San Cristobal island is a paradise. White beaches, warm weather and thousands of exotic animals. This island was our first stop in Galapagos, and it didn’t disappoint. Within two hours of arriving, I had seen more sea lions than I had expected to see during my whole stay in the archipelago.
In total, we had two and a half days on San Cristobal, and we would see many more sea lions during that time. Big ones, small ones, tiny babies drinking from their mothers, young ones frolicking in the water.
But San Cristobal is not just about sea lions. There is a lot more to discover. Keep reading to find out what to see and do on this island:
Our favourite things to do in San Cristobal, Galapagos
#1 Swim with sea lions at La Loberia
This beach is an excellent place if you want to snorkel and maybe even swim with sea lions. It was here that I managed to take an underwater picture of a sea lion – and lots of photos of those animals lazing on the rocks and the beach.
La Loberia is located 2,5km from Puerto Baquerizo. You can easily walk here, and if you’re lucky, you will see iguanas along the way. We didn’t, but that didn’t make La Loberia any less enjoyable.
At first, we couldn’t even spot the sea lions since they were lying on the rocks. It’s the perfect camouflage! Eventually, we spotted them and then it didn’t take long to find some animals swimming near the shore. I kneeled in the water and couldn’t believe how close they came. They are very curious creatures.
To protect the animals, you should keep a distance of five meters. But with the sea lions being so curious, the chances are high that they will end up swimming closer to you. In that case, back up and give them their space.
If you are planning on snorkelling at La Loberia, you will need to bring your own gear. There are no rentals anywhere on this beach.
3h
#2 See giant turtles at La Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado
The Galapaguera is the best place on the island if you want to see giant tortoises. It is a breeding centre, but it is also open for visitors who can come in at any time and see those animals. The older turtles roam around freely, but once the females have laid their eggs, rangers will come and collect them and put them into an incubator. That way, they can ensure the survival of around 60% of the offspring, far more than would ever be possible in the wild. Hopefully, this breeding centre will help the population of turtles grow.
The giant tortoises can grow up to 1,5m in length and weigh 150kg. They are so large that they can even carry humans. Don’t try this yourself, but Charles Darwin used to climb on their back, clap them on their behind and see how far he could get before being thrown off. The answer, in case you were wondering, is not very far.
The easiest way to visit La Galapaguera is by taxi. Ask the taxi drivers around town to combine a visit here with the El Junco Lake and the beach at Puerto Chino.
30min – 1h
#3 Learn about Galapagos at the Centro de Interpretacion
The Centro de Interpretacion on San Cristobal is a great place to learn about the history of Galapagos, its different islands and ecosystems and the challenge involved with living on a remote archipelago. The islands were discovered by accident and, due to a lack of water, nobody wanted to live here for a long time. When settlers finally arrived, they tried to turn the place into a colony for prisoners. It doesn’t come as a big surprise that this experiment failed miserably. But even these days, life is still challenging due to various factors.
A visit to the interpretation centre is free of charge and, besides expensive guided tours, the best way of learning about the islands you are visiting. From behind the interpretation centre, you can keep walking to get to the Cerro Tijeretas eventually.
30min
#4 Walk around El Junco Lake
El Junco Lagoon is a crater lake in the highlands of San Cristobal, located at an altitude of around 700m. It is one of the few freshwater sources in the islands (if you go to the interpretation centre mentioned above, they have a section about the challenge of supplying all islands with freshwater) and is the reason that San Cristobal was one of the first inhabited islands.
To get here, you need to either join a tour or hire a taxi. You can combine a visit to the lake with the Galapaguera and Puerto Chino, which makes for a perfect day trip. Your taxi driver will drop you off at a parking lot from where you have to climb steps to get to the top of the crater. The walk is not long, but in the humid heat, we were soon sweaty and sticky. At the top, you can walk around the lake and enjoy a nice view all over the island. Try to come here on a clear day. While 700m is not very high, the mountain is often covered in clouds.
45min
#5 Swim at Puerto Chino
Puerto Chino is a beach at the end of the road leading past El Junco Lake and La Galapaguera. The chances are high that you can find sea lions here, plus, the beach has some of the finest white sands on the island. I know it doesn’t look like it on my picture since we had bad luck with the weather, but this beach is white and powdery. It is just perfect (and sticks to your belongings for a very long time).
When we came, sea lions were lying in the middle of the beach. They didn’t mind the visitors all around them. On the contrary. Eventually, they went on to chase a family away and then settled down on their towels. While they look cute, sea lions can be quite scary when they try to threaten you and the poor tourists had no choice but to wait for the animals to get bored and go elsewhere.
