San Cristóbal Island

San Cristobal with its 557 km² (215 mil²) is the fifth largest and Easternmost island of the Galapagos.The island consists of volcanic rock because all Galapagos islands formed through volcanic activity and it consists of four merged extinct volcanoes. The colony received its first name Chatham as a tribute to William Pitt who held the title of 1st Earl of Chatham in the United Kingdom. The current name comes from the Patron Saint of Seafarers, “St. Christopher.”
San Cristobal was founded on the oldest permanent settlement of the archipelago.Darwin made his first landing on this island during his 1835 voyage. Manuel J. Cobos together with José Monroy established the “Orchillera Company” in 1858 to collect orchilla moss which served as a dye during that period. Cobos established an agricultural facility named “El Progreso” which operated inland from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno to produce leather from wild cattle and extract fish and tortoise oil.

A penal colony, which was eventually run by Cobos, was built on San Cristóbal Island in 1880 for prisoners from mainland Ecuador.Sugar cane plantations reached the area during 1891 while a sugar processing factory started its operations. The convicts under Cobos' rule operated as slaves which eventually led to his assassination by escaped workers who formed a group in January 1904.
The Galapagos province operates from the small city of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno which functions as its capital. The town contains multiple government buildings alongside an Ecuadorian Navy base and an airport which operates regular flights to mainland Ecuador. The island supports a residential population of about 6,000 people which ranks as the second most populous human settlement in the Galapagos after Santa Cruz Island. The majority of people earn their income through public sector work and tourism activities and fishing for artisanal purposes. The GNPS Interpretation Center exists close to town to provide educational resources for local residents and tourists. The site offers various interesting visitor spots which attract many tourists to visit.< /p>

San Cristobal Island: Full day tour starting from Pto. Ayora (Sta. Cruz Island)

The tour to San Cristobal begins at 6:30 AM when your guide arrives to pick you up from your hotel. A brief walk leads to the pier at Puerto Ayora where we board a local water taxi to reach the Galapagos Element Wind Speed Yacht which will take us to Pto. Baquerizo Moreno on San Cristobal Island. Our 2½ hour boat trip provides excellent chances to spot marine turtles and stingrays and various marine birds and possibly whales. Our guide will lead us to the San Cristobal Interpretation Center after we reach Pto. Baquerizo Moreno. Here, we can learn about Galapagos, its geography, the volcanology and the history of the local people.

The next segment of our hike will lead us along a clearly defined trail which passes through native Galapagos flora including opuntia cactus and acacias and native trees and finch birds. The path leads us to the peak of the hill which bears the name “Cerro Tijeretas”. The peak will present us with a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean as our reward for our climb. The cliff edge will present us with an opportunity to observe two bird species using the same nesting area. The observation deck provides us with a city view and from there we can spot the oceanic rock formation named "Kicker Rock". We took some photos before heading down to the base of the hill where we discovered a stunning cove suitable for snorkeling. Our journey will lead us to Punta Carola which consists of a sandy shoreline with native plants and hosts a big sea lion population. The location provides several opportunities for photographing stunning images.

Then, we will follow another path which will take us back to the center of the town where we will have lunch in one of the local restaurants.We took a private transportation to reach the highlands of San Cristobal Island. The route takes us through the historic town of “El Progreso” before reaching Cerro “El Junco” base where we will ascend to its peak to view the crater like formation of “El Junco Lagoon” which serves as the only fresh water source in San Cristobal. After our descent from El Junco we traveled to the “Cerro Colorado” Interpretation Center to view Giant Galapagos Turtles which come in multiple sizes and species. Transport back to town and after a short free time, we will board our Galapagos Element Wind Speed Yacht which will take us back to Puerto Ayora.
Note: San Cristobal is one of the inhabited islands with the most planned urban development, it has sewerage and potable water.