If you start your stay in the Galapagos Islands by flying into Baltra from mainland Ecuador, it’s more than
likely you’ll be making the forty minute drive down to the southern coast of
Santa Cruz’s main town, Puerto Ayora.
It’s a charming and blissfully relaxed little town, but still has the necessary amenities at the beginning of a stay in the Galapagos. Whilst it lacks the unpolished charm of say Puerto Villamil on Isabela, for me it strikes just the right balance between developed and quaint.
It’s a charming and blissfully relaxed little town, but still has the necessary amenities at the beginning of a stay in the Galapagos. Whilst it lacks the unpolished charm of say Puerto Villamil on Isabela, for me it strikes just the right balance between developed and quaint.
Yes, there are cash points, taxis and small supermarkets,
but everything is still charmingly relaxed and low key. It’s also an ideal base
for island hopping and daytrips for those that don’t have the budget for the
big cruises.
Getting Around Puerto Ayora
It doesn’t take long to notice the steady flow of white
pick-up trucks that circle Avenida Charles Darwin and the surrounding streets. A
ride anywhere in Puerto Ayora itself is just 60p ($1). If you don’t fancy
walking in the heat to some of the cheaper accommodation on the outskirts of
town, a fixed price taxi will not be hard to find. After the negotiation that’s
usually necessary in urban areas, it’s a welcome change to be able to hop in
and hand over a dollar, safe in the knowledge there will be no end of journey
price hikes. NB. This fixed price only applies to the town itself, not the rest
of Santa Cruz.
To access certain parts of Puerto Ayora may need to make use
of water taxis. For example, to access Las Grietas – a popular natural swimming
hole in crack in the rocks - you’ll need to hop on a two minute water taxi ride
across the harbour ($2). There was always a collection of boats ready to make
the trip throughout the day and early evening.
Of course, most places in Puerto Ayora are easily accessible
on foot. It takes around half an hour to walk from the edge of town to the
seafront. Some people visiting Tortuga Bay – the entrance of which is down a
back street on the western end of Av. Charles Darwin - choose to take a taxi to
the entrance before the 45 minute walk to the bay. Everything else is very much
within walking distance.
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| Cocktails at Il Giardino |
Restaurants and Bars in Puerto Ayora
For such a small town, there is a surprising amount of
options for eating out in the evening. Our favourite place to refuel was definitely Café Hernan,
near the harbour at the western end of Av. Charles Darwin. It serves amazing
vanilla milkshakes and chocolate brownies, as well as burgers, pizzas and most
importantly, good quality fry-ups. They also show English and Champions League football which is a nice
bonus/mild irritation depending on your interests.
For an evening meal, Isla Grill was recommended to us by
Kevin – owner of Galapagos Best Home Stay – and we weren’t disappointed. Their
BBQ chicken burgers are AMAZING – expect it to be busy though. Making a
reservation for peak times might be necessary unless you’re happy to wait at
the bar.
For cocktails Bouganvilla – at the eastern end of Av Charles
Darwin next to the research station – serves impressively strong cocktails in a
friendly, partially al fresco setting. Check out the artistic creations made
from coke cans and plastic bottles.
An honourable mention also goes to Il Giardino; this distinctive
tree-house style restaurant is home to steaks, cocktails and some imaginative
desserts, although prices are distinctly tourist-conscious.
Those on a budget can step back a block from the seafront
and eat with the Galapageños in ‘Kiosk Street’; plastic tables and chairs in
the street with fish stews (‘ceviches’ to the locals) from $4.
Cash Points/ATMs in Puerto Ayora
Cash points are generally pretty scarce in the Galapagos Islands
but not to the extent that popular online opinion and some guide books would have
you believe. We unnecessarily withdrew hundreds of dollars each at Quito
Airport because of the numerous warnings about how difficult it is to withdraw
cash in the Galapagos. Whilst this is true on Isabela, Floreana and to an
extent San Cristobal, we had no such problems in Puerto Ayora.
Av. Charles Darwin has several cashpoints which never ran out
of money during our stay. It’s certainly a good idea to have some money ready
for arrival just in case – including the $100 per person park entry fee payable
upon arrival in the islands – but we experienced no problems at all in withdrawing
money during mid to high season.
Accommodation in Puerto Ayora
The majority of the accommodation is in and around Av.
Charles Darwin along the seafront. There’s no shortage of high-end comfort in
the various low-rise hotels for larger budgets.
We split our two stays on Santa Cruz between two different
price ranges. Our first stay was at the mid-range Hotel Fiesta, on
Moises Brito, near the Tortuga Bay entrance. Very friendly staff, quiet
location and varied breakfasts – a great place to stay for a couple of days’
break from hostels.
For our second stay on Santa Cruz we cut costs and stayed at
Galapagos Best Home Stay on the northern outskirts of town; a real home
from home and the total antithesis of the disappointing budget stay. Rooms come
with a spotlessly clean kitchenette and the unlimited free drinking water is a
fantastic addition.
