Day 8: Quito to San Cristobal Island
Today starts Part 2: Islands! Next stop, San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos. We woke up at 5:30 am and grabbed a quick snack at the Wyndham hotel breakfast buffet before catching the 6:30 am shuttle. The Wyndham is across the street from the airport, so it only took five minutes.
The Galapagos are part of Ecuador, so it’s a domestic flight, but there are a lot of extra precautions and steps that need to be followed (hoops to jump thru). The advice is to get to the airport at least two hours early, but three is better.
Once we arrived at the airport, the first thing we had to do was get our transit control cards. We had filled out all the paperwork online and only needed to confirm and pay. Other people in line were clearly having issues gathering the information they needed using their phones and spotty WiFi, so we could see how this line could take a long time.
First of many lines
Next, we had to put our bags through a bio scanner to make sure we didn’t have any plants, nuts, rocks, dirt, etc that would be brought into the islands. Again, we had completed the paperwork online, so it was super quick for us. Looked frustrating for those trying to figure out the website while in line. The strange part was we didn’t receive any confirmation/documentation that we had gone through the scan. I guess you are just “declaring” you don’t have any contraband. Multiple employees said we were fine, so we went with it.
Since we were early enough and had our paperwork figured out, we made it to security after 30 minutes. So yeah, early is the way to go if you’re going to the Galapagos. We had time to relax in a lounge until it was time to board.
Finally, some espresso
The flight was full, but had a stopover in Guayaquil. Most people got off, but those continuing to the Galapagos stayed on. A few new people boarded, and there were plenty of open seats and we were able to spread out to the aisle and window. This was especially helpful since the “extra space” supposedly in the Plus seats we bought definitely did not exist. An hour and a half later, we landed in San Cristobal airport.
Now boarding
Prepare for landing on San Cristobal Island
Before exiting the airport, we had to show our Bio screener QR code and scan our bags again. Our guide for the week, Martin, was ready and waiting for us. We found out later that Martin had also spent the last few days in the highlands, going to some of the same places we did, and only just arrived back home in the Galapagos on an earlier flight. The ride to the Casa Opuntia hotel only took a few minutes. The hotel manager explained the property and how the name Opuntia is a type of cacti found here. We took a moment to settle in and change, then walked to lunch.
Streets of San Cristobal
View from Casa Opuntia’s lobby/restaurant
Martin was born and raised on this island, so he knows it well. He explained where to find different types of stores (pharmacies, bakeries, etc.), and basically knew everyone we passed. We also saw a bunch of sea lions on the rocks and in the water right outside the hotel. There were also iguanas, geckos, crabs, and a bunch of birds. After lunch we got ready for our afternoon adventure.
Our room for the next two nights
Martin Explains our afternoon
The first stop was the Interpretation Center – a museum featuring the geology of the islands, the biodiversity, and the human history. Martin walked us though the museum and gave a summary of the entire museum. The Galápagos Islands are unique because while it certainly does not have the most diversity in species, it does have the most endemic species. Fun fact: Martin and his family are featured in the museum as they have lived on the island since his dad was young.
This is definitely the only statue of Darwin, right?
3D Topo Map of the island
Martin is famous!
Right outside of the Interpretation Center is a walking path to Tijeretas Hill. Martin told us about the species of cacti here. There is the Opuntia Cactus, which is rounded has soft quills on top, and the completely different species, the Candle Cactus, which is tall and thin and has pointy quills on top.
Headed up the hill
Endemic Candle cacti
Opuntia cactus – not endemic, but it is the name of the hotel
There were two view points we reached that overlooked Darwin Bay. Along the way, we saw Darwin Finches, Holy Wood trees (which have a resin that smell like incense, Frigate birds, pelicans, and a bunch of other birds.
Hiding heron
Galapagos flag at the viewpoint
View from above
After reaching the view points, we walked back down to the dock in Darwin Bay. We got ready to snorkel and Martin helped ease us in. We swam around for about an hour, staying in the bay the entire time. The water was clear and we saw sea turtles, a whole bunch of different fish, urchins, and very playful sea lion pups who would swim around us.
Playing with sea lions
When we finished, the sun was setting. It was beautiful, but we also had to get a move on before it got dark. On the way back to the interpretation center we stopped at another viewpoint, this time with a statue of Darwin. When we got back, it was dark and we took a taxi back to the hotel.
Oh, hey, another Darwin statue
Sunset at the bay
We took some time to change and get ready for dinner at a Galapagos/Italian restaurant (it was great). Martin told us the plan for tomorrow: a snorkel adventure at Kicker Rock. When we finished dinner, we made a quick stop to see the sea lions on the beach, then went right to sleep. In true South American fashion, there has been a party raging with loud live music from about 4:00 pm on into the night (until about 2:00 am ish) celebrating one of the towns on the island. We could hear it at the hotel and all the way up on the hill.
