San Cristobal on your own
SOLEQMASTER
Day 7, 8, 9 and 10 of my ten-day Galapagos trip I spent on San Cristóbal Island. On the days before I had already visited the islands of Santa Cruz and Isabela.
When I arrived about 17 o’clock on the capital island San Cristóbal I was welcomed directly by sea lions, which lay around at the port. On the other two islands I had also seen them, but this island was just littered with sea lions!
After the friendly sea lions welcomed me, I checked into my Airbnb, which I had booked about a month before. I paid about 50 US Dollar for 3 nights, which was a fair price for the good, central location. I then walked to the beach “Mann” and watched the sun go down. At “Playa Mann” there were also many sea lions crawling around, sleeping or diving in the sea with other tourists. My day on San Cristóbal ended with a “Maduro”, the sweet grilled plantain, which is typical for Ecuador.
In contrast to the past days, the 8th day started rather modestly, as the weather did not cooperate anymore. Previously I was blessed by sunshine and now there were clouds in the sky and the rain drizzled down. Despite this, I walked to the beach “Playa Punta Carola” watched the sea lions swimming and then walked on to the “Muelle de Tijeretas”.
This place is very good for snorkeling, but the red flag was hoisted, so I rather avoided to go swimming in the bay. The viewpoint “Mirador Cerro Tijeretas” was however also well attainable on foot and so I received at least despite light rain a great view over a part of San Cristóbal and the Pacific Ocean.
Since I still wanted to go snorkeling, I went on my way back to “Playa Mann”. But the waves were strong and the temperatures were quite low, so I only stayed in the water for a short time and walked back to the Airbnb. During my planning, which I did weeks before I left for the Galapagos, I read that the beach “Loberia” should also be suitable for snorkeling, so this beach was my destination for the afternoon. From the town of “Puerto Baquerizo Moreno” it was about a 30-minute walk to “Playa Loberia”. Arrived at the beach I jumped directly into the water and what can I say? It was one of the best ideas to go to this beach that day! I was surrounded by sea lion cubs playing in the water, saw several sea turtles, and various fish. I had a lot of fun snorkeling and for me it remains unforgettable how the sea lions raced past me, while in the background a sea turtle disappeared into the vastness of the Pacific. After watching the beautiful sunset, I happily left the beach “Loberia” and ended my evening in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno.
360 Degree Tour
For my last full day, I booked the 360-degree tour with the agency “Pelican Tours”, which is considered one of the most popular tours on San Cristóbal. I paid $150 for the trip, which lasted from 7am to 4pm. On the 360-degree tour, you take a boat around San Cristóbal Island and stop at various places to go snorkeling or relax.
In the first part of the tour, I didn’t feel like this trip would add immense value to me because I had already seen all the animals and similar snorkeling locations on the other islands.
The “Kicker Rock” or “Leon Dormido” is a huge rock that juts out of the water and was the last place we went to by boat.
All my doubts about what the added value of this tour meant to me evaporated when I went snorkeling at Kicker Rock. An unbelievable number of corals grew on the rock and amazed me. I had never seen such an incredible, colorful plant world before. On the way back we also saw dolphins jumping next to our boat, making my last day in the Galapagos unforgettable!
Departure day
At 11:35 my plane of the airline Avianca should leave the airport San Cristóbal. Already at 9 o’clock I was at the airport, to which I had walked 10 minutes. Since there were problems with my online check-in, I had to register at the counter. The staff explained that the online check-in did not work because my ticket was for Ecuadorians, but not for foreigners. Since I had already paid the $150 fee before the outbound flight to Santa Cruz and I could show my receipt, they did not assess another $150. So, I got a boarding pass with a valid QR code.
After check-in, I went through security. Here is an important note: Since the Galapagos Islands, are considered untouched and worthy of protection and that should remain so, it is forbidden to export sand, stones, shells, or anything else from the island. The luggage is searched for such items by the staff at the security check. Punctually at 11:35 a.m. I took the plane with a 50-minute stopover in Guayaquil to the Ecuadorian capital Quito. At Mariscal Sucre airport, I took a bus for $2.50 that took me to the Quitumbe terminal. From Quitumbe, I drove back to my home and ended my Galapagos trip.
Conclusion of the trip
Due to the relatively high prices, I thought long and hard about flying to the Galapagos, my conclusion is that it was worth every penny! I am glad and thankful that I was allowed to see all this, and I know that no money in the world can buy it. For me personally, 10 days in Galapagos was optimal to see everything I wanted to see on the three islands of Santa Cruz, Isabela, and San Cristóbal. Also, it was the right decision for me to book the journey on my own because it gave me a chance to do my trip more cost effectively and pursue my interests. My total cost is about 1300 US dollars. Nevertheless, I would like to mention that the expertise of my work colleagues helped me extremely in the planning and I could clarify many uncertainties through them. If I should go to the Galapagos Islands again in my life and have the financial means, I would like to travel the islands with a cruise ship to have the possibility to get to other small islands and get to know them.
In conclusion, it remains for me to say that the Galapagos Islands are beautiful! For me, all that I have seen and experienced feels surreal and incredible. At the same time, I feel so grateful that this place on earth exists and that I was allowed to see it!
Elisabeth’s experiences have also impressed you and you can’t wait to go to the paradise islands? Then feel free to contact us, we look forward to advising you and making your perfect Galapagos experience possible!
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