Reserva El Chato
Reserva El Chato
4.5
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from
$8.75
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- AdomvatikTel Aviv, Israel375 contributionsA Must Go place in Galapagos VisitAn Amazing place. after the reserve and the museum, this place completes the experience of watching the giant turtles. How they live in a free habitat. Simply amazing. Also, the Lava tunnels are extraordinary. Go with an expert and have the full explanation how they were formed. Don't miss it!Visited May 2024Traveled with friendsWritten June 6, 2024
- Camilla304San Francisco, California186 contributionsDon’t miss.Fantastic. Don’t miss. This was a great experience to walk around and watch the turtles doing their thing. Like all things in Galapagos you were with a trained guide so there’s not a lot of time to just sit and watch, but it was still amazing. At the end, there is a brief tour of lava tunnels which you can opt out of if you are claustrophobic.Visited June 2024Traveled soloWritten June 21, 2024
- Go hard and then go HomeMelbourne, Australia392 contributionsWild roaming tortoises, lava tunnels and extinct volcanoesEnjoyable stroll through the reserve with the ability to get up and personal with these majestic creatures. The lava tunnels are part of the tour and are interesting without being exciting. Stop on the way and watch the tortoise and cows graze together ! Had a quick walk around the two extinct volcanoes.Visited July 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten July 13, 2024
- GeorgeglasBrantford, Canada86 contributionsWow! Beautiful creatures who are well cared for. Amazing learning opportunity to understand more about the Galapagos.Wonderful way to see these amazing creatures and learn about them. Pros: - Passionate English speaking guide who was engaging and humorous. - Learning about the breeding and life cycle - Lots of time to take photos. - Clean washrooms on site - Restaurant on site Cons: None Lava Tunnels: Lava Tunnels nearby. Lava tunnels are “okay”. Interesting to walk through. Well lit. Taxi driver drops you off at one end and meets you at the other end. About a 10 min max walk through.Visited July 2024Traveled with friendsWritten July 29, 2024
- Nicole AFort Collins, Colorado1,495 contributionsGreat lunch, amazing tortoises and cool lava tunnels!Our taxi driver drove us here from the water taxi after arriving at the airport. First he stopped at Los Gemelos crater. Then we stopped here and had a really delicious lunch. Afterwards, they assigned us a guide to walk through the reserve and the lava tunnels. Our guide was fantastic. it’s so amazing to see all of the really cool tortoises.Visited June 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten September 26, 2024
- PatrycjaEdinburgh, United Kingdom2,504 contributionsGreat place to visit giant tortoisesWe visited the ranch as part of the Santa Cruz island tour. Our driver picked us up from the airport and stoped over here before taking us to the hotel in Puerto Ayora. It’s a fantastic way to start your holiday in Galapagos, we saw a number of tortoises on the way to the ranch and then had time with our guide to take as many photos as we wanted. We also had lunch here and it was very tasty, Ecuadorean ceviche and fish for main served alongside wine made at the estate. It is a must see place when in Santa Cruz.Visited November 2024Traveled as a coupleWritten December 7, 2024
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Chemtrailer
Canada404 contributions
Dec 2023 • Couples
A very interesting visit. Our travel agent informed us that many of the highland tortoise ranches are all the same: Rancho Primicias, Cerro Mesa etc .... So we just chose this one.
A 25 min taxi from Puerto Ayora.
$10/adult entry fee and when enough people are present they launch you off on a guided interpretive tour. We only waitee about 10 mins. Rubber boots are provided and if you're here in the wet season be sure to wear them as you'll be ankle-deep in mud.
Walking amongst the giant tortoises was fascinating and the guide made it all the more interesting.
There are also a couple of fascinating lave tube tunnels.
The whole thing takes an hour.
There's a restaurant and bar so time your visit to coincide with lunch.
A 25 min taxi from Puerto Ayora.
$10/adult entry fee and when enough people are present they launch you off on a guided interpretive tour. We only waitee about 10 mins. Rubber boots are provided and if you're here in the wet season be sure to wear them as you'll be ankle-deep in mud.
Walking amongst the giant tortoises was fascinating and the guide made it all the more interesting.
There are also a couple of fascinating lave tube tunnels.
The whole thing takes an hour.
There's a restaurant and bar so time your visit to coincide with lunch.
Written December 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
clark5662
Saint Louis, MO180 contributions
Jul 2021
We landed on Baltra, took the bus, then the ferry, and then a taxi (which had been previously arranged through our AirBnB) to El Chato. We paid the entrance fee and was offered a naturalist guide to lead us on a tour around the property. The guide works for tips and is optional.
