Hey y'all! I have just returned to Cuenca from the world-famous Galapagos Islands! My group was there for five days total, but the first and last day included our flights and traveling. This was still enough time to see a lot that the Galapagos had to offer and we had a great time!
Pictured above: Me standing in front of a lovely mural at the end of the Mercado Artesenal (see the end of the post for more details).
The first day, we left from Cuenca at 1 am in order to take a private bus to the Guayaquil airport, which is the main (if not the only) airport that you have to use to get to the islands. The bus ride from Cuenca to Guayaquil was about 4 hours. We flew out at 8:20 am. The timing worked out perfectly for us, and we had time to get a small breakfast in the airport. Important note about the Galapagos: upon entering, once in Guayaquil (at the ticket counters) and again at customs in the airport in the Galapagos, there is a required fee. The one in Guayaquil is $20 for a sort of passport to monitor the number of entrances to the islands and the one in Galapagos is $100, which is a national fee for maintaining specifically the Galapagos but also the national parks in Ecuador.
The airport is on the island of Baltra, which is one of about 20 islands. Baltra is directly above the island of Santa Cruz, which is the most inhabited of the islands and which has the town of Puerto Ayora where many of the hotels and restaurants are located. To get to any other island from the airport, you must cross the Itabaca Canal (between Baltra and Santa Cruz) on a water taxi (a boat) and then from there either take another boat elsewhere or take a bus/taxi. There are many options here to get to Santa Cruz. We had private transportation, which seemed like a common option, or you would take a public bus for $5, or take a private 4-person taxi for $25. Additionally, to get from the airport to the canal, there is a $5 bus. Total, the price to Puerto Ayora could be as high as $40 or as low as $15. However, if you are using a travel agency, you will not have to worry about this, because those prices should be included in your total price and the tour guide should meet you at the airport and handle this.
After the 50 minute/1 hour bus ride from the canal to Puerto Ayora, you will arrive in the town. The town is on the water and is small enough that you can walk everywhere (or take a taxi for $1.50 anywhere in the town). The main road is next to the water and is called Charles Darwin Avenue, where many restaurants and shops are located. At one end are water taxis that we took to get to Las Grietas and to get from a larger boat to the shore. At the other end, there is the Charles Darwin Research Center and a small beach called Playa Estacion. We toured the research center, which I highly suggest, and then we went to the beach for about an hour. This took up the remainder of our first afternoon.
Pictured above: Two full grown tortoises in the Charles Darwin Research Center, a pool full of baby tortoises, and a photo of Playa Estacion.
The second day, we walked to Tortuga Bay, which was a surprisingly long walk but very nice. The walk is about 45 minutes and there is a brick path, so you would not need a guide for this. There is a bathroom and a tiny store with drinks and snacks at the beginning of the hike, but nothing until you turn around and hike 45 minutes back. So make sure you go to the bathroom before you leave and fill up your water bottle. We actually took a boat back for $10 each because we're lazy Americans. This was about 15 minutes back to Charles Darwin Avenue.
Pictured above: The very end of the trail leading to Tortuga Bay, some of my friends on the beach, and the boat that we took instead of hiking.
Later that afternoon, some of us hiked to Las Grietas, which is a canyon filled with clear water. The water is maybe 25 feet deep and you can see the bottom clearly from the top of the water. It is truly a stunning experience. There is a little dock that you can jump off of into freezing water, but it is very refreshing because the islands are extremely hot in March. To get to Las Grietas, you have to take a water taxi for only two minutes or so, and then follow the signs. It was maybe a 30 minute walk one way. But the walk was really beautiful, with red clay stairs/paths, a beach called Playa de los Alemanes at the beginning (perfect for kids because the water stayed very shallow), and a large salt lake (including pink salt!). If you have the time, this is definitely worth the time. The park does close at 5:30 though, so this is an earlier in the day activity, and it can get crowded, so the earlier the better.
Pictured above: Part of the trail to Las Grietas, the dock looking out to the water at Las Grietas, and a photo that shows how deep in the canyon the water is. And the video above is me jumping into the water from the dock, and a short scan of the insanely clear water.
