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.
We’ve 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 it’s got plenty of hotels, restaurants, and all of the comforts you’d expect from a small island town (don’t get too fancy, though. The internet can be spotty. Some nights, we couldn’t even watch Netflix! I know, shocking). Santa Cruz is also home to one of the two airports in the Galapagos Islands.
Table of Contents
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
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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 isn’t 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 stone’s 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.
Arriving in Puerto Ayora
Arriving at the Santa Cruz dock, our next task was to get across the island to Puerto Ayora. It’s $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.
The magic of the Galapagos had begun.
Finding a Hotel in Puerto Ayora
The driver dropped us off at his favorite restaurant, next to the island’s main port: Descanso del Guia. We ordered ceviche and fish soup, balking at the expensive prices – so much higher than everywhere we’ve been yet. Lunch was good, but there are cheaper options elsewhere on the island.
After lunch, we embarked on our very first hotel search. We’d heard that hotels listed online, like these, could be bargained down to cheaper prices in person, and many hotels weren’t listed online at all.
The Galapagos Islands were the first place on our trip that we didn’t book anything in advance, so we were a little nervous.
Luckily, it wasn’t hard to find hotels: there are loads of them on the main road, and people stop you as you’re walking with your bags to offer you rooms.
We quickly found a spot that offered us a private room for $50 a night. It looked decent, so we settled into our room – only to discover within minutes that the only outlet didn’t work, there was no hot water, the phone and blow dryer were just for show, the WiFi didn’t connect, and there were no toilet paper or towels.
The only thing that actually worked was A/C, which we didn’t even need – the Galapagos aren’t hot.
Thankfully we hadn’t paid for our hotel yet. After 10 minutes of searching for literally any hotel employee to help us, we left a polite note explaining our issues in broken Spanish, and returned to the main road to continue our search, wiser about what to look for in a hotel.
Turns out that although it’s not hard to find hotels in Isla Santa Cruz, finding ones that fit our budget wasn’t an easy task. We were regretting not booking in advance.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to look for much longer.
We were soon stopped at the fish market by Carlos, who said he had a hotel just up the road and promised us all of the amenities for $50 a night (ahem, remember: this was in 2016 – prices have probably increased).
Carlos was friendly and chatty, asking us the usual questions about where we were from and offering suggestions and advice as we walked the few blocks to his hotel.
Sure enough, Sueno Silvestres delivered on its promises: there was hot water, towels, working WiFi, A/C, two comfortable beds, several outlets, drinkable water, and even a small kitchen that we were free to use.
Our room was spacious and clean, and Carlos was happy to answer all of our questions and assist us with anything we needed. Psst: we still recommend you book online in advance. Check prices for your trip.
The hotel is on the outer edge of Puerto Ayora, Galapagos, and close to the Charles Darwin Station, so after settling in and getting some good advice from Carlos, we headed to the center to spend the last few hours of sunlight on this misty Sunday afternoon.
The Charles Darwin Research Station
The Charles Darwin Research Station in Santa Cruz is less of a station and more of a complex: the main building is filled with information and a few small exhibits, but the main attractions are all outside.
Turtles are bred in a section of the center – each big island has its own land turtle breeding center, we learned.
Watching giant old tortoises munch on turtle snacks and slowly chase each other around, we eavesdropped on a nearby tour group. For years, the tortoise breeding center tried its best to produce offspring that would continue the survival of a tortoise species with only one existing member: Lonesome George.
Unfortunately, lack of understanding of tortoise lineage lead to a fatal flaw: the females being mated with Lonesome George were hybrid species, meaning that they could not successfully mate with the old tortoise.
He died a few years ago, taking his entire species with him.
Happily, advances in tortoise breeding have made it possible to resurrect this species from extinction: by breeding tortoises containing a high percentage of the genes of Lonesome George’s species, after a few generations a fully genetically identical tortoise will be born!
That’s some Jurassic Park sh**, right there. Science is so cool.
Along with tortoises, we saw our first land and marine iguanas basking in the waning sunlight near the center.
Discovering a gate that led to a small beach, we climbed through some rocky outcroppings to find a picturesque coast dotted with a few families and beachgoers.
