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What to do in San Cristobal on 3 days? If you travel to this beautiful island in Galapagos, I leave you my recommendation of what to know and what activities to do.
For me, the island San Cristobal It is the best option for travelers who have a few days to travel and who want to do several activities without wasting a lot of time on transfers..
It is important to indicate that there are many more activities on the island and its surroundings, such as tours. 360, Sleeping Lion and others that are highly recommended, but in my case I traveled on a tight budget and I looked for the best options to spend less and get to know as much as possible.
What to do in San Cristóbal during 3 days?
This island is the closest to the mainland and has an area of 558 square kilometers, reaching its highest point 730 meters above sea level, so it meets conditions for a large number of activities and above all, see a wide variety of flora and fauna thanks to its various microclimates.
I share a video with shots of the activities I did these days on the island:
Day 1
The first is the arrival San Cristobal Island Airport, and here is another advantage of choosing this island. The airport is located 3 minutes from the city center, so the transfer time when comparing it with Baltra for example, it is negligible.
All transfers around the island and from/to the airport were done with Angelo at this number:
- https://wa.me/593961869820
- Each transfer negotiate the value before departure.
Flights arrive between 11 am y 13 pm local time (-1 mainland ecuador time), so the first day is adaptation, do check-in at the hotel, have lunch and take a walk around the island.
The recommendation on the first day is:
- Playa Mann – Interpretation Center – Cerro Earwigs Viewpoint – Spring Earwigs – Punta Carola Beach
- Duration: 3 hours
- All this walk has no cost and I recommend waiting at the Mirador Cerro Tijeretas until sunset., they will not regret it.
Day 2
For the second day we decided to go to the furthest end of the island that can be reached by land.. This is how we made the route:
- Cerro Colorado Galapaguera – chinese port – Junco Lagoon
- Duration: 4 a 6 hours (depends on how long they stay at each point)
- This tour has no cost in terms of tickets, but the value of the taxi is approximately $35 Dollars.
La Galapaguera is a breeding and care center for giant Galapagos tortoises, so it is a mandatory visit to get to know them up close and see them at each stage of their life.
After this center, continue to Puerto Chino, a very beautiful beach ideal for bathing in the sea and resting for a while, depending on the tide the sea can be strong, so you should enter with caution.
This day we finish the main activities in Laguna El Junco, the largest freshwater spring in the Galapagos Islands, unfortunately that day it rained in the highlands, so we could not enjoy this visit and it was wasted time, take this into account.
Day 3
For day three we look for more sporting activities, That is why we rented two bicycles to do this tour.:
- Puerto Baquerizo Moreno – Progress – Airport – La Lobería Beach
- Total 18 kilometres
- Duration: 6 hours
- Cost: rent each bike cost $5 dollars an hour (could negotiate)
Until El Progreso the objective was to have a view from a high part of the island towards the port, but really it was exercising after such a good meal that we had enjoyed up to here and getting tired from the descent towards the Lobería.
We went through the airport (obviously). In La Lobería you can stay on that beach, enjoy the sea with sea lions or go on a walk 2 hours to Las Negritas Cliff, activity that we perform taking an average effort, but the most difficult is the terrain that is mostly rocky and there could be falls.
The walk is worth it when you reach the end point of it, where you enjoy a view of some 30 meters high from the sea and you can see varied fauna, even sea turtles.
Day 4
The total trip was 4 days, but the last day we used it to calmly walk along the boardwalk before the departure time of the flight, which was at 13 local hours and enjoy a little more than Galapagos and its landscapes, Flora and fauna.
Even, if you have time you can walk to the airport and save the $3 taxi dollars.
Meal
From this I honestly have no words to describe how good the food is (economic is not, but there are low cost options for all tastes). Yes they can and it's in season, try the lobster, it's just spectacular. Try everything you see in restaurants, really worth it, the freshness of the food is from another world.
I hope you find this guide useful and enjoy your next trip to Galapagos. Any questions you have about this information, do not hesitate to contact me through the comments below or social networks.
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What cheap hotel can you recommend that can comply with the route you have set and, if possible, have a pool for a married couple and a girl of 7 years?
We already met Santa Cruz and Isabela in the 2014 so we are going to San Cristobal and more for the girl who has her first experience traveling. There the long and rocky walks or bike rides are a bit complicated for us but even so the information is excellent. Thanks for the taxi driver's phone number and the explanation! Greetings.
Hi, Tony, Thank you for your message. Then, I recommend looking at AirBnb for cheaper options than a hotel. Let me know how your search goes.
The only thing I didn't love about Galapagos was the food, My boyfriend and I don't eat seafood., so the options were somewhat limited. The last two days we live on cookies and yogurt, but with how beautiful the Galapagos is it doesn't matter. We hope to return soon with the whole family
I saw pizza, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, a varied range of non-sea food. In any case, the trip is worth it.