Ecuador - The Rough Guide to South America on a Budget - page 636

TOUR OPERATORS
In Quito Galapagos Tours (Amazonas 2331, at
Veintimilla; T 02 254 6028, W galapagostours.net);
Metropolitan Touring (Av Amazonas N20-39, at 18 de
Septiembre; T 02 250 6650, W metropolitan-touring
.com); Ninfa Tour (Av Amazonas N24-66, at J Pinto;
T 02 222 3124); Nuevo Mundo Expeditions (Av Coruña
N26-207, at Orellana; T 02 250 9431, W nuevomundo
expeditions.com); Parir (General Baquedano, at JL Mera;
T 02 222 0892).
In Guayaquil Centro Viajero (Baquerizo Moreno 1119,
at 9 de Octubre; T 04 230 1283); Ecoventura (Miraflores
Av Central 300ª; T 04 220 7177, W ecoventura.com);
Metropolitan Touring (Artarazana C 11A NE103; T 04
228 6565, W metropolitan-touring.com); Ninfa Tour

(Córdova 646, at Urdaneta; T 04 230 0182); Via Natura
(Junín 114, at Malecón, Ed. Torres del Rio, Floor 7; T 04
256 9052, W vianatura.com).
In Puerto Ayora Galapatour (Av Rodriguez Lara)
T 05 252 6088); Galapagos Deep (Indefatigable, at
Matazarno; T 05 252 7045; Galapagos Voyager (Av
Charles Darwin, at Colono; T 05 252 6833); Moonrise
Travel (Av Charles Darwin; T 05 252 6348); Scuba Iguana
(Av Charles Darwin; T 05 252 6497); Galapagos Sub-
Aqua (Av Charles Darwin; T 05 252 6350, W galapagos
-sub-aqua.com); Metropolitan Touring (Finch Bay Eco
Hotel; T 05 252 6297, W metropolitan-touring.com);
We are the Champions Tours (Av Charles Darwin; T 05
252 6951, W wearethechampionstours.com).

6

nearby Devil's Crown, a half-submerged
volcanic cone, is one of the top
snorkelling and diving sites in the
archipelago, with reef sharks, turtles
and rays. A day-trip from Puerto Ayora
costs about $75, but only includes the
highlands, Enderby and Champion. The
tour misses out many of the most famous
sites, which are restricted to cruises.

Punta Suárez is the most popular landing
point, and there is excellent snorkelling at
Turtle Island.

ISLA FERNANDINA AND
OUTLYING ISLANDS
West of Isabela is the volcanic
FERNANDINA , which can only be
visited on a cruise. The highlight is
the huge population of marine iguanas
sunning themselves on the rocks of
Punta Espinoza , the only visitor site;
there are also trails through the recently
formed lava fields. Fernandina's volcano
La Cumbre was the most recent
eruption in the Galápagos, in April
2009. Further north are the tiny, remote
islands of Darwin and Wolf . hese are
restricted to specialist diving trips to
see large populations of hammerhead
and whale sharks.

Isla Española
ESPAÑOLA is the southernmost island
and can only be visited via a cruise. The
island is the sole place in the Galápagos
with a colony of waved albatrosses, which
flock here between April and November.
Seeing them land at one of the “albatross
airports” is quite a sight. As well as sea
lions, iguanas and boobies, there are
opportunities to see the rare hood
mockingbird and the finches made
famous by Charles Darwin's studies.