General Information
The airport of San Cristóbal is one of the two airports in Galapagos. The Visitor Interpretation Center that has been build attracts more tourists and also the town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is gaining some popularity.
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
This city, the official capital of the whole archipelago, is home to one of the two main airports in the Galapagos region. It is known as a sleepy town overlooking the harbour with a truly relaxed attitude. This was once a little village, but now it has grown a lot in a few years. You can also find the Visitor Interpretation Centre close to this town. Bring your own refreshments because this cannot be bought at the centre. It is a good idea to visit the frigate bird hill close to the centre. The views and the birds are amazing! On the beaches around the town you can set up a campsite, although it is one of the few places where it is allowed to do such thing. For the people who are interested in staying a longer time, there are a number of hotels and restaurants where you can stay comfortably for a few days or even longer.
Frigatebird Hill (Cerro de las Tijeretas)
Here you can make a roundtrip of 2km to see the beautiful views and birds of this location. You’ll have a view on the white sandy beaches and on the other side of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno. Both species of frigate birds can be observed here. Nearby is a beach where you can rest a little and take a swim.
Puerto Grande
Puerto Grande is a lovely protected cove on the northwestern coast of the island or visit Punta Pitt in the northeastern side. Ideal for swimming and snorkeling, Puerto Grande, is a sandy beach where one can spot a number of seabirds. There is a beach for swimming. Seabirds frequent the area but it is not known for any particular colonies.
El Junco Lagoon
This lagoon is a beautiful sighting because of its great diversity of endemic life. If you want to do a round trip, you need a vehicle. This is the only freshwater lake of entire Galapagos and here you can find gallinules, seven species of Darwin’s finches, White-cheeked pintail ducks, semi-palmate plovers and many more. It is a little bit difficult to spot the Darwin finches, but if you try hard enough, you will find them. The environment is very pleasant and beautiful here, because many of the aquatic plants are rare.
Galapagos Miconia, also locally known as cacaotillo is one of the endemics of San Cristobal and Santa Cruz and once covered the entire vegetation zone at around 500m altitude. Presently however grazing endangers this plant zone, burning and competion by introduced plants. The Bracken Fern is common on the higher altitudes and found in the Miconia and Fern-Sedge or Pampa zone. The Pampa zone is continuously wet in the cool season and formerly only ferns, club mosses and tree ferns grew there. Introduced trees like the quinine tree and the cattle grazing now threaten the native plants of this vegetation zone. Flowering plants are growing in those higher parts around the lake. The round trip takes approximately 3 hours.
Punta Pitt
All three species of boobies can be seen here, the red-footed, blue-footed and the masked boobies. If you enter this part of the island, you have to make a wet landing and sea lions will welcome you to the shore. The views are astonishing and that’s why it makes the climb worthwhile.
La Galapaguera
This is a new visitor site in the northeast part of San Cristobal Island and can now be reached in roughly one hour by road from Puerto Baquerizo. This passionflower, also known as Running Pop, is native to the isles and very common growing as a vine. In the trees and shrubs surrounding the site, land birds like warbler, finches and mockingbirds can be observed. Darwin’s Cotton is endemic and found on many islands. The white lint it produces is however not used for any commercial purposes. Another common plant with beautiful yellow flowers is the Yellow Cordia, native to the Galapagos but also to mainland Ecuador and Peru. This shrub or tree can grow up to 8m in height and its valuable wood is used in carving. The fruits are a food source for birds and rats and its pulp can be used for sealing, as it is very sticky.
The sweet aroma of the flowers attracts carpenter bees and sulfur butterflies. Bees however steal the nectar by making a small slit at the base and thus not pollinating it. On the trails Giant Tortoises can be encountered. They live there in the wild but in a protected area so they can assure their survival by sealing them off from introduced predators, like pigs and goats. Once the tortoise perceives danger, it goes into its defensive stance, retreating into its hard shell. Manzanillo or poison apple tree belongs to the Spure family and as its name suggests it is poisonous. Do not eat the fruits and avoid getting into contact with its sap. View over the vegetation to the Pacific Ocean below. On the trails you get to know many plants common to the dry lowland and moist upland regions.
La Lobería
It’s important that you do not deviate from this trail, but if you get there you’ll be amazed by several sea lions, marine iguanas and bird life and further along the cliff are rays and tortoises.
The highlands
It is possible to explore the highlands on your own. Though local guides are available, it is not obligatorily to hire a guide. You can explore the island by foot or you can hire a truck. You can bring a visit to the top of a volcano. Here you’ll be treated to a magnificent view on the ´El Junco lagoon´, which is a haven for frigate birds. If you hike around this lake, you’ll get to see almost the entire island from up here. The island’s highest point is San Joaquin Hill, which is best reached by truck.
Playa Punta Carola
Playa Punta Carola is a perfect place for surfers, but swimmers have to go a little further north to Playa Mann through Avenida Northia. Playa de Oro is located here too, where you can find several hotels.
A few tall rocks in the sea are called León Dormido (sleeping Lion), because the Spanish thought it had the shape of a sleeping lion. The cliffs are cut through the middle, there are boats that can pass through this narrow sea channel, but most of the boats pass close to the rocks to watch the masked boobies and red-billed tropicbirds. This beautiful place is a one-hour sail away from Bacquerizo Moreno Port. Make sure your binoculars and cameras are within your reach while we navigate around the rock, because there are many chances to observe hundreds of blue-footed boobies standing in their little caves. Further away, observe the frigate birds in the bushes of the coast side, when it is courting season you will be able to see a wonderful show of their brilliant red pouches.
Isla Lobos
This is a small rocky islet, but very peaceful. The only way to arrive on the islet is by making a wet landing. On the short trail (300m) you can see the candelabra cactus and many blue-footed boobies. Also there are a lot of sea lions (lobo means sea wolf in Spanish, although it is a short name.