Galapagos Islands info

Galapagos Islands info

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San Cristobal Island - Chatham Island

• Location: Most Eastern Island, 80km east from Puerto Ayora.
• Facilities: Puerto Baquerizo Moreno has the Interpretation Center, cafes, souvenir shops, restaurants, hotels and some services.
• Visitor sites: Lobos Islands, Kicker Rock (León Dormido), Loberia, Interpretation Center, El Junco Lagoon, Frigatebird Hill.

Lobos Island

Lobos Island is located north of San Cristobal. Here ir is possible to find sea lions on the lava shores. (snorkeling).

Highlights: Sea lions, Blue footed boobies, Great frigatebirds.

Interpretation Center

This place offers to the visitor the opportunity to learn more about the naural and human history of the islands.

Santa Fe Island - Barrington Island

• Location: 20km southeast from Puerto Ayora.
• Facilities: None, wet landing.
• Visitor sites: Santa Fe's opuntias are the tallest of their type in the Archipielago; the Island is coveredwith arid-zone vegetation and the trail takes to a place where endemic land iguanas can be seen. The Island offers one of the best places to enjoy the time with sea lions, most of sea lions pups born in garua season.

Highlights: Juvenile Galapagos sea lions, land iguanas, one of the best places for Galapagos hawks, forest of giant Opuntia Cactus, sea turtles (occasionally).

Genovesa Island - Tower Island

• Location: 125km north of Puerto Ayora.
• Facilities: None, wet landing at Darwin Bay and dry landing al El Barranco (Prince Phillip's Steps).
• Visitor Sites: Darwin Bay / El Barranco (Prince Phillip's steps).

Darwin Bay

Genovesa is geologically young; it is formed by the remaining edges of a large surken crater that forms Darwin Bay. Lava gulls will probably be the first birds you will see and you will be surprised by seabird activity around the cliffs (Red footed Boobies).

Highlights: Swallow - tailed gulls, Galapagos mockingbirds, red footed boobies, sea lions, lava gulls, frigate birds, Darwin Finches (large ground finch and large cactus finch), herons, marine iguanas.

El Barranco (Prince Phillip's Steps)

Usually we referred to as Prince Phillip's Steps or El Barranco, here you will climb to a plateau that is part of the stretch of land that surrounds Darwin Bay on it's eastern side. You will come across red - footed boobies nesting on the Palo Santo trees, Genovesa supports some 140.000 pairs of red footed boobies. The trail passes through Palo Santo and Muyuyo trees, you also will see many Galapagos storm - petrels nesting in hotels and flying all over. Short-eared owls can be seen if you are lucky, they actively hunt during the day for storm petrels and young red footed boobies.

Highlights: Great frigatebirds, red footed boobies, swallow tailed gulls, Nazca boobies, Galapagos storm petrels, short-eared owls.

Santiago Island - San Salvador Island

• Location: Central in the Archipielago, 85km northwest of Puerto ayora.
• Facilities: None, wet landings.
• Visitor Sites: Sullivan Bay and Puerto Egas.

Sullivan Bay

Sullivan Bay on the east coast marks the edge of a vast lava flow wich was formed about 100 years ago. It is interesting for its evidence of volcanism; the lava you will see is of the pahoehoe type. Other important attractive are the Mollugo, a small pioneer plant that grows in the lava fissures.

Highlights: Pahoehoe lava field, reddish spatter cones hornitos.

Bartolome Island - Bartholomew Island

• Location: East of Santiago 115km northwest of Port Ayora.
• Facilities: Dry landing and marked trail to summit / wet landing on the beach. Bartolome is famous for its Pinnacle Rock, that is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the archipielago. You can climb to the highest point of the island, the main reason to climb the cone is get up close with the volcanic phenomena packed into this small island, laca tunnels and lava flows, the view is spectacular. Galapagos penguins live at the shores of the island; you can also swin around the Pinnacle Rock and see them.

