Isla de San Cristobal has a relaxed, casual atmosphere to it, almost Caribbean in its vibe. The main strip of the shops and restaurants runs along the beach. The Sea Lions have made themselves at home amongst the human constructions in the Galapagos and clutter the main strip. A particular favourite for the sea lions are benches near the sea. A typical 'park' bench is just the right length and width for a sea lion to stretch out and relax.

Bahía Rosa Blanca

Our first stop on the 360 Tour was a hike around part of the island seeing some of the local flora and fauna. Our boat pulled up into the white sand bay, and we jumped off and walked through the island. 

While on the island, a turtle crawled up from the water and was sunbathing near our mooring rope.

The visibility of wildlife is incredible. During our hike to and from the snorkelling bay, we saw a range of birds and lizards, including the Blue Footed Boobie.

We dropped our gear at a low rock shelf with a wooden handrail and went snorkelling for about an hour. There was a huge stingray, almost impossible to notice until he moved and in a side cove, a collection of white-tipped reef sharks.

Most incredibly was a Green Sea Turtle, who was indifferent to our splashing around and allowed us to follow her around as she swam around her bay. (the small tail makes it clear the Turtle was a female) This was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life, I swam with her for perhaps fifteen minutes, in silence, taking photos, one of which became the basis for the tattoo on my shoulder.

Visibility was poor close to the rocks, but closer to the ocean, it improved significantly. As did the strength of the tide.

Cerro Brujo

Witches Rock is a beach and sight often stopped at, and the most photographed spot is the arch 'window' in the rock face that allows you to see Kickers Rock. Some tours will stop here to make the most of the white sand beaches.

Nearby there are also coves you can fit the boat into with striking striated colours on the rocks due to the assorted minerals brought in by the ocean and forever washed against the stone.

Punta Pitt

Not far from the shore is an outcropping of rock where birds congregate. Every inch of it is lined with the Boobies, gulls and all sorts of others nest, rest and fly here. There were hundreds visible at any one time. Several followed our boat for quite some time, hoping for some fish from our lines.

Roca León Dormido

A famous sight in the Galapagos, Kicker Rock is a favourite place for snorkelers and divers, rich in diverse life. It is incredibly cold in the Pacific around the rock. The cold cuts to the bone after a short time. We were all in 3/4 wetsuits, and more than a few of the group headed back onto the boat early rather than remain.

Kicker Rock itself rises out of the water, with sheer sides and a distinctive shape, dominating what you can see. It looms, magnificent and memorable. It is an eroded cone of volcanic tuff (ash) standing in the middle of the ocean.

Below you, you may see a dark shadow and think you have seen the bottom. Swim down far enough, and you realise it is fish, thousands of them in a constant stream, a school district of fish, rushing past you, and never stopping.

Looking down, I was startled as the tubular shape of a sea lion swam underneath me before disappearing off into the distance.

Centro de Interpretacion

Run by two universities, a couple of rooms give a great deal of detail on the history and current environmental crisis facing the Galapagos Islands. Freshwater for the people and animals is in very short supply, but effective methods of providing it have limited sustainability due to the spread of the population over the islands.

Past the centre itself, a large area of wilderness, with cultivated paths and viewpoints extends through the island.

Playa Mann Beach

Head down to this small strip of beach at sunset to see all the sea lions making their way onto land for the evening and catch the spectacular sunset. The view may be a little spoiled by the working ships moored out at sea, but the colours fill the sky.

Muelle Tijeretas Beach

Beach is a strong word for the bare stone that drops suddenly into the bay, and it is a swimming and snorkelling spot more than anything.

Easily visible from the Mirador Cerro Tijeretas viewpoint, the Muelle Tijeretas beach is in the protected area of the Centro de Interpretacion and offers, on the sharp rock edges a way into the water for some snorkelling. An excellent way to wash the sweat from climbing in the humidity off yourself.

By swimming further out from the edges, we found some sea turtles making themselves comfortable at the bottom of the sea, they're shockingly graceful in the water, moving with slow, deliberate stroke. After most of us had climbed out, our guide and one of the tour had the chance to swim with a pair of friendly sea lions. Blowing bubbles underwater attracts their attention, and they love to play.

Hostel Emmanuel & The Point

Offering very popular and very good brownies and free coffee this surfer hostel prides itself on its eco-friendly nature. Its fairly basic, but fine as hostels go.

Rosita's

A space for large groups set a street or so back from the beach they offer a tasty lunchtime set menu. Starting with soup with a couple of varieties of hot sauce and followed by a beef stew. The seating is all outdoors but covered. Very reasonable prices.

The Crazy Crab

Beach-front and famous, the Crazy Crab serves incredible fresh fish dishes. I had a fresh fish and coconut stew, that was fantastic. The service was slow, but we were ten people and took up half the restaurant. All the meals are fresh to order, so they didn't make us wait for no reason; we just needed patience.

"The cocktails were also large and strong, leading to threats from some of post-dinner cartwheel competitions along the beach."

Giuseppe's

Set above a sweetshop, Guiseppe's is an Italian restaurant specialising in pizza, which it does well. A good-sized restaurant, they're ready for large groups and catered for all of us comfortably. There was a small mix-up in language when we asked for 'a hot chocolate', and they prepared eight.

360 Tour

A number of tours are offered of varying focus and length. The majority of the group opted to do the full day 360 tour, a trip all the way around the island seeing some of its major sights and allowing for a lot of swimming and snorkelling. We were kitted up first thing in the morning with a wetsuit, snorkels and fins before loading up onto the boat for the trip. We headed counter-clockwise around the island as our time to swim at Kicker Rock was towards the end of the day. The tour took us through Bahía Rosa Blanca, Bird Rock and Kicker Rock as well as some fortunate whale watching.

Mirador Cerro Tijeretas

One of several viewpoints in the Centro de Interpretacion, a steep walk with some overhanging branches, (which were a hazard to one of our group with limited vision) leads you to a wooden deck looking out over beaches and the ocean.

One of the decks also holds a tall statue in green stone of Charles Darwin. His impact is felt everywhere here, from coffee shop names to the tour boats. How different life would be here had he come to his revelation at a different place. Who would still come out to these distant islands and see their wonder?

It was our first time seeing the landscape of the island with any sense of scale, and it is a strange sight. When you talk of islands in the pacific, your mind naturally goes to tropical beaches and island paradise like Hawaii. The Galapagos are not like that, strange, almost alien-looking plants and trees dominate a volcanic rock soil. Animals are everywhere. The waters are blue, and shift colours from almost crystal to a deep wine-dark expanse. There is no shelter from the waves, as these small islands stand thousands of miles out to sea.

Whale Watching

We were incredibly fortunate, as we were rounding the tip of the island on the 360 Tour, the captain spotted a whale on the sonar. A couple of us rushed to the front of the boat, balancing carefully on the railings as there was no pathway. With my two cameras slung across me, this was a nerve-racking experience.

In the distance, a mother Humpback Whale and her calf played in the water. At one point, she was breaching almost entirely before diving back below the water. The size of these creatures is remarkable, easily on par with our boat and much more massive, and yet they can throw themselves out of the water into the air with reckless abandon.

Breathtaking.