Journey:

We were coming from Montanita so we had to first get a bus to Guayaquil (flights to the Galapagos only go from either Guayaquil or Quito.) CLP located on Montanita’s main highway does direct buses to Guayaquil for $6pp (all the others you have to change at Santa Elena.)

We then stayed one night in Guayaquil and stocked up on things like suncream which we had been warned were very expensive in the Galapagos. We stayed at Dreamkapture Hostel which was perfect for us as it was conveniently located near to both the bus station and the airport (so we wouldn’t have to spend a fortune on taxis.)

The next day our flight was at 9:40am, and before leaving for the Galapagos you have to pay a fee of $20 each. It took roughly 2 hours in flight to reach Baltra Island. There’s nothing on this island except an airport, therefore after getting through passport control, paying the hefty entrance fee of $100, and again having our luggage searched (our luggage was checked about 5 times in total); we then had to get a bus for 10 minutes to get on a boat to do the short crossing to Santa Cruz Island (and I mean short – it was maybe 2 minutes but still somehow cost $1pp.)

On the other side we were given the choice of a taxi for $30 or otherwise a bus for $2 pp (obviously we went for the bus option). The only downside of the bus was that we had to wait an hour for the bus to leave but it wasn’t too much of a hardship. We had some lunch whilst waiting and spotted some sharks swimming around near the cafe. Another 40 minutes later we reached Puerto Ayora and from there a taxi (in the Galapagos taxis are basically pick up trucks) for $2 took us to our hotel.

Accommodation:

Brisas del Pacifico Hotel. Located in the centre of the town it was pretty perfect and at $40 per night a lot cheaper than most other options on the island. The room was massive and could have fit 10 people quite comfortably.

Sights/activities:

Pelican Bay

Near to the harbour there are lots of fresh fish for sale and a lot of birds come along to see if they can get a few scraps too, there are mainly pelicans, but there are also frigates and we saw a heron there too on one occasion.

El Chato Giant Tortoise reserve

Here there are loads of giant tortoises just wandering around and you can wander with them. It’s $3pp which also includes entrance into a lava tunnel (which is averagely cool.) To get here we hired bikes to do the 22km and it took us about 2 hours from Puerto Ayora. It was all uphill and we almost died. Cycling 44km is tough work, but definitely worth it to see the beautiful giant tortoises.

Tortuga Bay

2.5km from Puerto Ayora down a paved path is Tortuga Bay. It’s a beautiful white sand beach filled with wildlife. We saw lots of different birds, including some blue footed boobies flying overhead and many pelicans.

Walking further down the beach there are many marine iguanas sunbathing/swimming. Keep going even further down the beach and there’s a lagoon where we tried to do some snorkelling (but didn’t see anything except a couple of fish as the water was pretty murky.)

Tortuga Bay is also a good surfing spot (or really the only surfing spot you can get to without a boat.) We got here really early and saw it at its most spectacular before the hordes of tourists descended.

Charles Darwin information centre

Just a 10 minute walk from town the information centre gives you a bit of Galapagos background. It also houses some giant tortoises and a few land lizards (although you can’t wander about with them like in El Chato Reserve.)

Laguna de las ninfas

A beautiful lagoon located just before you leave the town to walk to Tortuga Bay. It’s very quiet and you can spot wildlife lurking in the water. We were lucky enough to see two very playful sea lions here jumping in the water.

Food:

We were very nervous about food prices in the Galapagos and thought that we would, probably have to starve. However, this was not the case, there was a street with tables lining the middle and lots of cheap set menus (almuerzos/meriendas – lunch/supper $5.) For this price you were given soup, a main plate and juice.

We also found the greatest empanadas we’ve ever had at a small market just outside our hotel. (I tried to take a photo but I got too distracted eating and only remembered half way through my empanada.)

Summary:

I think it’s practically impossible to not love the Galapagos. There is unusual wildlife everywhere and you can get up close to these animals without having to do a very pricey cruise. Santa Cruz was one of our favourite places so far without a doubt.