Question 1

San Cristóbal on Your Own

Accepted Answer

If your boat's schedule leaves time in town, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is small enough to walk, and a short loop leads to the Interpretation Center, Frigatebird Hill and the bay where Darwin landed. Sea lions are everywhere along the waterfront, so watch your step. The Interpretation Center: The national park's visitor center, opened in 1988, covers the islands' natural and human history. Reach it by following the waterfront toward Playa Mann and then the signs. Frigatebird Hill: A trail of about 1.5 km through palo santo trees climbs Cerro Tijeretas, where frigatebirds nest. It overlooks the bay where Darwin first came ashore, now marked by his statue. The loop walk from the Interpretation Center takes about an hour. La Lobería: A large sea lion colony with marine iguanas on a rocky shore, about 1 km beyond the airport along a dirt path. Park rules: Stay at least 2 meters from wildlife, cameras included. Do not touch or feed animals, do not use flash or drones, keep to marked trails, and take nothing away. Protected sites: The park asks visitors to enter protected areas with a specialized guide, so follow your boat's plan for those. Getting back on time: Be back at the landing at the time your boat gives you. It will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Watch the clock: All-aboard is given in ship's time, which may not match the local clocks or your phone. The Galápagos are an hour behind mainland Ecuador all year.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

In town you can walk almost everywhere, and taxis are pickup trucks. One road crosses the island to the highlands and the beach at Puerto Chino, and boats and small planes link San Cristóbal to the other inhabited islands. Taxis: Official fares to the highland sites are set by the local government and posted on a board at the Tourist Pier. The highland road: It runs past El Progreso and Cerro Verde to Laguna El Junco, the tortoise reserve at Cerro Colorado and Puerto Chino. Shared vans also serve the villages. To Santa Cruz: Speedboats to Puerto Ayora take about two hours, and the crossing can be rough. Island flights: Small planes with nine seats fly from San Cristóbal to Isabela, Santa Cruz and Baltra.

Question 3

Tipping in Ecuador

Accepted Answer

Restaurants, bars and hotels in Ecuador add a 10 percent service charge to the bill, so a tip is not required. In restaurants, leaving some spare change for good service is customary. Where there is no service charge: About 5 to 10 percent is usual. Currency: Prices are in US dollars.

Question 4

Culture and Local Life

Accepted Answer

Life in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno revolves around fishing, government and, more and more, tourism. The town shares its waterfront with its sea lions, which locals protect and treasure. Sea lions in town: One small beach in town is kept for the sea lions alone, and the animals often sleep on park benches and the decks of anchored boats. The cathedral: The Immaculate Conception Cathedral has murals of New Testament stories set among Galápagos animals and plants. A university town too: A branch of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito has a campus by Playa Mann.

Question 5

History

Accepted Answer

San Cristóbal was named and renamed by passing pirates and naval captains before Darwin's visit made the Galápagos famous. Fresh water from the highland lake of El Junco drew early settlers, and Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the oldest permanent settlement in the islands. 1684: The English buccaneer William Ambrosia Cowley named it Dassigney's Island. 1793: The British captain James Colnett renamed it Lord Chatham Island and also named Kicker Rock offshore. September 1835: HMS Beagle anchored near the site of today's town, and Charles Darwin spent his first hour ashore in the Galápagos at what is now Frigatebird Hill. The 1830s or 1840s: General José de Villamil founded the settlement. 1879: Hacienda Progreso, a sugar estate in the highlands, was set up and run under harsh conditions. 1916: Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno became the first Ecuadorian president to visit while in office, and the town now bears his name. 1959: Ecuador created Galápagos National Park, its first national park, which now covers 97 percent of the islands' land. The Second World War: United States forces based on Baltra used Laguna El Junco, a freshwater lake in a volcanic crater in the island's highlands, as their main water source. 1986: The Galápagos Marine Reserve was created, and the province moved its clocks an hour behind the mainland. To learn more ashore: The Interpretation Center of Galápagos National Park, on the edge of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, covers the islands' history, ecology and wildlife.

Question 6

San Cristóbal with Children

Accepted Answer

Children can see wildlife up close here without leaving town. Remind them of the 2-meter rule before you set out, because sea lions often lie right beside the paths. Younger children: Walk the waterfront to see the sea lions on the beach and the benches, then visit La Lobería for more sea lions and marine iguanas. School age: At the Interpretation Center, find the rebuilt ship's hold full of upturned giant tortoises, showing how pirates and whalers once carried them away. At the Cerro Colorado reserve, young tortoises up to five years old live in pens near the breeding center. Teenagers: Climb Frigatebird Hill to stand near where Darwin first came ashore and look down on the bay. Snorkeling there can be dangerous depending on tide and waves, so ask your guide first.

Question 7

Beaches

Accepted Answer

The beaches near town are an easy walk, while Puerto Chino on the far side of the island takes a drive and a short hike. Use sunscreen that is safe for marine life, as the park rules ask. Playa Mann: A short walk from town and busy with locals on weekends, sometimes with sea lions too. Punta Carola: Another beach close to town, near the Interpretation Center. Puerto Grande: A sheltered cove with white sand where swimming is allowed. Puerto Chino: A quiet beach about 600 meters from the end of the road, through dry forest of cactus and shrubs. It has no facilities and no waiting taxis, so arrange your ride back before you go.

San Cristóbal, Galapagos

Good to know

Where Boats Anchor