When you think of South America, you are probably thinking that Peru has Machu Pichu, Argentina Buenas Aires, Brazil has Rio and Columbia has Pablo Escobar…so what about Ecuador, what does this country at the centre of the World have…the short answer is EVERYTHING!!

From the colossal altitudes of the Andes, down to the tropical forest of the Amazon, experiencing the Indigenous communities around Guamote one day and then contrast to the colonial beauty of Cuenca the next, getting the adrenalin flowing in the adventure capital of Banos and finishing your trip with the jewel of the Americas…the Galapagos islands.

Matt has been keeping Ecuador a bit of a secret since his first trip here back in 2004, but the genie is out of the bottle now and second time has really been a charm and it has infected your out of office explorers with a passion for this country that made it one of our most favourite trips in recent years.

Getting There, Around & doing so Safely

For North Americans it is quite a short trip from multiple hubs to get to both Quito (the capital) and Guayaquil (the second city and jumping off point for the Galapagos); for Europeans, it seems that the best connection is with our favourite airline, KLM from Amsterdam. Rather fortuitously the KLM flight goes into Quito and then onto Guayaquil before returning…which makes it perfect for flying into the North and then out of the south in one go.

Getting around: our trip was expertly organised for us by Encounter Latin America, the wonderful team booked our hotels, transfers and some of the excursions which meant that we optimised our days off and maximised the transit time where we were able to punctuate day long travel with sights added in; however bus connections are plentiful and cheap so if you want to make your own connections then this is also a very good option.

Safety: It is the Ecuadorians that make this country such a wonderful place to visit, sadly Ecuador is going through a bit of a rough time at the moment…what with Narcos running supply lines of drugs between Columbia and Peru and causing chaos along the way; and the country’s president being impeached for alleged corruption (and subsequently disbanding parliament)…so travel advisories steer for caution, which naturally it is wise to have, but as long as you keep a sensible eye out then the country feels safe and never threatening (unless you meet an Amazonian headhunting tribe!).

So without further ado, let’s get on the trail and explore this wonderful country, we’ll divide the trip into:

• Quito – the centre of the World
• The Andes – the top of the World!
• Tena and the gateway to the Amazon
• Banos – the adventure capital
• Indigenous Guamote
• Colonial Cuenca
• The Galapagos Islands

Quito – The Centre of the World 🏠

Most trips to Ecuador will start in Quito, which at over 2800 metres in altitude can make for a bit of a tough start for folks like us that start from an altitude of below sea level! In a way it would probably be easier to start at the sea end of the country and slowly work your way up to get aclimatised; but this was not to be and Matt got to enjoy some mild headaches from the altitude as soon as he stepped off the plane.

Quito is a bustling city that stretches along a valley for around 55 km and you will end up traversing its length no matter where you stay! The Centro Historico houses a lot of the colonial beauty (the Basilica, some of the most beautiful interiored churches, and classic plazas where people congregate en-masse. The centre does carry a bit of a reputation for pick-pockets and theft, but in the main areas the police presence is sufficiently high to deter this. Our highlights here, were lunch at the old Bishop’s residence, visiting the golden Churches of the Tabernacle, the Society of Jesus and San Francisco and going for chocolate tasting at Yumbos, that has great views of Plaza San Francisco plus some of the best chocolate we have ever tasted!

We actually stayed more to the East of the old town, in Floresta, that seems to be where a lot of the embassies are located, plus a major restaurant hub…our experience was that it was pretty safe to wander the streets after dark between the bars and restaurants…unlike in other parts of the city. Our hotel Casa Aliso Hotel Boutique was perfectly placed and with very helpful staff to organise trips and give advice. Do have dinner at Casa Warmi where you can get an excellent ceviche (that was in fact the best of our trip!).

The main sight of Quito is its country’s namesake…the Equatorial line that runs straight through it! Out to the North of the city are a couple of locations that represent this marketing success that Ecuador has made of being at the centre of the world. The Mitad del Mundo is home to the ‘historic equator line’…a rather nice way of describing how the original French explorers got their calculations out by 240m, but seeing as though they were using the sun and measuring sticks we think they can be forgiven for this oversight that has only been corrected by GPS satellites!