As the sun set behind us, we watched surfers trying to avoid running into sea turtles in the water – we’d never seen turtles in the ocean before! Later we would find out that the beach, Playa de la Estacion, is a fantastic place to snorkel without needing a guide – next time!
Dusk fell as we climbed back over the rocks and made our way into town, stopping to explore a few hidden alleys and tucked-away docks – all of which, to our delight, revealed napping sea lions, spitting marine iguanas, and giant pelicans.
In lieu of dinner, we treated ourselves to a couple of happy hour drinks and a slice of tiramisu. It felt like the start of a honeymoon, a beacon of luxury in a year of grungy budget backpacking.
Exploring Tortuga Bay
Our second day in the Galapagos had begun like any other good day, with coffee: Check out 1835 Coffee Lab which is right by our hotel and serves 100% Galapagos grown coffee that it roasts in-house. Good coffee is hard to come by in the Galapagos so if you are a serious coffee snob prepare ahead and pack Alpine Start Instant Coffee.
Once we were functioning humans, we figured out a game plan for the day. Tortuga Bay is always rated as one of the best places on Santa Cruz island, Galapagos, so we opted to spend the day relaxing on the beach and snorkeling.
We rented a mask and fins for $7 each from a small travel agency in town, Galapagos Dreams – just about all of the many travel agencies rent snorkel gear, and wetsuits if you want them – and embarked on the 45-minute hike to Tortuga Bay.
The “hike” isn’t terribly difficult – it’s mildly hilly, but paved with flat cobblestones. There isn’t much to see as you hike: mostly much of the same brush and cactus, with finches dotting the trees.
The end of the path gives way to a stunning white sand beach, lapped with azure turquoise waves: the kind of beach you see in calendars featuring pristine white sand beaches; the whole thing looks like a living postcard.
The first part of the beach – and the most inviting – isn’t safe for swimmers: there are giant waves and a strong undertow. But it’s wonderful just walking through the soft white sand as 5-foot waves crash on the shore.
An interesting tip about Galapagos beaches: the sand near the water isn’t actually easier to walk on: it’s not firm like it is on most beaches. The closer you get to the water, the softer and more quicksand-esque the sand is!
Just past the gorgeous first beach is Tortuga Bay, a little inlet sheltered from the crashing waves pushing at its borders.
On one side of the lagoon is a volcanic lava rock field which is home to many nesting marine iguanas; on the other, mangrove trees where reef tip sharks lay their eggs. In between, there is nothing but sandy beach.
Bring everything you need with you to Tortuga Bay: there are no restrooms, no vendors other than one company renting kayaks, and no drinkable water. For more tips on what to bring with you to Tortuga Bay, check out our Galapagos packing list.
Snorkeling in Tortuga Bay
We found a shady spot to store our stuff and headed straight for the water. Tortuga Bay is warm and no wetsuit is necessary: it makes a great lagoon for swimming, and we saw a lot of families with children doing just that.
Having lugged out our snorkeling gear, we were determined to experience our first Galapagos snorkeling. Sadly, the water in Tortuga Bay, while perfect for swimming, is abysmal for snorkeling. There are clouds of sand that make visibility absolutely impossible.
It was Jeremy’s first-ever time snorkeling, so he didn’t yet know what he was missing out on – he was overjoyed by the occasional small fish and busy getting used to the masks and fins – but it really wasn’t worth the expense and the lugging to snorkel in Tortuga Bay.
Other Things To Do in Tortuga Bay
After an hour or so of attempting to see through the clouds of sand, we rented a kayak.
The kayak rental kiosk has a hand-drawn map with X’s and tiny animal drawings, like a Galapagos Islands treasure map, promising the existence of turtles, rays, and sharks at various obscure locations in the lagoon.
We paid $20 for an hour and set out on the route the map laid out – by memory, as there’s only one map – hoping we would have more luck snorkeling from the anchored kayak. And although we enjoyed kayaking around the bay – and ran into other kayakers who swore they’d seen the shadow of a ray or shark – we didn’t see anything more than cloudy sand.
