Galapagos : Cultural Atracctions
- Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Island
- Puerto Baquerizo Moreno - San Cristobal Island
- Puerto Velasco Ibarra - Floreana Island
- Puerto Villamil - Isabela Island
Puerto Ayora - Santa Cruz Island
This is the main port of entrance to the Archipelago, home to the majority of human inhabitants of Galapagos (approximately 15.000 people). Close to the town are: the beautiful "Tortuga Bay" beach, the giant tortoise breeding center, lava caves, tunnels, and the headquarters of the Charles Darwin Foundation and the Galapagos National Park. In Puerto Ayora and its surroundings it’s possible to do snorkeling, scuba diving, bird watching, sea kayaking, trekking, biking, horse-back riding, etc.
The town also has an exhilarating night life, and plenty of tourism services. From Puerto Ayora it’s possible to hire daily boat tours to visit other islands.
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno - San Cristobal Island
This town is the capital of the Galápagos province, and has the second biggest number of inhabitants in the Archipelago. This port holds an Interpretation Center built by the Spanish Government Cooperation. This center is modern and didactic and instructs about the volcanic origin and natural history of the islands. Sea lions are always found at the main park of the town, close to a small beach.
Puerto Velasco Ibarra - Floreana Island
This enigmatic island is the least inhabited of the archipelago, inspite of the fact that it was the first one to be colonized, basically by national and foreign settlers during the first decades of this century. Many legends have been written about its people. “Floreana” by Margarett Wittmer is a most interesting novel that describes the situations of these settlers! The main attractions are: the historical Post Office Bay and Asilo de la Paz, Punta Cormoran, Corona del Diablo, Enderby and Gardner Bay.
Puerto Villamil - Isabela Island
This enchanted town is almost undiscovered by tourism. Puerto Villamil has a population of about 2.500 people, mostly fishermen. Only one of the big cruise ships visits this island. The tourist development of Puerto Villamil is mostly reduced to that of visits of private yachts and a small number of fortunate tourists who have heard about its wonders.
Very close to town are several impressive sites: a path alongside a reef that is home to several white tip sharks- you can easily observe them from land; "Concha y Perla" bay, a perfect setting for snorkeling; a giant tortoise breeding center; and the impressive volcanoes Sierra Negra and Volcán Chico. Sierra Negra has the second biggest crater in the world, with a diameter of 12 kilometers. Volcán Chico has an amazing "lunatic" landscape with fascinating lava formations. It’s possible to horseback ride or trek around Sierra Negra´s crater until reaching Volcán Chico. It’s also possible to camp up there with a permit of the National Park. Isabela also has a flamingo lake and several beautiful trails along the way to the "Wall of Tears". This wall is proof of the genuine human history of the islands. Before Galápagos was declared a National Park, this island used to be a penal colony (around 1946). The prisoners were kept busy carrying and placing the sharp lava rocks to form this impressive wall.
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