The sleepy town is idyllic as you arrive with what seems to be a nice blend between Puerto Ayora's amenities and Isabela's access to wildlife. There are beaches running down the length of the quaint malecon that are clearly owned by the sea lions, each male protecting his "harem" of females and pups. Hundreds of sea lions sleeping, groaning and playing all at your fingertips- yes, I definitely got carried away with the camera!
We had heard of a reasonable guesthouse called Hospitaje Nathaly so we headed directly there to settle in. It was $40 a night but we wouldn't recommend it as the lady was rude and there were too many quirks to ignore. One night because Josh burnt his back so bad he created a very small spot of blood on the sheet and we returned to the guesthouse with Nathaly declaring, "mucho sangria!" and had us come to her laundry room and search the sheet for this apparent blood...very embarrassing experience. Regardless we set out with a map to check out San Cristobal immediately and had an amazing and active day!
First we walked along the malecon and watched the sea lions sleeping on benches and waddle from shady spots to pools. It never gets old seeing these amazing creatures so close up and with virtually no fear of humans, it is the ultimate experience. We ended up near shipwreck beach which ironically lived up to its name that day as a ship carrying food supplies crashed and sadly created an oil spill that could have detrimental effects (it could be smelt by the surfers in the water). Near the beach we saw some bikes for rent and decided that would be a fun way to spend an afternoon and we rented them for $5 each. We were a bit nervous because Doug whom we had previously met had his rental bike stolen but the ones we were given were pretty beat up and the theft risk seemed low.
Things to do:
1) Las Loberias:
We headed to Las Loberias which is a beautiful rugged beach full of sea lions and marine iguanas and definitely worth a visit. Grab a map and start on the road headed towards the airport (yes the airport is right in the town!) and turn left before entering the airport officially. Continue on the road and you will pass a mine before arriving at the beach where you need to walk for about ten minutes. Walking would be fine also (~30 min) or a taxi can cost $3 and they will return to pick you up (otherwise there will be no taxis around).
The beach was spectacular! Perhaps not with the simplistic beauty of Tortuga bay but in a rugged, natural way with it's mounds of lava rocks housing tens of adorable-you could just eat them up- sea lion pups. A guide on the beach explained that the most comfortable settings are guarded by one very large male (bull) who protects his "harem" from younger usurpers and also the pups from sharks. The males are huge with thick necks that protect their jugular in a fight and as soon as the male pups are about 3 and thus reproductive age, they are kicked out to live in the ocean as bachelors until they are about 9 and they can challenge for the most comfortable territory. It's not actually a harem as the females are free to leave but most stay on the beaches for comfort.
The pups are insanely adorable and if you understand that they evolved from ancient dogs (hence why they are called lobos - wolf- in spanish) you can appreciate why their playfulness and soulful eyes seem to resonate with everyone that sees them. There weren't many females around as they are the hunters but we witnessed an amazing moment of ferocity between two males as they rose up together and clashed hard with the larger one growling and biting until the smaller one ran off. Truly a window into nature at its most primal although there were some hair raising moments with some snorkellers who were chased out of the water by this fierce male and according to the guide witnessing, yes they can bite when protecting their own. Be careful if you choose to swim as these two were nowhere near the pups in question!
Fearing too much sun we decided to leave after about an hour. The sun in the Galapagos is intense and not like anything we have encountered before in any other country. Bring an insane amount of sunscreen (~$15 for a 100ml bottle on the islands), bring a hat (~$25 for Panama hat on the islands), and my top tip is to 100% bring clothing with UV protection! We expected to surf so we brought our rash guards with SPF 50 and I don't know what we would have done without them (especially after Josh burnt his back) on the tours where you are subjected to sun for 6-8 hours straight. Other thoughts are to carry a sarong/pashmina in a bag in case as it can be draped around the shoulders or head if need be (locals do it too) and for women, I wish I would have brought sun dresses with at least a cap sleeve as tank tops were too risky (stay posted for an Ecuador packing list).
2) Interpretation Center:
We biked throughout the town and decide to head to the Interpretation Center which we heard was the best on the three islands. It's located on the opposite side of town as Las Loberias and is well marked with signage. The center itself could use a little TLC and the displays were not connected to a power source so the interactive buttons did not work but it is definitely worth a visit. There is something so fascinating about the Galápagos Islands and the exhibits go through the biology, ecology, geology, and human history of the islands. It was interesting to learn that Isabela is the youngest island at 1,000,000 years old and all the islands were formed from active volcanic expulsions and that settlement of the islands was tumultuous as the conditions were difficult with no adequate sources of fresh water. Even today some of the islands require that water is shipped to them and water conservation is an utmost priority as a result.
Since it was so difficult to survive, many people tried and failed to set up communities. The explorers that first came in the 1500s were shocked by how "foolish" the animals were by not being afraid and many tortoises perished as they were taken on board to be used as fresh meat (they survived for a long time without water). There were even posters showing the advertisement of children riding the tortoises! Later the government pardoned convicts and sent them to the Galapagos to try and settle them but these attempts were mostly unsuccessful. There is also a quirky history with a family from Europe who settled on Floreana and with the arrival of a baroness and her three lovers, the island became one of murder and intrigue.
Obviously the evolution of the animals and Darwin's conclusions is the most fascinating aspect of the Galapagos and we were treated to a general overview of this as well. Darwin's finches in particular are famous because he was able to observe that the shape of their beak had adapted based on their environment and what food source was available for them to eat. All of the creatures that appear on the Galapagos had a difficult journey of having to travel by water to the uninhabitable islands on a tree log for example and only those that could survive without water and food for a substantial amount of time could succeed in the journey. Once they arrived to the islands life was still difficult and finding a mate was very unlikely. The center ends with an explanation of conservation efforts and how tourism must be kept at a minimum to lessen the impact on the fragile environment. In general, a very enjoyable and knowledgeable experience!