Highlights: Galapagos penguins, sea lions, brown pelicans, sharks, Galapagos lava lizards, sea turtles.

Santa Cruz Island - Indefatigable Island

• Location: Central Island
• Facilities: Puerto Ayora has hotels (from first class to economic), restaurants, bars, internet cafes, shops, dive centers, travel agencies and more services.
• Visitor Sites: Puerto Ayora, Charles Darwin Station, Highlands and The Twin Craters.

Charles Darwin Station

It makes a great introduction to see how the programs of conservation are; here you will find the giant tortoises that give the name to the archipielago and also the famous Lonesome George, the las survivor of the Pinta Island.

You will also see the Galapagos land iguanas.

Highlights: Giant tortoises, Lonesome George, Darwin Station exhibits, Opuntia Cactus, souvenir shoppings.

Santa Cruz Highlands

The green landscape of this area gives you a good contrast with the blue of the sea and the small islands that you can see in the horizon.

This area is dominated by Salesia trees and Giant tortoises could be encountred almost anywhere on the trail inside or outside of the second biggest Giant Tortoise Reserve.

Los Gemelos

The road that connect Puerto Ayora with Baltra passes between Los Gemelos, two large craters formed by the collapse of empty magma chamber.

Highlights: Scalesia trees, Giant tortoises, Galapágos and veermilion flycatchers, owls.

Caleta Tortuga Negra (Black Turtle Cove)

It stands out as one of Santa Cruz best costal sites, this is one of the best sites to see schools of spotted eagle and golden rays; red, white and black mangroves, herons and pelicans are also there. The place is accesible only by panga. LANDING IS NOT ALLOWED.

Floreana Island - Charles Island or Santa Maria Island

• Location: Central Island 55km south of Puerto Ayora.
• Facilities: One hotel in Puerto Velasco Ibarra.
• Visitor Sites: Punta Cormorant, Post Office, Devil´s Crown.

Punta Cormorant

At Punta Cormorant, the landing is on the beach with green olivine sand. A short trail leads to the lagoon where the flamingos wade through the water. A longer trail then goes over the hill to a white beach of ground coral, the beach is a nesting area for Green Sea Turtles.

Highlights: Flamingoes (occasionally), water birds, Darwin finches, marine turtles.

Post Office

A large wooden barrel was placed at Post Office Bay in the 18th century by a group of british sailors to leave messages; the barrel has benn replaced many times. From that time tourists have used it as a post office. Visitors can check into the barrel, if tehy find one letter or post card that they can take it. This is a non traditional post office service.

Devil's Crown:

This site is a volcano crater which has been eroded by the waves. The shallow water provides one of the best places for snorkeling in the islands, the inside of the crown is a perfect environment for coral reef and marine life.

Española Island- Hood Island

• Location: Isolated, most southern island, 90km southeast of Puerto Ayora.
• Facilities: None. Wet landing at Bahia Gardner, dry landing al Punta Suarez.
• Visitor Sites: Punta Suarez, Gardnet Bay.

Punta Suarez

Punta Suarez is on a promontory of lava boulders that protect the sandy bay from rolling wavers. The trail passes a small beach with sea lions, further along the low cliffs inland Nazca and blue footed boobies nest almos right on the trail. The trail continues toward the cliffs and the blowhole, a fissure in the lava where water spurts high in the air like a geyser. Further up the cliff is the place where the waved Albatros nests (breed from march to january).

Highlights: blue footed boobies, Nazca boobies, waved albatrosses, tropicbirds, Galapagos doves, swallow-tailed gulls, Galapagos hawks, Darwin finches, Española mockingbird, lava lizards and marine iguanas.

Gardner Bay

Gardner Bay features one of the longest beaches in the Galapagos, 2km of white coral sand; this is a good opportunity to enjoy some beach time. The activities that this place offers to you are: walking, lie down and relax watching sea lions, swimming and a fantastic opportunity for snorkeling.

Highlights: Sea lions, tropical fich, mockingbirds, Galapagos hawks (occasionally).