So, just 240m further on (but 5 minutes by taxi) is the site of Intiñan Equator Museum that is home to the true equator line (until a better measurement turns up). Here, for just 5USD you’ll get a wonderful tour that not just let’s you walk the line and undertake some wacky experiments, but will also take your through the history of Ecuador, it’s country and its people that is a really well done presentation. Do both sites, as they each have their own charms and they are only 240m apart…’but if you only have time for one then head to Intiñan.

The Andes – Top of the World!🏠

Quilotoa Lake

The longest range of mountains in the World, spanning over 4300 miles from Venezuela in the north all the way down to the southern tip of the South American continent. And running through Ecuador the range gets an extra bump (owing to the elliptical shape of the Earth that makes it broader at the middle than at its polls) that means that the highest peaks here will bring you to the closest points on Earth to the sun!

Ideally you will give yourself some time to aclimatise the scaling of these great heights, but given our schedule we had to start marching up within a few days…so prepare yourself with some altitude sickness tablets and lots of coca tea! Our first day trip out of Quito was a bit of a mission, but well worth it for the experience to see both the crater lake of Quilotoa in the morning and spend the afternoon climbing to the great heights of 4800m of the iconic Cotopaxi…the World’s highest active volcano, so active that you can only go up the the refuge and no further.

Most day tours from Quito will only take you to one of the other of these spots (owing to the distance and effort), but your intrepid OOOExplorers were able to hire a taxi to leave at 6am from Quito, do the lake in the morning and Cotopaxi in the afternoon and still be home by 7pm for tea! The cost was $120 for the day, which given that a tour to just one of these spots was the same price it was great value for money.

Quilotoa lake is already at 3900m; once you have marveled at the view down into the crater, it is time to descend a breakneck path down to the lake itself…trying to both keep your foothold and avoid the transit of mules that ferry weary travelers both up and down the route. You’ll be rewarded at the bottom with beautiful lake views (and the chance to kayak the lake if you wish), but also gifted with the prospect of walking back up the XX metres at this punishing altitude.

We were short on time to complete all the days’ activities which necessitated a trip up by mule but naturally if we had had the time then we would have been running up that crater to get us back to the start!

Volcán Cotopaxi

With no time to spare our taxi whisked us back over the highlands and into the Quito valley towards Cotopaxi. As May is still in the rainy season the weather was true to form and the skies were blanketed with low clouds that were happily raining down on us. Coming to the ranger’s station for Cotopaxi things still looked pretty miserable for a climb up the volcano and we questioned whether it was worthwhile at all. Note to self guided travelers that if you turn up with a Taxi then you will need to hire a local volcano guide plus a 4 wheel drive car…that is $60, but well worth it (along with the $1 cup of Coca tea!).

We were lucky to have Jessica as our guide, who gave us hope that this southern side of the volcano always has worse weather than the northern approach that we would be taking…and also that the power of positivity would induce Pacha Mama to give us blue skies for our ascent. Jessica was our lucky charm, and as we ascended through the tree line Pacha Mama did indeed give us some blue sky to glimpse our destination…the majestic Neck on the Moon (Cotopaxi).

The car ride will take you to 4500m and from there it is just a short walk to the refuge at 4800m…seemingly a short walk but a gargantuan effort when you are not aclimatised! In the end it took us nearly an hour to zigzag our way up the mountain to the refuge, but finally making it to be welcomed with some Coca tea and hot chocolate. Spend some time having a laugh with the guys that run the refuge…Tio Lobo and Tio Orso, and maybe they’ll even help get you back down to the car park at a running pace!

A painful, and yet so rewarding trip is an absolute must to your Ecuador visit…even meeting the local Andean foxes on the sloes as we descended.

