San Cristóbal Island cruises

About the island

San Cristóbal Island

San Cristóbal, the Chatham Island of old charts, is the easternmost of the main islands and the place where Charles Darwin first set foot in the Galápagos, in September 1835. Its town, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, is the capital of the Galápagos province, and its airport is the second gateway to the islands: many cruises begin or end here.

San Cristóbal covers 557 square kilometers (215 square miles) and rises to 730 meters (2,395 feet). It is formed by three or four fused, extinct volcanoes, and in its highlands lies El Junco, one of the very few permanent freshwater lakes in the Galápagos. Most of its residents live in the capital.

On our cruises San Cristóbal is both a starting point and a destination, often combined with Española, Santa Cruz, Santiago, Floreana and Santa Fe. Its best-known site is Kicker Rock, or León Dormido, a split volcanic rock rising from the sea where cruises stop for snorkeling or a panga ride among sea lions, sea turtles, rays and, often, sharks. Pitt Point, at the eastern tip, is the only place in the islands where the three species of boobies nest together: blue-footed, Nazca and red-footed. Other visits include Witch Hill (Cerro Brujo), a white coral beach under an eroded tuff cone; Lobos Islet, with sea lions and blue-footed boobies; the Interpretation Center in town, which tells the natural and human history of the islands; and, in the highlands, El Junco and the Galapaguera de Cerro Colorado, a breeding center for the island's giant tortoises.

Sea lions are everywhere on San Cristóbal, even on the benches of the waterfront, and the island has its own species of mockingbird and lava lizard. Frigatebirds come to bathe in the fresh water of El Junco, and white-cheeked pintail ducks swim on the lake.

San Cristóbal suits travelers who like to combine easy visits with snorkeling, and those who prefer to fly in or out without passing through Baltra. Kicker Rock is best enjoyed by confident swimmers, as the water is deep and there can be currents; a panga ride around the rock is the alternative.

Fast facts

• Charles Darwin first set foot in the Galápagos on San Cristóbal, in September 1835.
• Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on San Cristóbal, is the capital of the Galápagos province.
• Pitt Point is the only place in the islands where blue-footed, Nazca and red-footed boobies nest together.