Galapagos – Puerto Ayora – Travelogue 2
The first destination of the yachts anchored here is the famous Charles Darwin Station. Due to the large number of tourists, it is recommended to visit the Charles Darwin Research Station as early as possible. It is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Puerto Ayora is a small but clean town with partly paved streets. Along the curving waterfront promenade Avenida Charles Darwin are the marina, tour offices, souvenir shops, restaurants, pubs, discos and hotels. The town, which has grown rapidly in recent years, is the main starting point for island excursions lasting several days. World sailors from all continents rested in Academy Bay. From simple small boats to half-rusted fishing boats and pompous luxury yachts equipped with all chicanes, everything can be found here in the bay. The hotel comfort offered in Puerto Ayora can be divided into three price ranges: expensive, very expensive, or economical. There are already decent overnight accommodations from about 10 US dollars. However, those who value a little more comfort often have to dig deep into their pockets. The 80 to 100 USD hotels are often not worth the high expense. There are no luxury hotels on Galápagos yet. Below right is a picture of the main post office in Puerto Ayora.
The visit to Darwin Station is informative and interesting, but should only provide the basic framework of first impressions of our further excursions. There is also an informative visitor center, a museum, and a turtle breeding station. The greatest attention, however, belongs to the station’s crowd favorite, the lonely George (“Lonesome George” or “Jorge Solitario”). George is the only sad survivor of a giant tortoise species. All attempts to cross the over 50-year-old male with a female of a similar subspecies have so far failed. George shows no particular interest. Meanwhile, Brigitte is already testing the most used means of transport from the Galapagos Islands. The preservation of the Darwin Station is constantly being worked on, as you can easily see in the left picture below.
Salty prices are primarily paid for the gourmet cuisine of Puerto Ayora. Nevertheless, there are also some inexpensive restaurants that also offer tasty meals. Here you should definitely try local fish. Often you eat best in the hotels. Due to the filtered water, the Hotel Galápagos is particularly recommended. You can even eat salads there without hesitation. A small shopping centre, which consists of a low-rise building with a corrugated iron roof, is also available.
The Mistral was misused and is now a small restaurant.
