Best of Galapagos: Santa Cruz, Isla Isabela, and San Cristobal
Bite-sized trip
✓ Incredible snorkelling opportunities
✓ Sample delicious island cuisine
✓ Stay in simple, but comfortable accommodation
Day 1 – Arrival at Santa Cruz, Galapagos
If you’re flying from Guayaquil in Ecuador, it’s just a three hour flight to the famous Galapagos Islands. These islands are a paradise for wildlife spotting, but also surprisingly more inhabited than you might expect. Each island has its own charm, and three of them are inhabited: Isla Isabela, Isla Santa Cruz, and Isla San Cristobal. You could easily spend a week on each of the islands, but for a teasing taster, this bite-sized trip visits all three in 8 days.
Once you arrive at the airport, you’ll be met by your driver. First, you will take the bus together to the Itabaca Channel, and cross to the nearby island of Santa Cruz, which is home to around 24,000 people. Here, you’ll get in your driver’s car and he’ll take you through the highlands to the centre of Puerto Ayora. Along the way, you’ll visit a local farm where you’ll meet giant tortoises that live here in the wild. These mighty creatures walk around freely but come to the farm to eat. After lunch, continue to your hotel in Puerto Ayora.
A stay at the Galapagos is pricey because it’s a protected area, there is a limited number of places to stay and everything is imported. For this trip we have chosen simple hotels that are more basic than the hotels you will have experienced during the rest of your Ecuador trip. The hotels are small-scale, have friendly owners and are within walking distance of the harbour.
Day 2 – Speedboat to Isabela
Today you will leave the island by speedboat. You will be returning to Santa Cruz in a few days, so don’t worry if you feel like you have spent too little time here. It’s a 2.5 hour journey Isla Isabela. On arrival you’ll be met by our local partner who will explain your program for the next few days. At the end of the afternoon, you will have time to explore the laid-back town of Puerto Villamil. We recommend heading to the harbour pier with your snorkel and dive in. You can expect to see turtles, rays, sea lions, and even diving iguanas almost immediately. Look up, and you might catch pelicans and the island’s most famous face: the blue-footed booby, a seabird with bright blue feet.
Day 3 – Snorkelling at Tintoreras
After breakfast, get ready for a few hours of incredible snorkelling. With a guide, you’ll set off by boat to the volcanic rock formations of Tintoreras, for an unique opportunity to snorkel with penguins. This is one of the few islands where you can see them up close, and with a bit of luck, they will want to play with you. You can also expect tropical fish, iguanas and reef sharks here. We can also arrange a snorkelling tour at Los Tuneles – volcanic arches and tunnels that you can snorkel through. The ideal shelter for reef sharks, for example, which you will certainly see a lot here.
Day 4 – Free morning, and return to Santa Cruz
We haven’t arranged any trips for you this morning. However, we have some suggestions if you want to explore. Isabela was formed by six volcanoes. One of them is Sierra Negra, which you can visit on a guided hike (around 15 km). It’s a proper adventure across rugged terrain with stunning views. Or we can arrange mountain bike hire for you to explore on two wheels. Follow the ‘Complejo de Humedales y Muro de las Lágrimas’ trail and pass volcanic beaches like Playita and Playa del Amor, wetlands, viewpoints, and the famous ‘Wall of Tears’ (a sobering reminder of the island’s prison history). Keep your eyes peeled for giant Galápagos tortoises. You’ll see them wandering or snoozing along the way, plus plenty of other wildlife.
After lunch, head to the harbour for the boat trip to Santa Cruz, where you’ll spend the night. You will stay in a simple hotel in lively Puerto Ayora, the largest city in the Galapagos. It’s a lively spot with boutique shops, a choice of restaurants and a harbour where sea lions, pelicans and iguanas hang out. You’ll meet a guide who will take you to the best places to eat and introduce you to some tasty local bites
Day 5 – Free day on Santa Cruz
Today is free for you to explore independently. Enjoy a short morning walk to Tortuga Bay, an idyllic beach where you’ll find loads of iguanas bathing in the sun. Don’t forget to take your snorkel, you have a good chance of spotting reef sharks. If you’re a diving enthusiasts check out Gordon Rocks. You might come across hammerhead sharks, turtles, manta rays, and barracudas. It’s easy to arrange a dive on the spot. Just make sure you bring your diving certificate. Or we can arrange a boat trip to one of the uninhabited islands: Bartolomé, Plazas or Santa Fe.
