San Cristobal is an island in the Galapagos archipelago . The name is given by the name of St. Christopher. Previously called Chatham in honor of the British Prime Minister. On the island is the city of Puerto Baquerizo Mareno, which is the capital of all the Galapagos islands. The airport is located to the south-west from the capital.
Information about the island
This beautiful quiet island has a very small area - about 558 sq. Km. km. The highest point is the summit of an extinct volcano with a height of 0.73 km. The volcano divides the island into two parts with different climates. Its slopes, as well as the south-western part of the land, are in a humid climate. The north-east of the island is an arid semi-desert area.
Flora and fauna
Since the colonization of San Cristobal by humans, the local plant and animal world has undergone a major change. Most endemics have disappeared, the survivors have survived only in the furthest corners of it, where the human foot steps very rarely. The current leadership of the island is trying to carry out measures to restore flora and fauna, but so far this is not too noticeable.
However, there are quite a lot of animals and birds here. These are sea lions - inveterate inhabitants of all the Galapagossians, elephant turtles, iguanas of different species, red-legged and blue-legged boobies, frigates and Galapagos gulls. Elephant turtles on the island are bred, restoring their population. Here is a fairly large nursery. Marine inhabitants of coastal waters are represented by dolphins, rays, sharks and lobsters.
Where to go and what to see?
The island is arranged in much the same way as other Galapagos inhabited islands. There is an embankment on it - a place where you can walk and admire the ocean. There are convenient bridges - such as observation platforms for watching marine animals.
Along the quay stretched a string of cafes and restaurants, shops with souvenirs, travel agencies. Sea lions in San Cristobal more than any other of the islands. That animals did not invade the human habitat, they were built with obstacles. But for the bravest, this is not a problem. Having chosen, they are located on sidewalks, benches. However, soon they are put back.
There are places that are definitely worth a visit to any tourist:
1. LoberiaOn the island there is a place called Loberia. There the sea lions live and reproduce. From the embankment - it's about half an hour or a little less on foot. You can get there by taxi. The second option is better, because stamping for so long in the heat is tedious.
On San Cristobal, in Loberia, there is a wonderful beach with white sand. Here, very good winds are blowing for surfing. Therefore, lovers of this sport here are frequent guests, although tourists on San Cristobal are much less than on other inhabited islands of the Galápagos. The waves here are interesting - they form about 100 meters from the shore. At the same time in shallow water you can safely swim even to children.
During swimming you can easily encounter sea lions. They are absolutely not afraid of people. Here they also swim their cubs. Play with some colorful rope - their favorite pastime.
On the shore you can meet pelicans. They are important to look out for the prey and completely do not pay attention to the tourists staring at them. If you do snorkelling and sail off the coast, you can see the famous turtles. And completely free (in Floreane - another galapagossok island - this pleasure will cost about $ 80)
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At the very end of the beach, in the bushes, a path begins. Most tourists either do not know about it, or they are just too lazy to get away from people's eyes and be alone with nature. If you go on it, you can see a lot of interesting things. In particular, the reward for courage will be very beautiful species, with which most of the Galapagos islands are deprived.
Walking along this path you can reach the black rocks called on the island as Las Negras. Just from them, unforgettable views are opened, which simply need to be imprinted on the camera. If you decide to go here, put on light and sturdy shoes. Volcanic stones are scattered everywhere, and it's quite inconvenient to walk in slates or splashes.
Iguana ginger on the stones, so you must always look under your feet. No animal on the island gives way first. A person always comes to circumvent or step over representatives of the animal kingdom.
It's nothing but hills. They are noteworthy for several observation platforms, on one of them there is a sculpture of Charles Darwin. The place is located 2.5 km from the capital of the island. The species here are quite ordinary, not reaching in any comparison with those that open from the Black rocks. However, the place is quite interesting, and it's definitely worth a visit. In addition, many frigates live here. Therefore, you can take a leisurely look at the life of these beautiful birds.
El-Hunko is a lagoon, which is located in the crater of a long extinct volcano. It is the only fresh water reservoir in the entire Galapagos archipelago. Around is very beautiful - lots of greenery and flowering plants, horses graze.
Turtle nursery is an interesting place on the island. If you could not see these ancient creatures during snorkeling, going to the nursery is definitely worth it. In addition to large representatives, there is an incubator where small turtles hatch from eggs.
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It is far from Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, it takes about 45 minutes to get here by taxi. Here, white, flour-like, sand and transparent, like a tear, emerald water. There are no waves, so the place is suitable for rest with children. The abundance of greenery around and the almost complete absence of people makes up a picture of a secluded paradise.
How to get there?
Here you can fly by plane or sail on the water. The way that most tourists choose is air transport. Flights are carried out by two companies - Aerogal and Lan from Guayaquil . The flight time is just under 2 hours. Guayaquil can be reached by any convenient flight.
The island of San Cristobal is an amazing place not only for rest, but for interesting walks with a camera at the ready.