Chimborazo

The highest point in Ecuador, a dormant volcano and therefore the closest point on Earth to the sun and all celestial bodies. Feeling emboldened by the lower heights of Cotopaxi we felt emboldened to ascend even higher to over 5000m. Meeting the local Vicuñas who only inhabit areas above 4000m

This time the weather was not really on our side and we faced clouds and snow all the way, together with a daunting marker of climber gravestones at the start; but we managed to haul ourselves above 5000m just by taking one slow step after another!

Our reward for the massive ascent were quinoa cookies and tea, courtesy of a women’s cooperative just at the foot of Chimborazu that gave us a full intro into cookie making as well as the local traditions and celebrations…and all just for us (Pacha Mama was again looking down on us!).

Tena and the gateway to the Amazon 🏠

Just 3-4 hours drive (and descent) from Quito and you will be transformed into a completely different nature, to one of hot, humid and lush landscapes. Tena marks the gateway to the Amazon on the Ecuadorian side. Fortunately the route is punctuated by some great stops along the way. Pack your swimming gear for a stop at the hot spring town of Papallacta and head to the very plush Termas Papallacta. Weekdays are quietest, but if you find yourself here on a weekend (as we did) and there is a long queue at the public baths, then think about paying a little more (just 20USD) for the private spa and a much calmer venue.

Hot Springs can build up an appetite, so you will also get to try some of the local delicacies along the way to keep you sustained…today’s menu includes bbq Chontacuro, that are the larvae of a beetle that lays its eggs in the chonta palm tree; followed by the main course of some crispy cuy (guinea pig!)…yum!

Swap your car for a boat and fight the currents of the Rio Napo to get to your jungle lodge. We stayed at the wonderful Casa Suizo, that had cabins right over the top of the rapids that gushed by underneath. To enhance that jungle feeling the rooms had no physical windows (just wire mesh to keep out the bugs) which ensured you had the full stereo effect of both the river and all the nature that is surrounding you! Plus a perfectly placed hammock to while away the sunset and sunrises.

Casa Suizo is a tour hub, so expect to find large groups of French, Dutch and Americans, but it is very well managed that it does not feel like a package tour (unless you are in one of these big groups!). As well as exploring the resort, with it’s lofty lookout, manicured garden and sleepy Amazon village next door they also do some great little tours into the local nature.

For us we opted for the jungle walk, where our guide showed us all the secrets of the jungle that we would have just walked past had we been on our own…medicinal plants, monster sized tarantulas, plants that acted as microphones, condors flying overhead, a magical experience.

Walking was only part, and then it was a case of build your own raft to follow the river downstream to get back to the lodging. It is only after you have taken a dip in the murky waters of the river that the guide will tell you that there are lots of cayman in the water!

To prove how safe you are with the caiman you ‘ll get a chance later in the day to visit Caiman island…and to see just how cuddly these critters are (to be honest they are somewhat blind during the day, so they will have to be literally on top of you before they know you are there.

Our jungle experience also gave us the chance to do some ‘shooting’ the indigenous way…with a blow pipe surprisingly accurate, especially when in Lyssa’s hands!

If you have more time in this part of Ecuador then think about heading further along the Napo river (~4 hrs) to see the Pink Dolphins that are a unique sight in the Amazon basin.

Baños – the adventure capital 🏠

If volcanos and jungles were not enough adventure for you then head to the adrenalin centre of Ecuador. Just 4 hours from the jungle, but rising up to 2000m and beyond, nestled amongst mountains and volcanos that make for a spectacular set of outdoor excursions.

The town has a millennial backpacker feel to it, plush hostals, trendy coffee shops, and adventure sellers lining the streets ready to whish you onto the largest, fastest, biggest whatever piece of excitement that you wish to sign-up for!

Sadly we did not have anywhere near enough time here to do all that we wanted – we stayed just 2 nights, but minimum should be at least 3 nights and probably more. Our first day brought us on the road to Baños, which is a tourist attraction in itself with the route of Waterfalls. As well as your first day stop-off, this is something that you can do by bike if you have the energy, or pick up the Chiva Tour Bus. The king of the waterfalls is the Devil’s Pylon, where you have two options to visit…one side will bring you to it’s base and a free shower after a 45 min hike; the other route (that we chose) bring you from the top and almost into the waterfall!

