What to do in San Cristobal, Galapagos Islands!
I have so much I want to say about the Galapagos and I anticipate quite a few posts on the matter. I see alot of people splurge on cruises in and around the Galapagos which I think is amazing - but what if you dont have the time/cash/ or prone to seascikness?
At any rate, we chose our homebase to be San Cristobal Island. Its the second largest island - Feeling not too touristy but big enough to enjoy quite a few days there(We should have booked more and will be back!)
So - instead of a cruise itinierary - here are some things you can do, and we did on San Christobal Island in Galapagos.
1)WALK THROUGH THE SAN CHRISTOBAL INTERPRETATION CENTRE
-CERRO TIJERETAS WALK
This is located right by the main beach area. There is some educational pieces on the inside of the building- and then the back takes you on a nice hike and access to love beach!
2)El Ciebo - Treehouse
A cute curated little gem (3ish$ entry?) with a treehouse, a boat house, and fun trinkets everywhere to explore. Have a walk around and take the funnest pictures!
3)LAGOON EL JUNCO
A Beautiful lake with a small hike from the parking lot. When we went it was pretty quiet minus all the birds. This was part of our tour and I think we allocated 40 minutes.. plenty of time. Rewarded with a peaceful lake with plenty of birds.
4)LA GALAPAGUERA TORTOISE HABITAT
This was also on our tour that we arranged- walk around and see the big and baby tortoises all around the habitat. Pretty wild to see these guys up and personal! It is a path that you follow to see these guys in their natural habitat.
5)PUERTO CHINO BEACH
Peurto Chino beach was the last stop on our tour(see one of the points below about a tour). A beautiful beach to just play around in the water during those hot days! Even in January we had some luck with the sun so it felt so good to get in and swim for a bit. You can also lay on the beach near a sea-lion> They get first dibs!
6)TAKE A HIGHLAND TOUR
So, you can do the above seperately OR as I mentioned you can do them as a tour. We just hailed a local taxi and he brought us to every spot and gave us a certain time in each one (Which included for us the El Cebo Treehouse, El Junco, Tortoies Habitat, and Puerto Chino Beach for 80$ total). Super worth it if you are splitting it with people as you get a full day with your own driver!
7)GO SNORKELLING OR DIVING AT LEÓN DORMIDO (KICKER ROCK)
This was a highlight of our trip for sure and was worth every penny. If you are into snorkelling/diving - Kicker rock would be right up your alley. This place was absolutely stunning.. We saw a shark within the first few minutes of bobbing our head down and other amazing fish and turtles too. I could have spent all day here - but it was part of a diffrent tour (see next!)
8) 360 Tour
Usually-we arent huge “tour” people.. We like to swing by the beat of our own drum.. However this tour offered to see all around the whole island which was a plus for us being land based.
It takes you to kicker rock, White beach, Another snorkle section which the name escapes me, and another beach spot around lunch.
It was about 140-150 per person- but they were so good, provided lunch, and great guides. Its a full day so be prepared to be out there and enjoy a full day! (it was about 730-330)
9) Walk around the Morena
On to some simpler things- we walked around town for coffee, food, went shopping, and watched the wildlife (from pretty much anywhere). We saw a seal birth right with our morning coffee one day! If you love marine life- you will be well entertained
10) Rent any gear yourself Surf/Snorkel/etc
If you want to do your own thing - by all means!! They have shops around town where you can rent gear if you want to do your own thing- we didn’t have time to do this but would have LOVED to surf. Next time :)
This is a basic list of how we were able to spend our time being based on one island here in Galapagos. If you have any questions or comments - PLEASE comment below! I am looking forward to be back asap!
Sara B