Experience the best of San Cristóbal

San Cristóbal lies at the eastern end of the Galápagos, roughly a thousand kilometres off the coast of Ecuador. Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, the small port town and administrative capital of the province, has a seafront where sea lions sleep on benches and jetties. Charles Darwin's ship, HMS Beagle, first touched the Galápagos here in 1835, and the interpretation centre outside town explains the islands' natural and human history.

Kicker Rock, a sheer volcanic stack split by a narrow channel, rises from the sea off the coast and is a favourite for snorkelling, with turtles and sharks beneath the surface. Inland, the freshwater crater lake of El Junco lies in the green highlands, and a breeding centre at Cerro Colorado raises giant tortoises. Beaches such as La Lobería and Punta Carola are lined with sea lions and marine iguanas, and frigatebirds nest on Tijeretas hill.

Fresh seafood is the staple: grilled fish, ceviche, lobster when the season allows, and plantain with rice, alongside strong coffee grown in the highlands. Seasons are simple: a warm, wet season from about January to May, and a cooler, drier season from June to December, when mist hangs over the uplands.