Route
Guayaquil (GYE) ──── flight, ~2 h ──── San Cristóbal (SCY)
│
Puerto Baquerizo Moreno ─ Playa Mann ─ La Lobería ─ Kicker Rock
Guayaquil is the gateway to the Galápagos, and the marathon puts you in the right city. Flights run daily to San Cristóbal and Baltra, and the flight takes about two hours. The islands sit one hour behind mainland Ecuador, so set your watch back on arrival.
Before anything else, check the paperwork. Visitors need a transit control card, bought before check-in at the airport, and pay a national park entry fee on arrival. The park fee for foreign adults was raised sharply in 2024; check current amounts on the park and airline sites before you travel. Book flights and a hotel before the race if you want the days immediately afterwards, since seats fill. Do not buy a non-refundable ticket until the date of the next marathon is confirmed.
October in the Galápagos
October falls in the cool, dry garúa season. Skies are often grey with a fine mist, days run 22 to 25 °C and the water is cool, around 20 to 22 °C. A shorty wetsuit makes a real difference for snorkelling and is available from dive shops. Sea lion pups are born from roughly August onward, so the colonies are loud and busy.
Night one: Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
The town is small enough to cross on foot in fifteen minutes. The waterfront promenade is flat and paved, and sea lions sleep on the benches, the slipway and the sand. Keep two metres away. The walk from the pier to Playa Mann, the town beach, takes about ten minutes and is level the whole way. Sit and watch the pups.
For a bed, Casa de Laura and the Miconia Hotel are both established small hotels in town, with rooms ranging from simple to comfortable. Prices on the islands are higher than on the mainland, so confirm rates on their own sites.
Days two and three: walks and snorkels
The Interpretation Centre sits on the edge of town and explains the geology and human history of the islands, with free entry. The path up to Cerro Tijeretas is a gentle climb through dry forest to a viewpoint where frigatebirds nest, and the descent leads to a small cove with good snorkelling. The climb is real on tired legs. Go on day three, not day two.
La Lobería is a short taxi ride and a flat walk from the airport road, and has a sea lion colony on rocky shore with snorkelling off the beach. Playa Punta Carola is a stretch of sand just beyond the airport where surfers and sea lions share the waves.
Day four: Kicker Rock
León Dormido, known as Kicker Rock, is a split volcanic stack that rises sheer from the sea about two hours by boat from the town. The full-day tour includes snorkelling in the channel between the two halves, where Galápagos sharks, rays and turtles pass. Tours are sold by operators on the main street and cost more than a day of mainland sightseeing. The sea can be rough in October; take seasickness tablets if you are prone to it.
Eat at the small restaurants on the seafront, where set lunches of fish, rice and soup are cheaper than à la carte dinners. Fresh seafood is the safest choice.
Getting home
Fly back from San Cristóbal (SCY) to Guayaquil, then connect on to your onward flight from José Joaquín de Olmedo airport (GYE). Leave a night in Guayaquil between the island flight and an international departure, since flights can be delayed. Check current schedules before you book.