Ecuador - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 629

beaches in the archipelago, popular with
surfers but dangerous to swim. Walk to
the end of this beach and cross over to
a lagoon to find the bay where marine
turtles come to lay their eggs. Note that
the beach closes at 5pm so leave the port
earlier than 3pm to have time to enjoy it.

diversity of the island. At El Chato,
you can observe giant tortoises in their
natural habitat in the reserve (entrance
$3 including guide). Nearby are the lava
tunnels, which are naturally formed and
have lighting so you can walk through
them. Note that you need to crawl under
a low wall to get out unless you walk
back to the entrance. Either side of the
main road which cuts through Santa
Cruz are the Gemelos (twins), collapsed
30m-deep craters. The sheer drop into
the craters, covered in vegetation, makes
them an impressive sight; tour groups
often stop on the way to or from the
airport. All of the attractions above can
be seen on a guided tour with any of
the tour operators in Puerto Ayora
($80 for groups up to 14), or, to save
money, hire a taxi in the port to take you
to all of them ($30), which can be done
in two or three hours.

6 Las Grietas

Another side trip from the port with
a relaxing dip at the end is the walk to
Las Grietas , a crevice in the rocks that
supplies the port with much of its fresh
water. Take a water taxi ($0.60) across the
bay towards Playa de Los Alemanes, then
venture along rocky trails for a further
twenty minutes to reach Las Grietas.
Fissures in the lava rocks have created two
layers of brackish water - saline and fresh.
It's a beautiful, sheltered place for a swim.
Be aware that the rocky trails are a bit
tricky; walking shoes will come in handy.

The highlands
The highlands offer a very different
experience to the beaches on Santa Cruz
and it's worth venturing inland to see the

Las Bachas
On the north coast, Las Bachas , once
a base for the US military, is a long
white-sand beach often covered in

Airport

PUERTO AYORA

1 8 D E FEBRE RO

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GALAPAGOS
NATIONAL
PARK

Pelicano
Bay

PACIFIC
OCEAN

EATING & DRINKING
Café Hernan
Chifa Asia
Chocolate
El Descanso del Guía
Il Giardino
Limon y Café
La Panga
Red Sushi
The Rock
Servisabroson
Tintorera

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ACCOMMODATION
Casa Natura
España
Estrella del Mar
Gardner
Lirio del Mar
Las Palmeras
Salinas

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metres