Tortuga Bay, it turns out, is fantastic for a day of swimming or relaxing at the beach, but terrible for snorkeling. Still, we had fun, and hiked the 45 minutes back feeling tired and relaxed.
Eating at the Avenue of Kiosks
Our taxi driver from the day prior told us about Binford Street, a street filled with food kiosks that was supposed to be the best food in Puerto Ayora, Galapagos.
One of our favorite blogs, Two Wandering Soles, also wrote about the kiosk street and recommended ordering the seafood casserole, called cazuela.
So after a hot shower, we layered up – Puerto Ayora is chilly at night – and headed out to the kiosks.
The bustling street can be seen and heard a block away: there were tables of happy tourists filling the streets and mingling among the various kiosks, all of whom are advertising a variation of the same items, loudly proffered by servers thrusting menus and whole raw fish under your nose, all accompanied by the sizzle and tantalizing smell of charcoal-grilled fish.
This is Puerto Ayora’s specialty: a huge smokey charcoal grill, the Picallada, built like a chimney and stoked with blow dryers to stay hot all night long.
Everything from fresh whole fish rubbed with spices and nestled in tin foil, to octopus laid directly on the grill for a perfect char and sear, to the bubbling seafood casserole in clay bowls, to hot buttered ears of corn, are all smoked and roasted on that same grill.
We instantly fell in love with the alley of kiosks and knew we would be eating here every night.
Walking through the alley is a little like wearing a bulls-eye on your forehead: every step you take, someone hands you a menu or a fish or lists several items and their prices at you, all in rapid-fire Spanish.
We took a lap and perused the many nearly identical menus, finally deciding on Restaurante Sol y Mar.
Going on the recommendation of our fellow bloggers – always trust bloggers! – we ordered pescado cazuela and a whole fish grilled on the Picallada: each was $10. Cheese soup was $2 a bowl, and we’d heard good things, so we each ordered one.
Sure enough, cheese soup is delicious. It tastes like pasta and cheese and potatoes, which are all wonderful things, and combine together to make the most comforting soup imaginable.
To top off our fancy meal we ordered a fresh glass of watermelon juice and a strawberry batida, which is basically a milkshake made with fresh fruit and milk. Everything was absolutely delicious, and the whole meal was under $30.
Fed and happy, we strolled back to our hotel in the misty darkness and slept deeply.
Snorkeling in Las Grietas in Santa Cruz
The next day in Puerto Ayora, we planned to go to Las Grietas, another Santa Cruz local treasure.
But first, coffee: we stopped again to get an island special, a shot of espresso mixed with Ecuadorian cacao.
We rented snorkeling gear and a wetsuit at the same place as the day before, for $12 each.
Getting distracted at the Puerto Ayora Fish Market
On our way to the docks, we stopped at the Puerto Ayora Fish Market to catch another local sight: Lupe the Sea Lion spends her days behind the counter at the fish market, nuzzling the women working the market as they de-bone and filet fresh-caught local fish.
For her efforts, she’s rewarded with skin and scraps, and a lot of paparazzi. She’s a very famous sea lion!
In addition to the adorable Lupe, there was also a baby sea lion nursing her mother on the stops of the market, several extremely chill pelicans, and an aggressive heron that had a lot to prove to the much larger pelicans.
The menagerie was extremely entertaining to watch, the perfect microcosm of everything that is amazing about the Galapagos: human and animal coexisting in harmony, all brought together by fresh fish.
Definitely stop by if you’re in Puerto Ayora: the market is open from 8-5 on weekdays, and the prices for fresh-caught tuna steaks or bruja fillets are incredibly good.
Punta Estrada
Before continuing to Las Grietas, we stopped on the dock to buy tickets for the rest of the week: there are few ferries to and from the other islands, so booking early is a must.
We booked a trip through Victor at L/P Andy – the only kiosk that is actually on the dock itself – to Isla Isabela early the next morning, and San Cristobal later in the week.
Tickets acquired, we hopped on a water taxi right off the dock for $0.80 each, and asked for Punta Estrada, a beach next to a fancy hotel that we wish we could afford to stay in.
