Journey:

All the boat tickets between islands are $30 one way. We chose to take the 7am boat to San Cristobal from Santa Cruz, which took about 2 hours and was over some quite choppy water. They cram a lot of people into the boat so definitely try and get a space at the back as it’s a lot less claustrophobic (and thus you are less likely to get seasick.)

Accommodation:

Casa de Jeimy. A really good hostel, the staff were very friendly and gave us advice on what to see/do on the island. It also has a terrace on the top floor with hammocks and a kitchen so perfect to watch the sunset. (Food prices are generally quite expensive on San Cristobal so we made good use of their kitchen facilities.) Also, they have bikes and snorkelling equipment to rent. A great budget option for sure – $36 per night.

Sights/activities:

La Loberia

Just a 30 minute walk or 5 minute taxi ride (costing $3) away is the beach of La Loberia. It’s a beautiful white sand beach with surfers and sea lions. There are also a few marine iguanas (and even more if you walk further along the rocky end of the beach) and lots of fish to see.

Centro de Interpretacion

A little like the Charles Darwin Centre on Santa Cruz is the Centro de Interpretacion about 10 minutes walk from the town. It gives some interesting history on the Galapagos and a little bit of the science behind the ecological diversity on these islands.

Cerro Tijeretas

Provides stunning views over the crystal clear water, and it genuinely is crystal clear we could spot sea turtles swimming beneath the surface from up high. Below is a cove that is perfect for snorkelling; we saw sea lions, turtles and lots of different fish. There are also lots of frigate birds flying around this area.

Punto Carola

Another beautiful Galapagos beach with a little lighthouse at one end. A favourite with the sea lions (they like to sunbathe here and play with the tourists.)

Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock)

The only tour we paid for on the Galapagos was a trip to Kicker Rock ($90 each) as Thomas was desperate to see a hammerhead shark. Lots of tour companies sell trips to Kicker Rock leaving daily and all tend to follow the same sort of itinerary: an hour on the boat to the rock, snorkelling/diving time, lunch on board, and finally some free time at a deserted beach. We saw Galapagos sharks, Black Tip sharks, sea turtles, a manta ray, sea lions, starfish, and huge amounts of other brightly coloured fish. (Unfortunately no hammerheads though much to Thomas’ dismay.)

Food:

Batido de Mora became my favourite drink on this island (basically a kind of blackberry smoothie) and costs around $2.50.

It was a little harder to find cheap food here than on Santa Cruz, however it is possible, and with a little searching we found some places selling the usual rice, meat, salad type combo for about $5. (Avoid the harbour front for the more budget options.) There is also a market and on the second floor they sell lunch for $5.

Summary:

It was a less touristy island than Santa Cruz but the wildlife was more in your face. As we pulled into the harbour we spotted about 10 sea lions and within walking distance from the centre were excellent snorkelling beaches. The town itself is a little limited with fewer choices in restaurants and shops but to be honest that’s not the reason we came to the Galapagos and the amount of easily accessible wildlife on this island makes it my favourite of the two.