Luckily, it wasnt hard to find hotels: there are loads of them on the main road, and people stop you as youre walking with your bags to offer you rooms. We quickly found a spot that offered us a private room for 50 a night.
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If you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission (for which we are deeply grateful) at no cost to you. K shares We spent a week exploring The Galapagos Islands (Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz was one of the highlights) and it was by far the best part of our 4-month backpacking trip in South America From the relaxed island vibes and cozy coastal towns, to the plethora of sea turtles, marine iguanas, and frigate birds at every turn, the Galapagos felt like the perfect place to take a break from our grungy backpacker lifestyle and have a real vacation. The whole week felt like a proper honeymoon and at 800 each, it would have been a cheap trip by most honeymoon standards For us, it felt like a fortune one week in the Galapagos cost us nearly as much as a whole month in Colombia But it was oh so worth it. Weve already written a complete guide to the Galapagos by land and a Galapagos packing list guide, but we wanted to break down our incredible trip into two more detailed posts about each specific island: Santa Cruz and Isabela Island. We spent the majority of our week in the Galapagos Islands on Santa Cruz Island, staying in Puerto Ayora, and we highly recommend any land-based Galapagos Trip to do the same For a little bit of context: Santa Cruz is one of the 3 inhabited islands in the Galapagos. Puerto Ayora is the main town, and its got plenty of hotels, restaurants, and all of the comforts youd expect from a small island town ( dont get too fancy, though. Some nights, we couldnt even watch Netflix I know, shocking ). Santa Cruz is also home to one of the two airports in the Galapagos Islands. Galapagos Islands Game Free South AmericaTable of Contents Getting to Santa Cruz in the Galapagos Arriving in Puerto Ayora Finding a Hotel in Puerto Ayora Where we stayed in Puerto Ayora The Charles Darwin Research Station Sunsets in Puerta Ayora Exploring Tortuga Bay Snorkeling in Tortuga Bay Other Things To Do in Tortuga Bay Eating at the Avenue of Kiosks Endless Food Options Snorkeling in Las Grietas in Santa Cruz Getting distracted at the Puerto Ayora Fish Market Punta Estrada Exploring Las Grietas Discovering More Rock Pools Free South America Packing Checklist Looking for more tips for traveling in Ecuador Check out these posts, or click here to view all of our Ecuador posts. How to Visit The Galapagos Islands Without a Cruise: A Complete Guide Backpacking Ecuador: Itinerary for 1 Incredible Month 30 Things No One Tells You About Backpacking in Ecuador Baos, Ecuador: A Complete Guide to What to Do in Baos Headed to the Galapagos Islands Enter your email below and well send you everything you need to know about visiting the Galapagos Islands by land in a convenient 15-page PDF. Galapagos Islands Game Download It AndDownload it and take it with you to use offline on your phone, tablet, or laptop Getting to Santa Cruz in the Galapagos On our first day in the Galapagos, we arrived on Baltra island hoping for palm trees crawling with animals the second we stepped off the plane. But Baltra is a wasteland: they chose the least occupied island to stick the airport on, which makes a lot of sense but isnt terribly exciting for your first Galapagos experience. Outside the airport, it was easy to locate the shuttle to the ferry dock, expect to pay 5 each and wind for a few miles through desert, cactus trees, and spindly dry grass, without a critter to be seen. Disembarking at the ferry dock, we paid 1 each for the incredibly quick ride over to Santa Cruz island the two islands are literally a stones throw away from one another On our 5 minute journey, we finally glimpsed our first Galapagos critters: bright red crabs lounging in the sun on the black lava rocks, a flock of birds diving one by one into the water for fish, and some giant pelicans. READ THIS POST Mud Baths in a Volcano: Cartagenas Most Ridiculous Tour Arriving in Puerto Ayora Arriving at the Santa Cruz dock, our next task was to get across the island to Puerto Ayora. Its 5 per person to take a bus, or you can opt for a pick-up truck taxi for 20. After 20 minutes idly waiting for the bus to fill up and leave, a family asked us if we wanted to split a taxi with them. We ended up paying 8 for our portion of the taxi, and as a bonus received some great Galapagos travel tips from our driver As we chatted and drove, a cool mist swirled around the truck and raindrops spattered the windshield. Peering out the windows through the fog, we were ecstatic to realize that the road and its surrounding countryside was crawling with giant land tortoises. Every hidden alley seemed to lead to another magical view of the ocean and its critters Finding a Hotel in Puerto Ayora The driver dropped us off at his favorite restaurant, next to the islands main port: Descanso del Guia. We ordered ceviche and fish soup, balking at the expensive prices so much higher than everywhere weve been yet. Lunch was good, but there are cheaper options elsewhere on the island. Wed heard that hotels listed online, like these, could be bargained down to cheaper prices in person, and many hotels werent listed online at all. The Galapagos Islands were the first place on our trip that we didnt book anything in advance, so we were a little nervous. We quickly found a spot that offered us a private room for 50 a night.
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