Hotel Los Algarrobos

From the street, Hotel Los Algarrobos looks, well, a bit strange. The building’s reflective blue windows, odd angles, and massive cable provider on the roof make the hotel look more like a new-age space station than a place to stay. But once inside, the hotel feels homey and familiar. The lobby is decorated like a comfortable living room, with a pillow-topped leather sectional, fuzzy red rug, and a fake fireplace. Plus, framed photos of hotel staff members make the space feel more like a home than an impersonal hotel lobby. The lobby also has a communal purified water dispenser (water in the Galapagos is not potable) and a desktop computer for guests to use. The front desk sits in the far left corner of the room, where a wood-paneled wall has a display of clocks telling the time from all over the world. 

Because of Hotel Los Algarrobos’ budget-friendly nightly rates, clean rooms, free breakfast, and excellent Wi-Fi, it’s a popular pick among travelers to San Cristobal. During our visit we encountered Ecuadorian families, middle-aged British couples, and American backpackers — all of whom seemed to carve out their own niche within the hotel. 

Hotel Los Algarrobos is ideally located in Puerto Baquerzio Moreno — the capital of the Galapagos and the largest city on the island of San Cristobal. The hotel is within walking distance of downtown shops and restaurants, several beaches, the ferry dock, and even the airport. Las Loberias, a famous beach where tons of local sea lions like to spend their days, is about a 10-minute drive or 30-minute walk from the hotel.  

San Cristobal is the second most populous island in the Galapagos, with nearly 6,000 residents. Its largest city, Puerto Baquerzio Moreno, is also the capital of the Galapagos and the seat of its local government. Because of its status as capital city, Puerto Baquerzio Moreno has multiple educational institutions, a hospital, a naval base, and its own airport with daily flights to mainland Ecuador. Puerto Baquerzio Moreno has a beautiful waterfront boulevard filled with shops, restaurants, and tourist-oriented services. The city isn’t as busy as Puerto Ayora on Santa Cruz, but has more access to goods and services than Puerto Villamil on Isabela. 

San Cristobal is home to the largest sea lion colony in the Galapagos, making it a must-visit spot for animal lovers. Here sea lions are so much a part of everyday life that travelers will encounter them swimming at local beaches, sleeping on the streets, waddling on the sidewalks, and even goofing around on playgrounds. Popular attractions on San Cristobal include Kicker Rock, Las Loberias, and the San Cristobal Interpretation Center.   

Rooms at Los Algarrobos aren’t known for incredible decor or high-tech features, but for a budget hotel, rooms are impeccably clean and equipped with nice amenities. There are multiple room types at Los Algarrobos, including small Double Rooms ideal for couples and solo travelers and larger family-style Triple and Quadruple Rooms with multiple beds. Decor varies a bit from room to room — some have bright yellow walls and bedspreads, while others feature shades of beige and white. All rooms are equipped with small flat-screen TVs, mini-fridges, and dressers. Some have small desk spaces as well. 

Tiled bathrooms have shower stalls and pedestal sinks and most are tight on space. Hot water can be iffy throughout the hotel. In order to have hot water, guests must flip a switch on the shower head, but it doesn’t always work. It’s not advisable to drink the tap water anywhere on the Galapagos, so Hotel Los Algarrobos provides its guests with purified water for drinking and teeth brushing. Guests should bring their own reusable water bottles and fill them at the hotel’s purified water dispenser in the lobby.  

Hotel Los Algarrobos offers free Wi-Fi and free daily breakfast to all guests. These two freebies are the hotel’s only notable features, besides a mostly unused rooftop deck. The Galapagos isn’t known for incredible internet connections, and most hotels with free Wi-Fi have slow, spotty service. But, amazingly, Hotel Los Algarrobos has exceptionally great internet. The Wi-Fi here is better than at any other hotel we visited in the Galapagos, and it’s free for all guests! 

The hotel serves free breakfast each morning on its rooftop terrace. Guests have a choice between American and continental options, both of which are served with fresh fruit, juice, and coffee or tea. Meals are prepared when guests arrive each morning, so there’s no need to worry about cold buffet eggs or soggy toast.