Day 6 – From Santa Cruz to San Cristobal & ceviche workshop
After a leisurely morning, make your way to the pier for the 1.30pm ferry to San Cristobal. The journey can be choppy so you may want to take precautions against sea sickness. In the port of San Cristobal, our local contact will be waiting to take you to your hotel. The rest of the afternoon you have time to walk along the boulevard where you can watch the sea lions that sleep there. If you prefer to relax yourself, go to one of the nearby beaches. Later today you’ll also learn how to make ceviche at Playa Mann. Your teacher used to sell this local delicacy at the harbour, but now she’s opened her own restaurant. Her fish dish is famous across the region.
Day 7 – Free day on San Cristobal
We have nothing planned for you today so you can spend it however you like. You could snorkel with sea lions at Playa Lobita and hike up to Cerro Tijeretas, where you’ll spot frigate birds, famous for the bright red-neck pouches they inflate. If you’re all snorkelled out, a half-day tour to the highlands of San Cristóbal is well worth it. You’ll visit Lake Junco, a breeding centre for giant tortoises, and Puerto Chino, one of the island’s most stunning beaches surrounded by mangroves. Let us know if you want to add this to your trip. If you have a diving certification and would like to dive at Kicker Rock, you can easily arrange this locally at one of the many dive schools on the island.
Day 8 – Departure from San Cristobal
If your flight is scheduled for the afternoon, you have some time to enjoy the beach in the morning. Enjoy the last views of the amazing landscape and keep your eyes peeled on the road to the airport because you never know when an animal might pop up. Top tip: Make sure to stop by the shops and grab a Galapagos stamp for your passport. It’s a fun memento that proves you were really there. If you’re not ready to leave this incredible region, you can explore the more remote islands on a 5-day Galapagos Cruise.
Accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we offer the following options
Best of Galapagos: Santa Cruz, Isla Isabela, and San Cristobal - Hotel with pool
If you love this Galapagos trip but would prefer to stay in hotels with a swimming pool, we can arrange this for you. After exploring the wildlife-rich Galapagos, you can relax in lush gardens, stroll along seafront promenades, and experience a little more comfort.
The program is as follows:
Day 1 – Arrival, transfers and guided visit to giant tortoise ranch (with lunch)
Day 2 – Speedboat to Isabela
Day 3 – Snorkel tour Tintoreras
Day 4 – Optional excursion, speedboat to Santa Cruz, food tour in Puerto Ayora
Day 5 – Free day – optional boat trip to an uninhabited island with walk
Day 6 – Speedboat to San Cristobal, ceviche workshop
Day 7 – Free day – optional snorkeling at Kicker Rock, guided visit to the highlands or snorkeling at an uninhabited island
Day 8 – Departure
Best of Galapagos - including turtle farm visit, guided hike at Sierra Negra, boat trip to uninhabited island and snorkelling at Kicker Rock
If you’re looking for a little more adventure, with plenty of activities to keep you busy, then we can arrange this alternative trip for you. You will stay in the same accommodation, but we’ll swap the food tour and cooking workshop for a boat trip to an uninhabited island and snorkelling among the sharks at Kicker Rock. You will still get to visit the giant tortoises at the ranch in the highlands on Santa Cruz.
The program is as follows
Day 1 – Arrival, transfers and visit to the turtle ranch (with lunch)
Day 2 – Transfers and speedboat to Isabela
Day 3 – Guided hiking at Sierra Negra
Day 4 – Snorkeling at Tintoreras, transfers and speedboat to Santa Cruz
Day 5 – Boat trip to uninhabited island (with light lunch)
Day 6 – Transfers and speedboat to San Cristobal, free day
Day 7 – Snorkeling at Kicker Rock
Day 8 – Departure, transfers to the airport