To get to the beach you walk past a couple of pretty happy hour spots and down a short pathway. The beach itself isn’t much in high tide – the water comes all the way up to the walkway – but in low tide it’s a quiet shallow lagoon perfect for swimming, especially with kids.
We stopped here for a quick packed lunch and soon found ourselves befriended by several adorable and hungry finches, who weren’t at all shy about hopping on our hands or feet to get closer to our food.
We didn’t intentionally feed or touch them – never feed wildlife! – but they did manage to snatch a couple of crumbs and bits of peanut butter despite our best intentions. It was the cutest thing.
Our new bird friends all abandoned us after we were done eating – so fickle!
Past the beach, it’s a short walk to Las Grietas.
Exploring Las Grietas
Las Grietas is a channel between two cliff faces, filled with less salty than usual water which is naturally filtered from the sea through mangrove forests.
We arrived around lunchtime, which is the perfect time of day: cruises generally make a stop here around 10 am and 5 pm, so at noon there were only a few people to share the water with.
At midday, the sun is bright and shines through the clear water all the way to the bottom, casting beautiful beams of light that bounce off the sand, sparkling and illuminating the rocks and fish swimming below.
Most people jump into the channel from the dock which has been created for just that purpose; even braver people climb up the rocks on the side of the canyon and dive in!
The water is a little cold but with wetsuits, we were comfortable and would have been happy swimming all day long.
But even better than swimming was the snorkeling: in the crystal clear water, you can see fish 20 feet below you perfectly illuminated in the sparkling sun.
After an hour or so of snorkeling, we discovered that at the end of the channel was a little pool past some formidable rocks.
We scrambled over the rocks, although not easily: Jeremy wasn’t wearing his glasses – snorkel mask problems – and slipped and fell, slicing open his leg and foot.
Luckily, the cuts were clean and the water was salty enough to keep them disinfected.
Discovering More Rock Pools
While he rested and waited for the fresh cuts to heal enough to keep swimming, I explored the second pool for a little while, pleased to see still more fish in this shallow area. Some of the fish seemed to disappear underneath a large pile of rocks in one section of the pool.
Curious, I climbed up over the rocks and was shocked to find yet another channel, just as big as the first one! There wasn’t a soul swimming in this pool, so to my delight, there were hundreds of giant fish swimming happily through the channel, and passing through what I later discovered was an underwater cavern that passed through the rocks we’d climbed over.
There were so many fish that I climbed back over the rocks and informed Jeremy that he really did have to continue carefully scrambling blindly over the rocks, because this was way too cool to miss out on.
Sliced leg and all, he followed my lead and was thrilled at the discovery of the third, best pool.
After an hour or so, more people showed up and the fish quietly went into hiding.
I swam back through the deep underwater cave, which was so much easier than climbing over sharp, slippery rocks. You have to hold your breath and dive way down to find it, but it’s pretty freakin’ awesome!
When we returned to the first channel, we were dismayed to see a huge crowd of people: the cruise groups had arrived.
With so many people, the fish had all vanished, not to mention the sparkling light beams from earlier in the day. We had to carefully navigate our way up the steps – there were so many people, many of them not swimming at all, that it was difficult just to get in and out of the water.
Our advice: get to Las Grietas either early in the morning, or midday.
After hopping on another $1.60 water taxi back to Puerto Ayora and another delicious fresh fish dinner at the street of the kiosks, we packed up and went to bed, ready to get an early start on our 7am ferry to Isabela in the morning.
- Note: Las Grietas used to be a self-guided activity, but now, it is regulated and a tour guide is required for entry. Once you arrive, you’ll sign in at a kiosk and enter with a guide and a group.
You can read about the rest of our week in the Galapagos Islands here: Isla Isabela and Santa Fe
And make sure to check out our Galapagos Islands Guide and Galapagos Packing Guide to help you plan your land-based trip to the Galapagos!
Have you ever visited Puerto Ayora in Santa Cruz, Galapagos? What was your highlight? Tell us more in the comments below!