The third day was our first of two days on a boat all day. We were on a small yacht this time, and we went back up to the Itabaca canal to get on the boat. We then traveled to the right and down, so we were right next to Santa Cruz the whole time. We stopped at Plaza Sur for a 2 hour hike, which was extremely hot but had some incredible views. Here we saw many land iguanas, sea lions everywhere, some birds, and some of the most blue water I have ever seen. After the walk, we went back to the boat for lunch and headed back up to the mouth of the canal, where we stopped once more for snorkeling. We snorkeled for about an hour. During this time, we saw one shark (very fleeting), a sea lion (in the water with us), a blue-foot boobie, and many, many fish. The water here was the clearest we saw. After snorkeling, we headed back to Puerto Ayora.
Pictured above: A shot to show how clear and blue the water was, a close-up of a land iguana, and a creative photo of the landscape.
The fourth day was the second of our two day trips on a boat. This time, we were on more of a fishing boat. And this time, we headed left out of the canal and then up, around Baltra Island to Seymour Norte. We got off (and when we were getting in the smaller boat to go to the island, a huge shark was literally right under the boat; very exciting) and took another two hour or so hike. This time, the focus was more on the birds. We saw some land iguanas, but we saw a million blue-foot boobies and a million frigates. And, we were there during the mating season of the frigates, so the males have an inflated red pouch. We got very lucky to see so many. We then went snorkeling on the south side of the island, where we saw a ton of animals. We saw 7 sharks at one time (but about 10 total), a manta ray, string rays, and a million fish. The water here was very clear also but it was rough water since we were right against the island. We went back to the boat for lunch and then went to a small beach where we had the opportunity to snorkel once more or just to swim around. Here we saw a sea turtle, which was insane. It was so beautiful.
Pictured above: Dad and baby frigate, three land iguanas, and a blue-foot boobie protecting two eggs. Then the snorkeling pictures: the first is an octopus (this is hard to see but isn't that the point), a sting ray, and three sharks on the ocean floor.
The fifth and last day, we went to El Chato, a tortoise preservation center. It is illegal for anyone to touch or feed the tortoises, so they come to this area on their own. Therefore, it is not guaranteed that you will see anything, but we saw about 5 walking around and many more in the fields while driving. Here there are also lava tunnels that you can walk down into, which was a really fun experience. And, in the lodge, there are tortoise shells that you can climb into to try on, which was funny to watch. The shells are very heavy! After we left here, we headed back to the airport (same prices for taxi/bus). A very busy five days, but an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience, to say the least.
Pictured above: Three tortoises in a small pond, an up-close of a tortoise, and a shot of the lava tunnels.
Some tips/information about our trip:
1. The weather and animals in the Galapagos change greatly depending on when you go. Before you decide on when to leave for your trip, make sure you do research and decide based on what you are more interested in. For example, we snorkeled and swam a lot, and the water in March is very warm, but for half of the year the water is much colder and more unpleasant for swimming.
2. DO NOT DRINK any of the water. Our hotel, Hotel Coloma, refilled a jug of purified water in our rooms every day and had filtered water in the lobby/breakfast area. The water in the ocean is also a no-go, not only because it is salt but also because there is a very high amount of animal excrement in the water, which frequently gets people sick. So beware of this if you are swimming or snorkeling.
3. While just walking down the street, there are many travel agencies offering last minute deals. So if you do not have plans for your trip or you do not have a travel agency already, do not worry. There is also a lot to do on Santa Cruz island, and you can easily rent snorkels or other gear at any shop.
Places I would recommend:
1. Santa Cruz Brewery: Located on Charles Darwin Avenue on a second floor. This place was adorable and they had really good beers and options. Six of us went, and they have us two 6-beer flights to try for free (the same 6 beers). We each bought a pint (they offered half-pints) and it was not overly expensive, especially considering we got two free flights. The view from the balcony was really lovely.
2. Rolls and Pops, Galapagos Artesian Ice Cream: Avenue Baltra, close to the intersection of Charles Darwin Av. Not being dramatic, we went here twice a day. Every day. $2.50 for a double scoop, and the flavors changed every day. Incredible. They also had crepes and waffles which looked AMAZING.
3. Mercado Artesanal (Handicraft Market): Located on a side street off of Charles Darwin Av, heading towards the water. A row of stands on each side that have a ton of handmade souvenirs, for a very good price. There is a lot of variety between the stands, so you are not seeing the same things over and over.
4. La Calle de los Kioskos: Located on the street called Charles Binford but more commonly called La Calle de los Kioskos. At 6:30 to 11:00 (ish) every night, the street is shut down and filled with tables. There is fresh seafood at each of the kiosks that I would recommend, but they also sold foods like hamburgers.
Thank you all so much for reading! Be sure to like and share; message me if you have any questions or comments!
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