Why Visit San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos?

 

San Cristobal is the last island we visited in the Galapagos Islands. We had to catch the speedboat from Isabella Island to Santa Cruz Island. We stayed the night in Santa Cruz Island and then caught the morning speedboat to San Cristobal Island. (There is no direct boat from Isabela Island to San Cristobal)

 

What can I do in San Cristobal for free?

 

1.Playa Mann

This is the best beach for sunset views.  That is me watching the sunset above. You can also swim with sea lions. This beach also has 2 restaurants.  You can order your food and they will bring it to your on the beach. The meals were cheap, about 5 USD.

If you want to save money, buy your beers at the store before you walk to Playa Mann.

One of the best things at Playa Mann is the free fresh water shower.  You can clean the salt water from your body after the nice swim. Wow! It is very refreshing!

 

2.Centro de Interpretacion

You definitely cannot miss this center when you are in San Cristobal.  There is a nice walking path through this museum. It takes 15-20 minutes. You will pass a small ice cream shop on the right before reach Centro de Interpretacion.  I highly recommend it because of the hot weather.

 

In this center, you can learn about the history of Galapagos and the ecological issues on the islands. Plus, if you didn’t make it to the Post Office Bay at Isla Floreana, the Centro de Interpretacion is a place where you can comfort your heart.  It has a post office bay and air-conditioning.

 

Besides that, you will also get to read the story about the mysterious murder case in Isla Floreana. Something interesting that no one mentioned before, right? Listen, don’t eat the chicken when you in Isla Floreana before you found out the murder. Just kidding.

 

3.Cerro Tijeretas (Frigate Bird Hill)

Things to bring: 1L water, snacks, sunglass, and sunblock.  Also, use the toilet in Centro de Interpretation before the hike, wear comfortable shoes for walking, and don’t forget your camera.

Follow the beautiful stone pathway walk from Centro de Interpretation (15-20 mins) to Cerro Tijeretas. You can enjoy the best view on kicker rock and the frigates birds. Be careful of their poo.

 

 

4.Tijeretas Bay

Well, after you see the previous view, continuing to walk another 5 minutes.  You will arrive at this hidden gem on the San Cristobal. It has perfect calm water for snorkeling and you can play with sea lions. But, there is no shade, so jump in the water to stay cool.

 

5.Playa Punta Carola

A nice calm beach that some call the love beach.  Perhaps because the beach is shaped like the top of a heart.  We loved this beach. If you are going for sunset, bring a flashlight or phone with built-in flashlight. There are no lights on the path and it is a jungle road with big and small rocks.

Their beach also has waves that surfers like.  This is the best wave to surf in San Cristobal. We also loved the snorkeling too because you get to see more of the local residents — sea lions!  The frigate birds also seem to love to watch the sunset from the trees at this beach.

This is the second nearest beach to town so fewer people go there than above Playa Mann Beach.   

 

 

6.La Loberia

This beach is about 30-40 minutes walk from the town. Trust me, you won’t enjoy the walk if you try to do it in the heat of the day. Take a taxi for $4 USD ( one way) and ask for the taxi number or let him know the time to pick you. You can also ride a bike out there if you go in the morning time when it is cool.

 

This beach has very little shade so make sure to go early enough to find a spot under a tree before everyone arrives.  Always bring plenty of water and snacks with you everywhere in the Galapagos Islands. The remote snacks and stores can be too expensive.  

 

7.El Ceibo – Do it yourself (DIY) highland tour  

We take a taxi from our place for this DIY highland tour. The price range is $45 – 60 USD per car.  So, if you come with 4 people, it is cheaper.

El Ceibo is promoted as a ‘300 years old tree house’.  The entry fee is $2 USD. For an additional fee, you can spend the night in the tree house, and feel the past. What? Wait a minute, the real tree house is underground. We were surprised to see, the tree house has a basement. I didn’t know until the driver told me to climb down inside the tree truck, below ground. It was very small and I didn’t want to stay long because I am afraid of small dark places.  

This place is nice to check out when you are in San Cristobal.  It is a famous place to visit and share on your social media.

 

 

8.El Junco – DIY highland tour  

Well. Why so special?  It is a freshwater lake for the San Cristobal military.  Plus there were 100+ frigates birds to watch that was bathing in the lagoon. The walk from the parking lot to the lagoon takes about 10 minutes. I’m sorry, I am not a good liar who will say this stop is amazing and beautiful. It is just one of the places people stop on the highland tour.  But, if you come in the good weather and you like to hike, you can hike the path around the lake as you watch the frigates bathing and playing.

 

 

9.Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado – DIY highland tour

This is my favorite in the highland tour because of the giant tortoises! Why? You must visit all the island giant tortoise breeding center because they all are different.

Compare with Santa Cruz & Isabella island breeding center, this is more charming because giant tortoises are walking free. You must walk around and look for them.  Doesn’t that sound fun? Or wait for the feeding time, they will all show up at the entrance. When you see them, make sure you take a picture with them at the entrance.  They are not as easy to find as you walk further inside. They walk so fast that you cannot imagine. That is how I missed my picture because I thought I would see them in the park.

 

10.Puerto Chino – DIY highland tour  

 

This bitch, oops, I meant the beach.  Lol. This beach was so far, and wasn’t as good as the others I mentioned above.  So don’t purposely come to this beach unless you combine it with the highland tour.  It will be the last stop on the highland tour. After three stops of the hot weather, this is the best beach for you to cool down yourself.

Reminder: Please BYOF, there no local vendor selling food or water around or even in the tour. It might be hard to find restaurants, but you can check with your driver before you book the tour.

 

 

 

11.Tongo Reef – Military station

The second best place for surfing in San Cristobal.  You can watch surfers or surf, and at the time, on the walk, you can enjoy the military residence old architecture. It is art deco architecture.  Please bring your passport with you because you need to leave your passport at the checkpoint and NO alcohol is allowed. This walk is on the military base.  

 

 

12.Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

We walk to the downtown area every day and bought some beers from the local store.  We would sit on the park benches in front of the bay and watch the boats and sea lions play.  Sometimes, pelicans will come to visit you to make sure you are not too lonely.

 

Where to buy cheap beers in San Cristobal.

Remember this beer board.  It is in front of a store with the cheapest beers in San Cristobal.
Plus, try the expensive brand called Endemica.  It is the only beer made in the Galapagos $3.50 USD per bottle.  But they give you a $1 USD deposit back when you return the empty bottle.  

Normal Ecuadorian local beers are about USD 2.50. You can get back USD 0.50 once you return the bottle.  The good news is, they are open until 10 pm.

 

 

Kicker Rock Tour

We joined only 1 tour in San Cristobal which is Kicker Rock because the Punta Pitt Tour was not available during our visit.

This Kicker Rock tour didn’t let me down. It was a nice boat compared to the other boats we saw on our tour. Lol

Dan had 2 scuba dives for $150 USD

I had 2 snorkels for $100 USD

Both included lunch, snorkeling gear, wetsuit, everything you need for your dive and snorkeling.