Chatham Island Galapagos

About San Cristobal or Chatham Island

It is one of the oldest and nearest to the mainland in the eastern part of the island, which means that it is the furthest away hotspot of all, about 200 kilometres from it, without major igneous activities. The island consists of four interconnected volcanos and is the most moist island due to subterranean aquifer and freshwater currents.

and the English used to call it Chatam because of William Pitt, the Prime Minister of Chatam. This is the largest freshwater pond in the El Junco islands, situated in the southern part of the island at an altitude of 660 metres above sealevel. The red-legged booby can be found in a nest in Punta Pitt.

It is the island's capitol, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, with about 7,000 inhabitants. The city has established an interpretation centre where you can find out about the island's biology and history. Chuckles Darwin travels to San Cristobal. It was the first island Charles Darwin ever went to, and his first idea of the arid coastline he saw was of an abandoned and secluded place.

One of the only two places where the red-legged booby can be found in a nest settlement, Punta Pitt has an astonishing reddish countryside full of sesuvium, a very particular species of indigenous plants that takes on colour according to the time of year. The only place in the arcipelago where red-footed boobies, Nasca boobies and blue-footed boobies nest is Cerro Brujo.

Tijereta's visitors page is the first point Charles Darwin came to on his itinerary. Near the centre of the interpretive centre there is a quiet, cliffy cove, a beautiful snorkelling area and a viewpoint for frigate birds that nest, from which the place has its name, Taireti. On the south-western side of the island, Cerro Colorado houses the Turtle Farming Centre, a semi-natural area established to rebuild and preserve the island's turtle populations.