Things to do in Puerto Ayora: one day on foot

Puerto Ayora is the largest town in Galápagos, and you can still cover all of it on foot. Avenida Charles Darwin follows the bay from the harbor to the Research Station, and almost everything worth seeing is a walk or a water taxi away. With one free day and no tour, you can see a lot.

This is the route we would plan for a friend on their first visit. It is a full day, built around the cooler hours, with a break when the sun is strongest.

7:00 · Tortuga Bay

Start early. The trail to Tortuga Bay begins at the top end of Calle Charles Binford, on the west side of town. There is a small booth at the start where you sign in on the way in and out. Entry is free, but the site is only open during the day and closes in the late afternoon, so check the hours when you register.

It is about two and a half kilometers along a stone path through giant cactus, around forty minutes at an easy pace. At the end you reach Playa Brava, a long beach of fine white sand with strong waves and dangerous currents: no swimming here. It is, however, a good place to watch marine iguanas sunbathing and, in the morning, to spot turtle tracks in the sand.

Walk to the far end of the beach and turn right to reach Playa Mansa, a sheltered, mangrove-lined bay with calm water. Here you can swim. If you are lucky, you will see sea turtles or small sharks near the mangroves.

There are no shops and no shade along the way. Bring water, sunscreen and anything else you need, and carry your trash back out.

11:30 · The fish market

On the way back, walk down Avenida Charles Darwin to the small fish market on the waterfront. By late morning the fishermen are cleaning their catch and there is always an audience: sea lions waiting patiently by the counter, pelicans getting far too close and frigatebirds circling overhead. It is chaotic, funny and very Puerto Ayora.

Watch from a distance. They may look used to people, but they are wild animals, and the National Park rule is to stay at least two meters away.

12:30 · Coffee and shade

Midday is when the sun is strongest, and the best time to stop. We are on the same Avenida Charles Darwin, at the corner of Seymour, in the Pelican Bay neighborhood. A filter coffee from the farm, one of the seasonal drinks over ice and a slice of Basque cheesecake are a good way to recharge before the afternoon.

14:00 · Charles Darwin Research Station

At the east end of the avenue is the Charles Darwin Research Station, next to the National Park’s tortoise breeding center. Giant tortoises from different islands are raised here until they are old enough to return to the wild. Short trails lead through it, and it is also home to Lonesome George, the last tortoise from Pinta Island, now preserved and displayed in a climate-controlled room. Seeing him in person hits harder than you might expect.

Close by is a small beach, Playa de la Estación, good for a quick cool-off.

16:00 · Las Grietas

Head back to the main dock and take a water taxi across the bay. The ride takes a few minutes and costs very little. From the landing, walk about twenty minutes, past a small beach and some salt ponds, to Las Grietas: a deep crack in the volcanic rock with tall walls and crystal-clear water, a mix of sea water and fresh water.

You can swim, and the late light slipping between the walls is beautiful. Wear decent shoes for the rocks and head back with time to spare, before dark.

In Puerto Ayora, sea lions sleep on the benches and nobody asks them to move.

18:00 · Sunset and dinner

Sunset from the pier is a good way to end the day. After dark, under the dock lights, you can sometimes see sea lions, rays and fish in the clear water.

For dinner, Calle Charles Binford fills with sidewalk tables and small local restaurants serving the day’s fish and seafood. It is where a lot of people who live here go to eat.

A few tips

• Bring a reusable bottle. Many places in town will refill it, and the islands are working to cut single-use plastic.
• Wear sunscreen, even when it is cloudy. You are on the equator.
• Carry cash in small bills for the water taxis.
• Never touch or feed the animals, however tame they seem.

If you have another free morning, head up into the highlands. We have a route for half a day of tortoises, lava tunnels and mist.