3) Tijeratas Hill
Moving on from the Interpretation Center are some nice walking trails with excellent look outs of the town harbour and out to sea. Good shoes like a walking sandal (not flip flops) are important and a modest level of fitness as the trek up could be tiring for those who are unfit. The look out rewards you with a beautiful view and an interesting aerial look at Tijertas Bay (Frigates in English) where the frigates circle around endlessly in spectacular choreography. You can also go down to the bottom and see the bay up close and apparently there is excellent snorkelling there as well. The trails also lead to two beautiful beaches, Punta Mann and Punta Carola which seems to be a favourite for watching sunsets and surfers. Unfortunately we did not endeavour to surf although we had planned to initially but found that there was too much to see and no leftover time.
4) Leon Dormido (Kicker Rock)
The first thing we did when arriving on San Cristobal was set up a day trip to Kicker Rock, a beautiful volcanic rock in the middle of the ocean that had naturally created a crevice which is the perfect environment for sea life. On a clear day you should be able to see hammerhead sharks, white tip sharks, sea turtles, sea lions, schools of exotic fish, and various rays and because our last tour was so successful, we decided to do this one ( Sharksky tours $80 per person).
We started the tour around 8am and met the rest of our gang, this time a mix of divers and snorkellers of all ages. The group was much for "family-ish" than our last one and we enjoyed meeting several people currently in exchange programs in South America including Frank and his mother who were enjoying quality time together.
As before, we enjoyed the journey with a very knowledgeable national guide who stopped to show us the manmade platforms full of sea lions to help prevent them from climbing on the boats (I'm not going to lie, they defecate a lot!) and rocks full of blue foot boobies. This time we were able to ride on top of the boat and although we were exposed to the sun, it was an amazing experience. It also helped to keep us out of the way of the divers that needed to prepare and test their equipment.
Arriving at Kicker Rock was breathtaking and although I couldn't see the "Leon Dormido" (some say it looks like a sleeping lion), the vastness of the lava rock was incredible and the crevice made the beauty even more surreal. The guide explained that the ash dissipates more and more every year and that one day Kicker Rock will be gone. Another nice thing about the tour is that due to conservation efforts, only a small amount of people are allowed at the sight at one time which makes it feel like an extra special experience.
We were dropped off in the water and were greeted immediately by a huge sea turtle but it was also apparent that the water was not as clear as we were hoping. The guides later explained that the water is murky only 5 days of the year and I think this is probably an exaggeration but we were a little disappointed. Still, we went on to see a lot of really interesting fish, to swim with sea lions, and we both saw lots of white tip sharks just below us! I was really hoping to see a hammerhead shark but even the divers were not lucky in spotting one. Regardless, being in the turquoise waters surrounded by a cavern of beautiful lava rock all around was an ultimate experience in itself with the sea life sightings being the cherry on top.
Our wonderful guides took us to another location in hopes of clearer water but we still couldn't see much. I started to get a little unnerved being in the open ocean and unable to see much in front of me, the endless blue made me feel a bit claustrophobic. However I really enjoyed this snorkelling experience in the deep water as it was nice not to worry about shallow waters and avoiding rocks. (I forgot to mention that in Isabela I was stung by a jelly fish or sea urchin and had a painful rash and numbness in my arm and I was not keen on experiencing that again!).
The last leg of our tour offered us an amazing buffet (especially compared to the sandwiches on our previous tour) and we dined on fresh fish, pasta or rice, and veggies. They also offered bananas earlier in the day and banana cake so we were well nourished after all of our swimming! They then dropped us off at small beach where we lazed around and relaxed after our big day, enjoying the scenic view and the cool water. The only downside was the horse flies who are a major pest on the islands and very insistent on taking a chunk out of your skin! I suppose even paradise has to have one negative. Overall, even with the murky water the tour was still a 10 out of 10 and a definite "must do."
With our last night in the Galapagos, we set up an evening with Fiore and Pablo who we haven't mentioned before but were quite literally with us every step of the way! As we flew from Quito to Baltra airport we sat in the same row on the airplane and as we toured each attraction and island, suddenly Fiore and Pablo would appear! Our encounters with them were uncanny! If we were at Tortuga Bay, there they were, if we were checking into our hotel on Isabela, there they were just walking by, if we were out for a late dinner in San Cristobal, there they were and on and on! It became so comical that we decided they were practically our Argentinian doppelgängers (without the physical resemblance).
Our evening was amazing and it was a nice mix of English and Spanish with my language skills contributing as the weakest link by far. We talked a lot about Argentina and Canada and about house swapping one day (although they would have to look after Diego and they told us we would have to care for their Bonsai plant which I am sure to murder!). We parted ways not truly believing that we wouldn't see them around a corner the next day but our next encounter will have to be a planned one!
We flew out of San Cristobal airport with our destination of Cuenca. Departing from this airport was amazing compared to Baltra because it is right in town and very simple. Leaving the Galapagos was almost a painful experience as we have had the most amazing, once in a lifetime trip and I have no doubt that we will return one day. We had reservations about the price of going to the Galapagos but it is 100% worth it and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. This kind of trip is so exhilarating and high-octane and it more than exceeded our expectations! Where else in the world can you interact with unique animals and set out on a different adventure every day? Our only regret is not having more time but we are excited to check out more of lovely Ecuador too.
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