This waterfall also does night tours where they use lights to make the waterfall a rainbow of colours…again one of our regrets in not having the time to do. Just outside of the town you can ascend into the clouds to the world of attractions – Pacha Mama’s hands, zip lines, glass bridges and the simplest but best…big swings. Again there are multiple swings to choose from, but the iconic and original is that of the Casa de Arbol, weather permitting it will give you pictures above the clouds and into the nearby Tungurahua volcano. Come at the end of the day and you can easily spend a good couple of hours re-living your childhood on these giant swings.

Most tours from town are pretty much the same, and often for things like zip lining you’ll end up being pooled from a number of agencies; but all tours seem to be well managed, slick operations that give a good nod to safety as well as lots of fun. We booked our tours with MTS, who directly run canyoning, hiking and paragliding as well as organising all the other fun stuff. As we only had a day we had to pack in a canopy tour in the morning and canyoning in the afternoon.

The canopy tour we took (there are several) was the Circuito Aventura – a ride up into the hills and you can choose from one of two routes – pure ziplining or zips , bridges and via ferrata – but when it is just $20 per route then why choose when you can do everything! Our guides were excellent and it was a wonderful way to wake up in the morning…especially a bit of Spiderman and Superman action on the ziplines!

Our afternoon trip was Lyssa’s first foray into canyoning; and fortunately it was a success and she seems to be hooked for the next time! It was just the two of us, with our excellent guide, Alex who was a ninja with ropes and knots and had us rappelling, sliding and jumping down multiple waterfalls in no time whatsoever. Again at a really reasonable price ($40 each) that if we had more time then we’d be signing up for the full day trek as soon as we could.

Banos has so much more to it, with hikes to the surrounding miradors, trips into the jungle, or just chilling out in the many coffee shops, chocolate cafes, and restaurants…some of our favourites were La Floresta, for a modern twist on local cuisine; deliciously fresh empanadas and morochos from Benditos, the best hot chocolate for that post canyoning pick me up and top rate margaritas from Restaurante México de mis Sabores to get the party going!

Indigenous Guamote 🏠

Located in the Chimborazo province (of volcano fame above) a visit here will give a very different perspective to the rest of the tourist trail that you may be on whilst you travel through Ecuador. Almost 95% indigenously populated the main event to come for is the weekly market (Thursdays) where the coastal merchants and Andean sellers meet to exchange their wares. This means the whole town is taken over by market stalls, with almost everything that Ecuador produces.

This is definitely not a tourist market, but nonetheless amazing to see and shop. It won’t take much to find a bargain in the market and our shopping extravagance consisted of buying 60 Lychee for just $1 (and then spending the next few days subsisting on a diet of these tasty fruit).

Once the market packs up, the town is left somewhat sleepy, and rather sadly we heard that many of the population have left to join the migrant trail northwards; so we really recommend making a stop here and in part you’ll be helping the local community to stay in this wonderful place. The tourist hub for the town is the Inti Sisa Art Guesthouse, where most tour groups will stop, to visit the local school, do a cooking class (empanadas and quinoa croquets) and visit some of the local villages set amongst spectacular scenery.

Colonial Cuenca 🏠

After some weeks of adventure and excitement Cuenca provides for a holiday within a holiday and all the rules of Ecuadorian cities (beware your belongings, don’t go out after dark) are suspended as it seems that life here is a holiday for all!

Our hotel was superb, Hotel Carvallo is a 19th century colonial house that has a couple of indoor courtyards to enjoy and if you are lucky (as we seemed to be) a suite room at the top that was like a mini staterooms to lounge and relax in, as well as balconies to give a view onto all the hustle and bustle of the streets below.

Life revolves around the main square of Calderon Park, and each restaurant or bar boasts an even more impressive view of the stunning New Cathedral. The square of the bar-laden cloisters push up against the cathedral, Negroni gives a level view that is magnificent at night (as well as giving a very tasty menu and unique ways of getting to the toilet…through a window!), but star location goes to Bogoli that gives the most perfect lunchtime view of the Cathedral.