Planning a trip to Ecuador? There’s SO MUCH to see and do in this amazing country! Check out our other Ecuador resources:
- 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
- Baños, Ecuador: A Complete Guide to What to Do in Baños
- Hiking the Quilotoa Loop in Ecuador: Reverse Route Travel Guide
- La Balsa Border Crossing: from Ecuador to Peru
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- Transportation: We use Rome2Rio to figure out how to get from place to place, and book local transportation online using Bookaway wherever we can. When we book a rental car, we use DiscoverCars to compare rental companies and find the best deal.
- Luggage Storage: Whenever we're checking out early or taking advantage of a long layover, we use LuggageHero to safely store our luggage while we're running around. Use the code PRACTICALW for 2 hours of free luggage storage on us.
- VPN Service: A VPN keeps your digital information (like website login details, bank info, etc) safe, even when you're connected to an unsecured network while traveling. Plus, it lets you use Netflix & other streaming sites abroad! We use NordVPN. Use the code WANDERLUSTPROMO when you sign up!
- What to Pack: Here are the travel essentials that we bring on every trip. We also have packing lists for hot weather, cold weather, and many more. Take a look at all of our packing guides!
Ann Canson says
This is a great guide!! Thank you. We’re planning to visit Galapagos on April. Did you have to get a permit ahead of time or you can get it at the airport upon check in?
Lia Garcia says
We got it at the airport when we arrived on the islands.
Anne says
This is such an amazing guide. We’re going to the Galapagos (Puerto ayora and isla isabela) and it was a little overwhelming at first trying to plan everything. You’re definetely an inspiration and helper make our trip possible!
Lia Garcia says
I’m so happy to help! That’s exactly how we felt before our trip 🙂 but everything worked out just fine. Have an amazing time!
Neha says
Love your blog! So informative.
Although you have mentioned about finding day tours on the island upon arrival, I still wanted to confirm (since we will be making a very long and costly travel) that is it really simple to just book your excursions on arrival. Do we get enough options to chose from?
I don’t want to miss on any place for not booking in advance.
Lia Garcia says
We booked everything upon arrival – you just want to book a day or two in advance, so head to one of the many tour company storefronts and book as soon as you arrive (or ask your hotel/hostel to help you book). That said, if you’re anything like me, not having stuff planned in advance is nerve-wracking and anxiety inducing, so it may be worth it to book in advance even it costs a bit extra! It’s definitely cheaper to book in person, but peace of mind can be worth paying extra for too.
Yolanda says
This is great! My husband and I are planning to spend a week in the Galapagos. I wonder if the flocks of tourists on a cruise had mostly left during the month of May.
travel4lifeblog says
Wonderful blog! Thanks for sharing it with us 🙂 We are about to take a year off . We plan to travel at least 6 months in South America so your blog is very useful 🙂 Keep up the great work! Happy travels 🙂
Patrick and Cécile
Lia says
How exciting!! That’s exactly what we’re doing. Let me know if you have any questions or if there’s any advice I can give to help you out as you prepare for your trip!
Jenn says
Oh my goodness! I never even realized it could do the Galapagos without a boat! What a great guide… Bookmarking. This place is soooo on my bucket list!
Lia says
We didn’t find much information on cruise-free Galapagos travels other than from a few intrepid backpackers, but it was actually very easy to figure out once we arrived! There’s a ton to do and see hopping from island to island. Makes it easier to do at your own pace, no crowd everywhere you go, and WAY cheaper. I highly recommend it!
Ashley @ The Wandering Weekenders says
I had no idea that there was so much to do the Galagos Islands, and it sounds so affordable too! And that’s so cool that you got to visit Tortuga Bay too! I feel like I’ve only heard of that from Pirates of the Carribean, and didn’t know that it was in the Galapagos!
Lia says
Haha is Tortuga Bay in Pirates of the Caribbean? I didn’t know that! The Galapagos was primarily visited by pirates for years before Darwin showed up. They used to stop on the islands to catch turtles for food – apparently they’re delicious (Darwin ate all of his turtle specimens on the boat ride back to England). It was a little bit expensive ($800 each) but not as expensive as you’d imagine such an amazing place to be!