Day 398 – Guayaquil to Santa Cruz, GALAPAGOS ISLANDS
Flying to Galapagos
Today we are flying to the world famous Galapagos Islands. I am super excited! After breakfast at Dream Kapture Hostel, we caught an Uber to Guayaquil Airport. We left with a lot of cash, since some websites mentioned that there are no ATMs on the islands.
Guayaquil Airport
At the airport, we had to have our bags scanned and tagged. There were sign age all around saying that the islands are a no plastic zone. This made me really excited, as my mind was racing thinking about an Eden with minimal rubbish and human interference.
After receiving the tag, we had to buy a Tourist Transit Card, which costs 20 USD ($29.75 AUD) per person (p/p). They told us that we can pay by card, which we did to preserve our cash. They ended up charging us $20.20 USD ($30.05 AUD) p/p instead.
The plane trip to Galapagos went smoothly without any issues.
Baltra Island
Our first destination is the main island of Santa Cruz. The airport is on the island of Baltra. Once we arrived at the airport we walked through immigration, which was a breeze. At the airport we had to pay the entrance fee for the Galapagos National Park. This costs $100 USD ($148.75 AUD) p/p. Right after this we had to buy tickets for the airport bus. This is mandatory and costs $5 USD ($7.44 AUD) p/p. Once we were in the open air, I was expecting lush green landscapes. In reality, it was super arid…
However, as we approached the edge of the island, the water is such a vivid blue. It’s a super contrast from the arid islands. The bus dropped us off the Baltra Dock. From here, we purchased tickets for the ferry for $1 USD ($1.49 AUD) p/p. The ferry goes across the channel to the Santa Cruz dock.
Santa Cruz Island
At the dock, we had to purchase bus tickets to the main city of Puerto Avora. Of course, the dock is at the north and the town is on the south of the island. The bus tickets cost $5 USD ($7.44 AUD) p/p. The bus went down a super straight road, through the arid island. This is definitely nothing like I was expecting.
However, the bus kept going up hill. All of a sudden over the peak we were surrounded by lush greenery. The change was drastic and unexpected. We later found out, the mountain peak is causing rain to occur on the south of the island. Sort of like the Great Dividing Range in Australia.
The bus dropped us off in Puerto Avora. From here we walked to our hostel, Galapagos Best Hostel. The hostel is on the edge of town, but since the town is small, it’s not too far. The room was nice and large. We had to get the maid to change the bed sheet as there was hair all over it. Also the kitchenette isn’t that useful. Besides that the view is alright.
After settling in, we walked into the centre of town. Near the fish market, we saw our first glimpse of the famous Galapagos wildlife. We were amazed at how the iguanas were not concerned by any of the tourists.
For lunch, we found a nice street called Fish Fry Road on Maps.Me. The meal includes a drink, soup and a main for only $5 USD ($7.44 AUD).
The rest of the day was spent walking to various tour agencies to plan our trip in the Galapagos. A few of the tour agencies actually asked us about our entire time, and gave suggestions for every island. It was really informative, and I recommend doing this to help you plan your time here.
We were told about another island that we didn’t know about called Floreana Island. All but one of the tour agencies said we have to go on a tour. We paid $60 USD ($89.33 AUD) p/p to Galapagos Cruising Muran SA, which is a tour agency for return ferry tickets without a tour.
Later that night, we went to a restaurant called The Rock for happy hour drinks and dinner.
The Rock
After dinner, we walked to the pier, which is a hot spot for spotting marine life. It was so cool to see the sharks and rays. It was also really cold at night.
As it was dark, we went home. Along the way, we bought 3.79L of water (called a gallon). Once we arrived at the hostel we discovered that they had a water dispenser. DOH!
More sights as we walk back home
