The Galapagos. To go or not to go? We spent days walking around Quito trying to find a good deal for the Galapagos cruises. Next, we considered going without a cruise. Were the day trips good enough? They amount to the almost the same as the budget cruises. Argh, so confusing! In the end we decided that the Galapagos wasn’t something you could scrimp on. We decided it wasn’t for us this time. Instead, we headed for what we had heard was called ‘The Poor Man’s Galapagos’. Same wildlife but budget prices, on the mainland coast of Ecuador…
On the bus from Guayaquil to Puerto Lopez, the scenery gradually changed from the normal Ecuadorian run-down houses, to buildings with straw roofs and finally we were at the sea! Don’t think that this was absolute paradise – we are still in South America! – but it was on the beach and it was hot. We took a tuk-tuk to our simple little beach hut, ready for a few days of chill out time.
The main reason tourists visit Puerto Lopez is to see Isla de la Plata, aka ‘the poor man’s Galapagos’. We were here in low season (April), which is lucky because in high the tours are near to $100 / £72 and have a long waiting list. We manage to sign up for one the following day, through our hostel.
Leading our tour is a fantastic guide. We get on the boat and ride an hour to the island. As we approach we are absolutely astounded by the number of birds there are circling it. For a tiny moment I can understand the price and the interest in going to the Galapagos; it’s just incredible. We spend the day walking around the island looking at the species. Our favourite is the blue footed boobie (which is what we came to see), the frigates which have a big red balloon type neck (!), nazca boobies (especially their fluffy chicks!) and the 4cm hummingbird which is native only to the island. What was great about this place was that it was the bird’s island. There are no buildings or structures here and the guides were very respectful of the wildlife.
I loved how the guide was so enthusiastic about wildlife. He carried his own camera and was taking as many shots as us; especially of chicks of a certain age. He said he doesn’t have many photos of those!
After lunch we snorkel and immediately see a group of giant sea turtles. We then see rays and so many tropical fish. Great day, and although we can’t lay claim to having visited the Galapagos, the guide assures us that he prefers it at the Plata!
In hindsight, after talking to fellow travellers who did visit the Galapagos, we should have taken the opportunity to visit while we were there. However, we had just started our trip and would have blown a tenth of our budget in only five days. But hey, you live and you learn and the poor man’s version is definitely worth a visit!
GO | The seaside town to head for is Puerto Viejo. We came via bus from Guayaquil ($3.50 / £2.50), which takes around 4 hours. We stayed at Cabanas del Sur for $25 / £18 per night. We paid $40 / £29 each for our tour (low season), organised through the accommodation.
