we got off the water taxi from Itabaca Canal. They charged us $65 to drive to Puerto Ayora, including a stop by El Chato Reserva.
Overall, if you want to save money, then take the bus. However, if you’re open to spend more money and experience more of what Galapagos has to offer, then I recommend getting a taxi to stop by El Chato Reserva, or pre-book it with your hotel if it’s offered.
Health
As mentioned, we got sick from eating at the food market and needed medication. Because it was a Sunday when this occurred, doctor offices were closed so we had to go to the public hospital instead. We had to wait about two hours before seeing a doctor to get medication–be prepared they only speak Spanish. Fortunately, health care is free in Ecuador so we didn’t have to pay anything except for the medication. We were prescribed probiotics, stomach relief medication, and electrolytes and paid $44 in total at the pharmacy across the street from the hospital.
Currency
The currency in Ecuador is USD and many places accept cash only (e.g. travel operators for tours, ferry tickets throughout Galapagos, restaurants, etc.). A few places that allow credit cards may charge extra fees. Make sure you bring enough USD (and singles as well, especially for those water taxis) or have a debit card that you can use to withdraw money at the ATM.
Globe Trotter 