Speaking of the Cathedral, do make sure you actually visit it! The inside can’t really compare to the ornate churches of Quito, being carpeted from floor to ceiling with marble; but a trip up to the rooftop terrace (especially early in the morning) will reward you with wonderful views of the city that you may have almost to yourself.

Beyond the beauty of the colonial Cuenca is also famous for Panama hats…you’ll soon come to learn that Panama hats come from Ecuador (Cuenca and Montecristo), made by hand over months to years (depending on the quality) and the only reason they are called Panama hats is because all the workers on the Panama canal wore them to keep the sun off their heads and famously when US President Theodore Roosevelt visited to inspect the canal he wore one, and hence the legend was born!

Today, these straw hats can go from $30 all the way up to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on how fine and dapper you wish to look. In Cuenca there are two main producers – Paja Toquilla and Homero Ortega. Both seem to have (for the lay people such as ourselves) the same quality and prices, and will give you a tour of the history, making and presentation of this fine headware…but as with the sorting hat of Hogwarts it will be the hat that chooses you!

Homero Ortega has more polished marketing and seems to be where the tour groups go (it is out by the bus station, so if you go on your own then it is a $1.20 taxi ride), but this also means a bit less attention and perhaps not such a wide selection of different styles. Paja Toquilla is to be a bit more ‘walk-in’ friendly (it is also closer to the centre of town), giving a wonderful little tour and helping our indecision in hat selection by patiently let us try on almost all the hats in the store…for us to come away with more hats that could be possibly worn in a lifetime!

The hop on/hop off bus tour of Cuenca is unashamedly touristic, and more of a hop-on / stay on tour, but at $6pp it is a great deal and provides a wonderful tour of the city…right at balcony level! It does a route of the historical centre and even goes out to the Turi mirador, where you can get off and stretch your legs and take in the glorious views of the city below. Be careful not to stand to much on the upper deck (especially if you are Dutch height) as the cris-crossing electricity and phone cables do hang a little low along the streets!

The rest of the souvenir shopping is a bit disappointing, more seems to come from China rather than made in Ecuador…so our tip is to try and do all your non-hat souvenir shopping further up north in the Andes where especially the wool / llama / alpaca product will be more original and reasonably priced…but if you look carefully you may come away with an Inti Raymi Mask Aya Huma to celebrate the sun god!

The Galapagos Islands 🏠

The transport hub to the Galapagos is Ecuador’s second city of Guayquil (and Ecuador’s largest city). Traditionally the economic hub of the country, but today mired in warnings of high crime, drug wars, severe danger and achieving the 2022 award of 24th most murderous city in the World, it is not really the city you will want to spend too much time in but rather transit through as a quickly as possible.

This is a shame really, as our hotel – the River Garden Hotel – was excellent, with an incredible skyline view of the city, and a haven of peace around its rooftop infinity pool and excellent cocktails. Set by a safe zone of the city, The Malecon, you can divest your meagre valuables and have a nice stroll along the riverfront. An impressive cable car runs all the way through the city and across the huge river, and had we had a bit longer we may have summoned enough courage to take it. If the city did not have such a bad rep then it would make for a wonderful stop in this route.

However something much bigger was waiting for us, just a 1.5 hour flight away, The Galapagos. A volcanic archipelago, that was designated a UNESCO world heritage site back in the 60s and a marine reserve for nearly 40 years.

Just as Charles Darwin noted, what is unique about the islands are it’s relationship with such unique flora and fauna; not only finding species here that you will not find anywhere else on earth, but also how a lot of this wildlife seems to have no concern or care of man…contrary to anywhere else we have visited the wildlife (and it is wild, for sure) has no problem interacting with people but on its terms.

Sharks are happy to start circling you when you go for your morning snorkel; sea lions will play with you one moment and then give you a friendly nip on the fins to get you moving along; boobies will be dive bombing the fish right next to your head as you swim by and the marine iguanas will nab all the best sunbathing slots on the beach once they have themselves had their daily swim!

