Puerto Baquerizo Moreno: sea lions in the street in the…

Capital of the Galápagos on the island of San Cristóbal, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno coexists daily with sea lions that sleep undisturbed on the benches along the waterfront.

Boats and guided excursions remain the primary way to explore the island.

The city waterfront, where sea lions freely lie on benches and piers, offers one of the closest contacts with Galápagos wildlife possible.

Just minutes away, the Interpretation Center recounts the geological and natural history of the archipelago, as well as Charles Darwin's 1835 voyage, with period panels and photographs.

Continuing on, you reach La Lobería, a beach where you can swim alongside sea lions and turtles in shallow, transparent waters.

Inland, El Junco Lagoon, the archipelago's only permanent freshwater lake, occupies a volcanic crater surrounded by lush vegetation and aquatic birds.

The sea lions of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno show no fear of human presence whatsoever, accustomed over generations to coexisting with residents: you sometimes have to step over them to walk on the pier.

Charles Darwin landed on San Cristóbal in 1835, and it was here that he began the observations on Galápagos fauna that would later inspire the theory of evolution.