As mentioned above, a taxi driver can take you to Puerto Chino beach. Combine it with a trip to the El Junco Lake and La Galapaguera. Make sure to negotiate with your driver about how long he is going to wait for you while you enjoy the beach.
1 – 2h
#6 Climb Cerro Tijeretas
Cerro Tijeretas is a great place to see frigate birds. In case you’re like me and have no clue what these birds are, they are known for their large red pouch that hangs underneath their neck. Google them, and you’ll know why it’s worth looking for those funny animals.
Unfortunately, that red pouch is rare to see, and only appears in male birds during certain times of the year. We didn’t come during the right season, but climbing the hill was still worth it for the view alone.
You can easily reach Cerro Tijeretas on foot from the city centre. Make sure to bring enough water as there is little shade along the way. If you are lucky, you also get to see blue-footed boobies, but there is no guarantee.
1 – 2h
#7 Watch sunset at Playa Punta Carola
Playa Punta Carola is also known as Playa del Amor, supposedly because surfers fall in love with the breaks here. When I came, the water was completely calm. Not that I cared. I was distracted by the sea lion baby that had curled up underneath a mangrove tree, and by the marine iguanas that were slowly crawling across the beach.
Playa Punta Carola is the only beach on San Cristobal where I saw those iguanas. They are supposed to be at La Loberia as well, but we must have come at the wrong time of the year. Punta Carola made up for that.
If you come in the evening on a clear day, this beach is also a great place to watch the sunset.
1 – 2h
#8 Walk around Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
If you ask me for the best spot in Galapagos to see sea lions, I will name Puerto Baquerizo. The sea lions have turned the harbour into their nesting grounds, and I have not seen a single place on Galapagos where I could spot as many of these creatures. They are everywhere, on the boardwalks, on the benches, on the steps and, of course, on the beaches.
Since we arrived in February, we saw lots of baby sea lions drinking from their mothers or frolicking in the water. We even saw them climb the boats anchored in the harbour. And they are not afraid of humans. Make sure not to touch them and to keep a distance anyway, but the sea lions are so used to our presence that they will lie down in the middle of a boardwalk and not move out of the way when someone needs to pass.
1h
Practicalities
Getting to San Cristobal
The easiest way to get to Galapagos is by plane. All flights leave from Guayaquil, but there are also some from Quito with a stopover in Guayaquil. You can find big airports both on San Cristobal as well as on Baltra (which serves as the main airport for Santa Cruz).
The airport code for San Cristobal is SCY, which you should always double-check when booking your flights as there are a lot of San Cristobals in this world!
When you land in San Cristobal, you can walk to the city centre. It takes about 15 minutes to arrive downtown. If you have heavy luggage or your guesthouse is located at the other end of Puerto Baquerizo, you can also take a taxi.
If you’re already in Galapagos, you can reach San Cristobal by boat from Santa Cruz. The boat ride takes about two and a half hours, and you should book your ticket at least a day in advance.
Getting around
Puerto Baquerizo is small enough that you can walk everywhere in town. You can also reach Playa Punta Carola, the Centro de Interpretacion and Cerro Tijeretas on foot. Walking to La Loberia from Puerto Baquerizo will take you about half an hour.
If you want to reach any of the attractions further away, you will need to hire a taxi or join a tour.
When to go
You can visit the Galapagos islands at any time of the year, and you’ll always enjoy your stay. The islands experience two seasons, with the hot and humid season running from December to May and the cold and dry season lasting from June to November.
Hot and humid doesn’t mean that you’ll have rain all day long. You might experience some short showers, but after a while, the sun will come back out, and you’ll see beautiful sunny skies. The hot season is best for watching animal life on land. If you come in February, like we did, you might even see sea lion babies.
That doesn’t mean that you won’t see any land animals during the cold and dry season. You’ll still get to see lots of animals. But the highlight of the cold and dry season is the underwater world. During that time, more nutrients flood the waters around Galapagos, attracting lots of marine animals.
We suggest that you go during whatever season fits your schedule best and don’t worry about it too much.
Have you been to Galapagos? Are you planning on going? We would love to hear from you about your travels in the comments below.
If you are still unsure about whether or not you can afford to travel to Galapagos, check out our budget guide to visiting the islands. Also, you might want to go on to other islands from here, so here is what to do on Santa Cruz and what not to miss on Isabela.
And while you’re in Ecuador, why not check out some of the other amazing things you can do in this country?
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