Darwin's landfall on San Cristobal

Named for the patron saint of sailors, Saint Christopher, San Cristobal is the furthest east of the Galapagos Islands and many tours visit the island as it is the only island apart from Baltra to have an airport. However, despite the airport and the fact that the port of Baquerizo Moreno is the second-largest town in the islands, San Cristobal is much less-developed than Santa Cruz and there is more to see in the way of wildlife.

Many trips start at the new Interpetation Centre, which has an interesting exhibition of the conservation work that is going on in the islands; from there, you can head up into the scrub forest of the highlands to Frigatebird Hill (Cerro de la Tijeretas) which is home to thousands of... well, you guessed it... frigatebirds! Along the way, you'll pass a statue of Charles Darwin, marking the beach where he made his first landfall here in the Galapagos Islands.

• Giant tortoises
• Sea lions
• Frigatebirds
• Leon Dormido

Apart from this, the main site to visit on the island itself is the only freshwater lagoon in the Galapagos Islands, Laguna El Junco. This rainwater-filled oasis is home to several endemic varieties of plants and animals, and is a real haven for birdlife. While you're here, it also makes sense to visit the Galapaguera breeding-station for giant tortoises - one of the main areas of conservation work underway in the islands.

On and off the coast, San Cristobal's major attraction is probably the famous Kicker Rock (see the picture above), the remains of a giant lava cone, now split in two, which towers out of the surrounding waters. Also worth a visit are the Islas Lobos (Sea-lion islands) where, again given the name (literal-minded these Ecuadoreans!) are home to a large number of sea-lions!

Check out our Galapagos Calendar to find out the optimal time for visiting all of the islands.

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