Ways of transferring to different places
After doing all the paperwork to travel to the Galápagos Islands and visit all the beautiful and mesmerizing places and wildlife, you’ll have the opportunity to choose where to arrive. There are 2 options available: San Cristobal Island or Baltra Island. Although San Cristobal Island is quite close to town, attempting to land at the Baltra Island airport requires a transfer from Batra to Puerto Ayora.
Baltra Island is located in the Galapagos, just up the coast of Santa Cruz Island. During World War II, the original airport and track at Baltra served as a US airbase. This island has a small airport that receives flights daily from mainland Ecuador’s cities of Quito and Guayaquil. It is critical to emphasize that international flights to the Beautiful Islands are not available.
Even though Baltra Island does not have specific spots to tour or to stay in (hotels), it is still considered a place to spend the day due to the interesting and large amount of history you can find in the area. Above everything, people that come to Baltra enter but also leave the archipelago with gratitude.
To Puerto Ayora, take a taxi or take the bus
Here in Puerto Ayora you’ll get the chance to do a lot of things. Visitors often site anywhere along the Itabaca Channel. In this place, you will also have 2 options of transportation. By taxi or by taking the bus.
Santa Cruz taxis are usually pickup trucks and they are colored white. A taxi ride from the Itabaca Channel to Puerto Ayora costs around $20 US dollars. There will be drivers waiting at the port who will offer you a ride into town. Do not be shy to make some friends so you get the chance to share the costs. The driver will transport you to any location in town.
On the other hand, several buses will be waiting to pick up passengers and transport them to Puerto Ayora. The journey takes approximately 45 minutes. These buses are frequently overcrowded, and they lack air conditioning. The same bus will drop you off at the town’s main intersection of Charles Darwin Avenue and Baltra Avenue.
The Itabaca Channel crossed by ferry
By taking this option of transportation, you only grab your bags, go to the ferry at Itabaca Channel and put them on the roof of it. The Itabaca Channel could very well take you about 10 minutes to cross. It’s an excellent opportunity to photograph the Galapagos Islands for the first time: beautiful clear waters, beautiful green vegetation, and dazzling landscapes!
Taking the bus to the “Itabaca Channel”
You must catch a bus to the Itabaca channel after collecting your luggage and presenting your luggage tag to the person standing at the exit. These buses are usually parked outside of the terminal. If there isn’t one, don’t worry, one will arrive soon. You can store your bags in the baggage compartment or bring them along with you on the bus. The bus ride lasts about 5 minutes and takes you to the Itabaca Channel, which connects Santa Cruz and Baltra.
