Your one & only Galapagos shopping stop
The stop at Santa Cruz Island by the Lindblad Expeditions’ National Geographic Endeavour is an unusually full, busy day. Following our tour of the Darwin Research Station and seeing Lonesome George and Diego, the station’s most famous tortoises, we’re given a little over an hour to tour the waterfront of Puerto Ayora, largest city in the Galapagos. With a population of more than 10,000, Puerto Ayora contains about a third of the islands’ total human population.
Leaving the Darwin Research Station, we turn right onto Avenida Charles Darwin, the port city’s main street which ends at a plaza where buses will take us to the highlands for the rest of the day. It soon becomes clear that almost all the businesses along the street are intended for tourists. Although I spot a few hotels, restaurants and dive shops along the route, they are overwhelmed by the surplus of t-shirt shops.
Not necessarily a bad thing since this is the first and our only real opportunity to shop for Galapagos and Ecuadorian souvenirs. One of the first places we encounter is the Galapagos National Park store, which has a huge selection but whose prices are 2-3X as much as the items at the small shop at the Darwin Research Station. Too bad the Darwin Station’s shop isn’t larger; its offerings are fairly limited.
Here’s a photo scrapbook of our Puerto Ayora walk.
Along Avenida Charles Darwin in Puerto Ayora
 
             National park souvenir store solid as a rock; typical city souvenir store
 
Souvenir handmade dolls; city cemetery
                  Charles Darwin Arch, a major landmark on the outskirts of the city.
 
Shopping stop; mother & daughter on booby statue at Charles Darwin Arch park area
 
Marina with fishing boats; metal statue of a Galapagos tortoise
 
Outdoor café empty between breakfast & lunch; handicraft market sign
 
Candy-striped convenience store; yes, there is Internet!
 
Some stores really try to stand out; iguana statue across from water taxis
Pier to water taxis—and cruise ship Zodiacs—fronting Academy Bay
Lindblad Endeavour Galapagos Cruise Links
The Galapagos Experience                                                 Endeavour Dining
Galapagos Adventure Upcoming                     Sustainable Dining Policy
How Darwin Saved The Galapagos                   Saturday Dining Menus
Galapagos Photo Tips                                            Sunday Dining Menus
What To Pack For Cruise                                      Monday Dining Menus
Getting to Guayaquil                                              Tuesday Dining Menus
Las Bachas Shore Landing                                   Wednesday Dining Menus
North Seymour Shore Landing                           Thursday Dining Menus
Fernandina & Isabela Islands                             Friday Finale Menus
Urbina Bay Shore Landing                                    Endeavour Recipes
Life Aboard The Endeavour
More About Life On Board
Puerto Egas Shore Landing
Endeavour’s Floating SPA
Meeting One of World’s Rarest Animals
Puerto Ayoro Walking Tour
Santa Cruz Highlands Tour
Hunting Tortoises in the Santa Cruz Highlands
San Cristobal, Endeavour’s final stop
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