Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
About an hour’s boat ride northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is León Dormido (Kicker Rock), so named because of its resemblance to a sleeping lion. León…
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Some local boosters say that San Cristóbal is the capital of paradise – and, technically, it is, because its port town of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the political seat of the Galápagos. It’s the only island with fresh water and an airport in town, and it has several easily accessible visitor sites, all of which means that its tourism profile is second only to Santa Cruz. San Cristóbal is the fifth-largest island in the archipelago and has the second-largest population. The Chatham mockingbird, common throughout the island, is found nowhere else.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Possibly one of the nicest beaches in the Galápagos, Cerro Brujo is a huge white expanse found on the west side of the island. The sand here feels like…
-
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
This modern and easily digestible center explains the history and significance of the Galápagos better than anywhere else in the country. Exhibits deal…
-
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
About 1.7km northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Cerro de las Tijeretas provides good views and can be reached on a trail. You'll pass a national park…
-
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Scoring high on novelty, the Casa del Ceibo is a small shed built halfway up an enormous ceiba tree. It’s possible to spend a night in the treehouse or…
-
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Southwest of town, a road leads 2.5km (about a 30-minute walk) to La Lobería, a rocky beach with a lazy sea-lion colony. It’s good for year-round surfing,…
-
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
Around 10km east of El Progreso along the main road, you'll find El Junco Lagoon – a freshwater lake some 700m above sea level. It’s one of the few…
-
Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)
At the northern end of San Cristóbal is Los Galápagos, where you can often see giant Galápagos tortoises in the wild, although it does takes some effort…
Plan with a local
