Our final day in the Galapagos Islands was an active one. We hired bikes for $15 for the day complete with helmets and a tool kit (I’m still impressed with being given a tool kit!). Here’s where we wound up on our trip cycling the Galapagos Islands!
Cycling the Galapagos Islands
Our destination was El Garrapatero beach on the Eastern side of Santa Cruz, 21km away. There were some steep hills in the mix too; a bit harsh for someone who hasn’t really done any exercise in three months!
On the way we passed through Bellavista where we spotted a sign for some lava tunnels. We’d seen some lava tunnels in Santa Rosa, but these claimed to be the 2nd longest lava tunnels in South America. We decided to give them a go and for $3 we were provided with a torch and shown the way down.
The whole tunnel is 2250m long, but visitors can only walk 800m of it. They’re far more impressive than the tunnels in Santa Rosa: taller, deeper and longer. It’s a shame more guide books and tours don’t mention these ones.
Continuing on route with some more up and down cycling we eventually reached the downhill section we’d been waiting for. We wooshed down at speed. The enjoyment was ruined every so slightly by the thought that we’d beep climbing back up these steep hills in a few hours…
Our reward for two hours cycling was another beautiful beach. After a much needed dip to cool down we tucked into peanut butter sandwiches, and I fell asleep for the next few hours.
As expected the road back was not fun to start with. I felt like I was going nowhere on some of the hills! The only thing getting me through was the thought of the downhill once we reached Bellavista again (and some gummy bears!).
Last Updated on October 31, 2023 by Hannah
Hannah started That Adventurer after graduating back in 2013 and has documented all of her adventures since then. From backpacking South America to city breaks in Europe, a 3 month road trip across the USA in a self-converted van and 6 years living in Canada, you’ll find posts on all of this.
Hannah specialises in active travel and on That Adventurer you’ll find hiking, walking, biking, skiing and all sorts of active travel guides to allow you to see a destination in an adventurous way.
Now back in Europe, you’ll find new guides as Hannah and her husband spend the next year ‘digital nomading’ from Norway to Portugal, Switzerland to Scotland and places in between.
I don’t think I’ve ever been underground like that, there are some mines here in Belgium that you can go into, which we are planning to visit at some point.
Nice reward for a good cycle! Looks like there was no one else there too.