Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the capital of the Galápagos province, set on the southwestern tip of San Cristóbal Island. It is smaller and quieter than Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz, and feels more like a real town than a tourist hub — sea lions lounge on the benches along the waterfront, and frigate birds wheel overhead.
San Cristóbal was the first island Darwin visited in 1835, and it remains one of the best for wildlife encounters without a cruise. The National Park's Interpretation Centre, a short walk from town, is an excellent introduction to the islands' natural and human history. Frigatebird Hill, just above the centre, offers views over the harbour and a nesting colony of both great and magnificent frigate birds.
Kicker Rock (León Dormido), a dramatic volcanic formation rising from the sea about an hour offshore, is one of the top snorkelling and diving sites in the Galápagos — hammerhead sharks, sea turtles and rays are common in its channel. Other accessible sites include Isla Lobos (sea lion colony), Punta Pitt (the only place in the archipelago where all three booby species nest together), and Puerto Chino, a surf beach on the island's south coast.
Flights arrive daily from Quito and Guayaquil. Inter-island boats connect to Santa Cruz.