Galapagos

Freetimetravellers

19 Mar 2025 — 10 min read

Part 1 of: 22 days Galapagos Amazon Forest Cusco

Part 2 Peru

London Heathrow – Bogota – Guayaquil – St. Cristobal – Guayaquil – Lima – Cusco – Lima -Bogota – London Heathrow

Airline: Avianca – tickets bought through Opodo, to order vegan meals I had to call Avianca but it was very easy, the meals were very simple, nothing fancy :). Overall, no problems, nice and easy.

Before the journey we booked:

Amazon visit with a small local company

Machu Pichu entry https://reservas.machupicchu.gob.pe

train tickets to Machu Pichu http://www.perurail.com

Galapagos ferries: https://book-ec.com/ferry/

and our accomodation through booking.com

Day 1 LHR Airport

Day 2

Guayaquil, Ecuador – a very nice airport for a short break. Since the next flight was within the same country, we were able to go outside for a walk.

Iguana iguana Green Iguana

A few things to double check before travel to Galapagos:

The ticket flight from mainland Equador to Galapagos need to be return ticket. Tourists' bags are checked for restricted items by the Tourist Control and Certification (TCC) to ensure the preservation of the islands' unique environment and wildlife before checking in for your flight to Galapagos.
There is a Galapagos National Park entrance fee that is paid upon arriving in Galapagos.

The Galápagos Archipelago consists of 13 major islands and numerous smaller islands, islets, and rocks. The volcanic Galapagos has never been attached to another land mass most of the species here are endemic - species found nowhere else on earth. About 80% of the land birds, 97% of the reptiles and land mammals, more than 20% of the marine species andmore than 30% of the plants are endemic.

https://www.galapagos.org/

San Cristobal, Galapagos

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the capital of Galápagos Province, Ecuador. It is located on the southwestern coast of San Cristóbal, the easternmost island in the archipelago, and is the capital of San Cristóbal Canton. Wikipedia

Ardea herodias aap. cognata Galapagos Great Blue Heron

Galapagos sea lion

Ardea herodias aap. cognata Galapagos Great Blue Heron The Galápagos sea lion Zalophus wollebaeki is a species that lives and breeds on the Galápagos Islands, and in smaller numbers on Isla de la Plata, Ecuador. It is the smallest of all sea lion species. Conservation Status: Endangered

There are two small beaches in the town: Playa de Oro – full of sea lions, and Playa Mann – a nice but crowded beach right next to the Interpretation Center and the path to Cerro Tijeretas.

We visited the Interpretation Centre (visitor center), went up to Mirador Cerro Tijeretas, then down to Muelle Tijeretas, and ended up at Punta Carola.

Punta Carola

Marine iguana Amblyrhynchus cristatus is a species endemic to the Galapagos Islands

Amblyrhynchus cristatus mertensi Eibl-Eibesfeldt, 1962 – San Cristóbal Marine Iguana

Conservation status: Vulnerable

Marine iguanas are the only sea-going lizards in the world. They live on land and can't stay in cold water for long - only long enough to fill their bellies. They grazing on marine algae. "Marine iguanas are an excellent example of a species well-adapted and continuing to adapt to their environment." They have "a short, blunt nose that is well-adapted to feeding on algae growing on rocks" and " flattened tail perfect for swimming".

Young marine iguanas are black. Adult colours vary depending on the island: red and black, black, green, or red and grey.

Mirador Cerro Tijeretas and Muelle Tijeretas

The place we booked for our stay was simply amazing – quiet, beautiful, and surrounded by plants and trees. It takes only a few minutes to get to the town by car. The rooms and facilities (kitchen, drinking water, coffee, fruits) are excellent, and the hosts are the nicest people you can imagine. They provide free pick-up from the airport and will help with anything you might need.

https://www.facebook.com/Cucuve-Eco-Hostal

We did not rent a car, and catching a "taxi" is not a problem. Everyone who owns a car will take you wherever you want and charge the same fare as everyone else. The white taxis waiting in the port area are a little more expensive.

Day 3

Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado – no entrance fee, you can get there by car

La Galapaguera is a breeding centre for giant Galapagos tortoises. Unlike other similar facilities, this recovery center preserves semi-natural conditions, allowing young tortoises to hatch without the need for incubators. The breeding centres increase the survival rate of new hatchlings in the wild. The tortoises are kept at the center for the first years of their lives and it is possible to see babies, young ones and adults at the centre.

Giant Tortoise of San Cristobal (Geochelone chathamensis)

Conservation Status: Endangered

Puerto Chino the most beautiful beach (15 mins walk from Galapaguera)

Day 4 & 5

We booked Galapagos Ferry to St Cruz, it’s quite a long journey and not much fun as the boats are ridiculously noisy! You still need to pay some small fee to the taxi boat which takes you from the pier to the boat – just remember to have some change….