How to do Galapagos on a Budget

Experiencing the Galapagos on a budget is still thought of as an impossible task by some people but the reality is that it’s possible to have a brilliant time in the archipelago without blowing your hard-earned travel money. 

Puerto Villamil: Exploring Isabela's Sleepy Fishing Village

Puerto Villamil is a blissfully relaxed fishing village and the main port of the largest Galapagos Island, Isabela.

5 Amazing Encounters with Galapagos Animals

The Galapagos Islands are renowned for being home to a breathtaking array of animals but it's not just the variety of creatures on the islands that are so exciting. By avoiding the large cruise groups and making your own way to some of the Galapagos' best spots it's possible to enjoy some get up close and personal with some of these amazing creatures.

Whilst there are lots of high-end boat tours around the islands, it’s certainly possible to see the animals up close if you know where to look. By combining day-long boat trips and making unguided trips around the islands themselves, we managed to see so many amazing Galapagos animals. Here’s the top five:

Playing with a Sea Lion on Isabela

Undoubtedly my favourite moment from our stay in the Galapagos was getting to swim with an adult female sea lion on Isabela. We headed down to Concha de Perla – a kind of natural swimming pool at high tide - early in the morning when there were few people about. We hung our legs over the small jetty and she swam around our feet before hopping up onto the jetty to investigate us.

We took that as an invitation to play and spent an unforgettable ten minutes swimming around with her under the water before she swam back out to sea.

Giant Tortoises in the Santa Cruz Highlands

On our first full day in the Galapagos Islands we booked a taxi to take us from Puerto Ayora into the verdant highlands of Santa Cruz in search of tortoises. We headed to Primicius Ranch and tiptoed into the undergrowth to see the islands' most iconic animals.

We saw several mid-sized female tortoises before stumbling upon this huge 100 year plus male, who was busy munching his way through some fruit. His size was truly astounding up close.

Blue Footed Boobys and Frigate Birds on Seymour

I’m not usually as interested in birds as mammals and marine life, but the ornithological life on the Galapagos really is unique.

Our one hour stop on a largely barren stretch of Seymour gave us up-close views of the improbable Frigate Birds with their balloon-like red gull pouches and the loveable but dim-witted Blue Footed Boobys, permanently fascinated by their own colourful feet.

Bumping into a Sea Turtle at Las Tintoreras

It was getting towards the end of our time in the Galapagos and I’d still not seen a sea turtle – something that I’d yet to see anywhere despite having been diving in some turtle-abundant dive spots. This changed on our short boat trip to Las Tintoreras – a collection of islets of the coast of Isabela.

The visibility was patchy so I literally gasped - nearly getting a mouthful of seawater in the process - as this huge sea turtle appeared in front of me. It swam around us and grazed on the algae on the sea rocks just underneath. We caught a few more glimpses of him in the murky water before the current took us away.

Swimming with a Damsel Fish at Concha de Perla

There were plenty of colourful fish that could’ve been included here but this Damsel Fish at Concha de Perla, Isabela makes the cut. I hovered over the rocks at the edge of this underwater ledge waiting for it to swim back up and finally managed to get a head on shot of it swimming up towards me.

Puerto Ayora: A Visitors Guide

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.

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.

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.

Read about the Top Things to do in Puerto Ayora

Top Things to do in Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz

Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz is a popular first port of call in the Galapagos Islands and this relaxed little town offers plenty of things to do. Whether you’re using Puerto Ayora as a base to island hop or you’re on a short break between cruises, here is a selection of interesting things you can do in Puerto Ayora; and best of all, none of them require a guide.

Tortuga Bay

In the list of things that make me miss travelling, this place is definitely near the top. Tortuga Bay (main picture) is regarded by some as one of the most picturesque beaches in the world. With roughly a mile of pristine white sand and not a parasol in sight, it's easy to see why. For every guidebook erroneously describing a tourist trap beach as ‘unspoilt’, this is the real deal.
At the southern end of the beach there is usually a large colony of iguanas basking in the sun amongst the scrub and there are hordes of multicoloured Sally Lightfoot crabs dotted on the rocks along the shoreline.

The entrance to Tortuga Bay is at the southern end of Av. Charles Binford. After climbing the steps and signing-in at the gatehouse, it’s a lengthy 35 minute walk along the boardwalk that bisects the mangrove, but its definitely worth the wait. Entrance is free, but the path is only open during daylight hours.

The Charles Darwin Research Station

The Charles Darwin Research Station is ideal for learning more about the various tortoise breeding programmes in progress in the islands. It was once the focal point of a dispute between fisherman and Galapagos conservationists in 1993. This led to angry fisherman briefly occupying the station and making threats against Lonesome George – the iconic Galapagos tortoise – in protest against conservationist opposition to sea cucumber fishing.

Nowadays you can see various breeds of young tortoises, which are nurtured here until they can be released back into the wild on their native islands. So far, nearly 2000 young tortoises have been released back into the wild.

The research station is at the eastern end of Av. Charles Darwin, about five minutes walk down the path to the right of the small cemetery. A leisurely stroll around takes about an hour – entry is included in the initial $100 entry fee payable at the airport upon arrival in the Galapagos.

The Late Afternoon Fish Market

It’s more a collection of fish counters than an actual market, but it’s worth a visit in the late afternoon when the fishermen bring in their catches of the day. You can stand amongst the sea lions and pelicans as they patiently wait for the fishermen to throw them scraps. 

On both our visits there were a group of pelicans and one solitary sea lion who alternated between excited puppy and sulky teenager as he badgered them for some fish. It’s a great way to end the day after a day trip out.

The fish market is about half way along Av. Charles Darwin on the seafront, to the north of Isla Grill.

Las Grietas

Las Grietas (the cracks) is a series of deep volcanic fissures that collect a mixture of water from the Santa Cruz highlands and tidal seepage from the ocean.

Las Grietas is known for its landlocked marine life, including parrot fish and even hammerhead sharks. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much in the way of marine life on our visit, apart from some faintly visible shapes deep down below. Unfortunately, with only snorkels at our disposal, we couldn’t investigate further. That said, it’s still an interesting place to visit and a cool place to spend half a day, just keep an eye out for the locals leaping from the sides of the chasm!

To get to Las Grietas you'll need to take a brief water taxi across the harbour from the jetty. Once on the other side, walk past Finch Bay Eco Resort and Playa de Los Alemanes, past the pungent sulphur lake and then over the rocky, cacti strewn landscape that follow. Much of the walk from the jetty to Las Grietas is over rocks rather than a path so trainers are definitely an advantage.

Las Grietas is down the steep rocky steps tucked away in a chasm in the rock. Getting from the first section body of water to the second requires climbing over slippery wet rocks so tread with care!