There are multiple ways to do the Galapagos – on a small cruise, flying between the islands for day trips or (as we did) taking in a couple of different islands with speedboat ferry in between. The islands are quite regulated and do a good job of controlling mass tourism; at times this feels a bit restrictive (the endless rules and the need to have a local guide with you at all times) but if this prevents the islands becoming a spring break partyzone, preserves the rich nature and ensure that the locals have some of the best standards of living in South America then it is a small price to pay.

Santa Cruz

Starting in Santa Cruz – probably the most developed of the islands and in the heart of the archipelago, this is a great intro spot where you can first encounter the giant tortoises of the island – usually at one of the ranches, such as El Chato Ranch – where the tortoises can come and go as they please, but not at great speed, hence you will always have a photo op. The ranch also has some tours through ancient lava tunnels that honeycomb the ground below that makes for another fun aspect to these visits.

As with a lot of out Ecuadorian whistlestop tour, we only had one night in Santa Cruz and had to maximise it as much as possible. We stayed in the bustling Puerto Ayora (at least bustling for the Galapagos) full with restaurants, bars and souvenir shopping. Also full with sea lions, iguana and pelicans that took over the town like the local mafia – strutting their ownership at the fish market, lazing at bus stops on benches and generally asserting their authority around town.

Most local beaches ‘close’ around 18.00 (you’ll be sleeping with the sea lions) so we squeezed in our first Galapagos snorkeling at the Estacion beach – just a 10 minute walk from town and complete immersion into the island life…seals lazing on the beach, iguanas sunbathing on rocks and both sharks and rays paddling in the shallows…we saw more wildlife in 10 mins than a whole trip around some other tropical paradises in the World.

For dinner, we recommend the Blu Galapagos, perfectly situated by the sea with excellent ceviche and local ‘lobster’ along with great cocktails to help it all go down.

As we had to catch the daily ferry to San Cristobal at 14.00 the next day, we decided on a rather ambitious plan to get to the two main sites of the area – the Las Grietas and Tortuga Bay. There are multiple tours to Las Grietas – a volcanic fissure in the landscape that has filled with crystal clear water to give a unique canyon experience – but they leave too late to allow the beach after, plus you will find yourself trying your instagram pose amongst 30 other tourists!

Rather, get up a bit earlier and pick up a $1 water taxi across the bay to the Angermeyer Waterfront Inn, where you can pick up a short 10 minute path to the entrance to Las Grietas. Here you will have to wait for the next guided tour ($10 pp), which can feel constraining, but again think of the preservation! The best thing about doing this yourself rather than with an organised tour is that the park guides will take you to an alternative spot at Las Grietas (Grietas number 2) and if you are lucky (as we were once again) it may only be yourselves on the tour!!

Our guide patiently told us about the area and its history, as well as giving us those extra 5 minutes at the canyon – as your stay is timed in order to keep the crowds down…definitely the way to go!

Catching the water taxi back to town, we then forced marched ourselves along the 3 km route to get to Tortuga Bay. A great little hike, and a picture perfect beach that wait for you. Be careful not to go swimming at the first part of the beach (the ferocious waves will give away why) as there are dangerous rip currents along it, but head further up the beach to the mangrove area, where the Iguanas swim and sunbathe.

Whilst in Santa Cruz, don’t forget to stop at the outdoor fish market (a bit of a grand term for 3 tables and a couple of vendors), to see the vendors having to both sell the fish and keep all the wildlife at bay in trying to nab their wares….with Pelican, Iguanas and sea lions all trying to get a piece of the action.

San Cristobal

Our second island was the (even) more natural San Cristobal. A 3hr speedboat ride from Santa Cruz, that even on a ”calm” day that we crossed may have you regretting all those eggs and coffee you had for breakfast! San Cristobal is the sea lion capital of the Galapagos…they are literally everywhere, and if the humans weren’t fenced off (we were the zoo inhabitants here) then they would probably be taking over the bars and restaurants that line the seafront.

