San Cristobal is one of the oldest islands in the Galapagos Archipelago. All the islands in the Galapagos were formed by volcanic activity. It is one of the easternmost islands and the closest to Ecuador mainland. It is estimated to be between 2.4 to 4 million years old.
The Galapagos Islands were discovered in 1535 by the Bishop of Panama, Fray Tomás de Berlanga. San Cristobal was named after St. Christopher, the patron saint of seafarers.
It was the first of the islands to be inhabited and served as a penal colony by the Ecuadorian government in the 1900s. Charles Darwin visited in 1835.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, San Cristobal had sugar and coffee plantations as well as fishing. Now it is the capital of the Galapagos Province.
As a tourist destination, there are strict conservation regulations to preserve its ecosystems and wildlife. When you arrive at the airport in Quito (or Guayaquil), a special visa and scanning of luggage is needed as well.
La Lobería
The name for the beach means “Place of the sea wolfs”. Lobería is shortened from lobos mariños which is what the sea lions are called in Spanish. The beach is 3 km from the town and is a nice walk there and back .
Along the shore of the port is the malecón. The walkway is beautiful with restaurants and shops.
A protest was happening as I was looking for a spot for dinner. Here in Ecuador, the protests are led by a police car as it is their right to protest peacefully.
And of course, there are more sea lions. Dinner if the sea lions have moved to other parts of the island including the port.
The fish I ate was amazing and freshly caught. It was delicious. Tomorrow is bird watching…