There are plenty of great restaurants to keep you contented whilst here…great fusion style Japanese at Midori Sushi Pub, that will give you a perfect lookout over the town; along the northern end of town a bit more high end is Muyu, for craft beers and fine ceviche, and for sunset drinks and dinner head to the perfectly appointed Post Office.

Tours are a big business on the island, as at this time of year (end of May) you are coming into high season, so many tours need to be booked a few days in advance so as to avoid disappointment…although speaking to fellow travelers it did seem coincidental that many of us had just made it onto the last two spots of each trip! Nonetheless the tours are excellent. Our first trip out was to Isla Lobos Island to encounter the colony of Blue Footed Boobies, who, at this time of year were giving birth and rearing their chicks, and trying to defend their fish dinners from the pirates of the area, the Frigate birds, that will literally swoop in to steal the fish from the throat of the Booby chicks!

This tour also gives you some snorkel time, and most probably it will be with sea lions! The young are very curious and will end up playing with you – swimming rings around the clunky tourists, tasting the lenses of underwater cameras and even nipping your fins when they want you to move on (and if you are not wearing fins then it’ll be your toes!). The interaction is something truly special, and scary as they are not shy in coming right up to you for a look or a poke!

Our other main trip whilst here was to Kicker Rock, a volcanic island about 2 hours by boat from Santa Cruz. This is the destination for divers and snorkelers if you want to see turtles, hammerhead sharks, reef sharks and even some rays if you are lucky. Even though the skies were a bit overcast, the water was smooth as glass as we approached the island…this made for easy turtle spotting as we sailed whenever they came up for air, and provided for easy snorkeling around the rock.

It seems that 2023 will be an El Niño year, and so this creates warmer waters than normal for this time of year (in the mid / upper 20’s compared to much lower); this was good for us and our short wetsuits, but was rather confusing the sea dwellers we had come to see. The green turtles were in abundance, thinking it was still mating season, we have never seen so many turtles in one location…all looking as if in suspended animation in the sea.

The warm waters also mean that the sharks preferred to stay lower down in the sea where things were cooler. This meant no hammerheads for us snorkelers, but the divers got a full experience of these amazing fish. For us, with a bit of breath holding and ear popping we could get down to about 10metres and we caught some glimpses of reef shark, eagle ray and Matt’s dream of manta ray (a whole school of around 20). Reluctantly exiting the water the tour finishes with a stop at Puerto Grande beach where iguanas and sea lions will be in residence, vying for the limited spots of shade that are on the idyllic stretch of sand.

With the remainder of our time on San Cristobal we squeezed in quick trips to the nearby beaches to the south and north of the main town. The southern beach of Playa Loberia is home to quite a large colony of sea lions, mostly sunbathing and sleeping. At this time of the year most of the southern coast of the island is battered by quite strong waves, so snorkeling is not really possible and swimming should be undertaken with caution. You’ll need a taxi to get here and think about reserving a pick up for the way back or you may be stranded, unless you find a good Samaritan to give you a lift (as we did).

To the north of the main town (walking distance) are a number of beaches and coves that are worth a visit. Playa Mann is a nicely situated sandy beach with a number of bars and restaurants that makes it one of the busiest on the island. A bit further along is Point Carola beach that is a bit quieter…apart from the daddy sea lion that patrols the area keeping any competition at bay for what is his beach!

From Carola beach there is a pathway that splits off into the undergrowth to take you on a route of exploration to the sea viewpoint of Baliza de Tijeretas, passing by to say hello to Darwin and his friends and then onto the Muelle Tijeretas for some snorkeling with sea lions. The local denizens are a bit livelier here and you will probably get some playful pups coming by for a game of catch (it seems they like to catch and fetch stones!), although the parents will often start using the wooden stairs into the water as a sun lounger, so getting back out can sometime be tricky!

With 18 days having just flown by, it was time to gather up all our souvenirs and memories and board our KLM flight back to Amsterdam, tired but exhilarated at such a great trip through this part of South America. We shall definitely be back. Enjoy!!