We went ahead and accepted the guide and I am glad we did. What would have been a pretty short trip around the property looking at awesome giant tortoises, turned into an hour long nature presentation with someone who knows a lot about the flora and fauna of the Galapagos and spoke perfect English! The guide also led us through the lava tunnel and explained how the tunnel was created.
I felt it was worth giving the guide $10 per person. This is what other guides (who were not optional) charged and our guy did as good as job as they did.
We went ahead and accepted the guide and I am glad we did. What would have been a pretty short trip around the property looking at awesome giant tortoises, turned into an hour long nature presentation with someone who knows a lot about the flora and fauna of the Galapagos and spoke perfect English! The guide also led us through the lava tunnel and explained how the tunnel was created.
I felt it was worth giving the guide $10 per person. This is what other guides (who were not optional) charged and our guy did as good as job as they did.
Written July 21, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just Joe
Napa, CA330 contributions
Jan 2024 • Solo
Great reserve, LOTS of very old tortugas and a great bilingual Guide. Only $10 gets you a semi-private 90 minute walk through on their trails, turtles, and 2 lava tube walk-thrus. They provide tall mud boots too. I rode a bike there from PTO Aroya and back and it was awesome. Highly recommend!
Written January 4, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dizzle
Devon, UK503 contributions
Nov 2024 • Couples
We walked here from Santa Rosa and saw many tortoises along the way.
When we got to El Chato, it was $10 pp and a guide which we had to wait for about 10-15 minutes for and we was quite tight on schedule, luckily it was only for about 30-35 minutes.
Our tour guide was so uneuthiastic, clearly didnt want to be there. Was looking at his phone constantly, thought maybe he was checking what he was going to say next or something but apparently he was playing chess on it!
We met big Roy too which was great, we did however learn some facts about the tortoises!
The lava tunnels was quite interesting too.
When we got to El Chato, it was $10 pp and a guide which we had to wait for about 10-15 minutes for and we was quite tight on schedule, luckily it was only for about 30-35 minutes.
Our tour guide was so uneuthiastic, clearly didnt want to be there. Was looking at his phone constantly, thought maybe he was checking what he was going to say next or something but apparently he was playing chess on it!
We met big Roy too which was great, we did however learn some facts about the tortoises!
The lava tunnels was quite interesting too.
Written November 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Peter
Rotterdam, The Netherlands75 contributions
Apr 2022
Reserva El Chato is a 30 minute drive away from Puerto Ayora and it cost me 50 dollars (plus a 5 dollar tip for my guide). My taxi driver was Carlos, a soccer player for Santa Cruz (I had no idea they had their own soccer league on the Galapagos Islands!).
At the reserve I got a private tour from Nayeli, a really cool girl who spoke some Korean and likes manga, and who will be visiting Singapore in a few months. The tour lasted 45 minutes. I saw some giant turtles indeed and also some lava tunnels.
So all in all, it's a short tour, but I do think this is one of the highlights on Santa Cruz.
At the reserve I got a private tour from Nayeli, a really cool girl who spoke some Korean and likes manga, and who will be visiting Singapore in a few months. The tour lasted 45 minutes. I saw some giant turtles indeed and also some lava tunnels.
So all in all, it's a short tour, but I do think this is one of the highlights on Santa Cruz.
Written May 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GNS333
Toronto, Canada56 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
We took a taxi from Puerto Ayora for 40 USD round trip. This also included waiting time at the ranch.
The entrance fee was 10USD per person. A guide will take you around to see the lava tunnels and the tortoises.
We had visited the tortoise research centre in Isabela island and was glad that we also went to the El Chato reserve. It's was totally different experience to see the tortoises roaming around freely.
The entrance fee was 10USD per person. A guide will take you around to see the lava tunnels and the tortoises.
We had visited the tortoise research centre in Isabela island and was glad that we also went to the El Chato reserve. It's was totally different experience to see the tortoises roaming around freely.
Written December 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
travel193
Orange County, CA492 contributions
Dec 2021 • Couples
I visited El Chato Reserve as part of a half day Highlands tour. It was definitely a highlight of my trip to the Galápagos to see the iconic giant tortoises. Though El Chato is a private reserve and you’re not seeing the tortoises in the wild, the reserve is vast and open so you don’t feel like you’re in a zoo or a completely contrived experience. There were tortoises everywhere and it was pretty great to see them walk, chew, and we even saw one try to mate.
After the tour we had a delicious lunch there and were pleasantly surprised that they have a vegetarian option. They served a large portion of pesto (or pomodoro option) pasta with freshly baked bread. I am not sure if the pasta was vegan.
It’s a relaxing half day tour with the lava tunnels and a quick stop at the Los Gemelos sink holes. I recommend wearing closed toe shoes! Not even Keens as it can get slippery and muddy. I was glad to be wearing shoes with good tread.
ProTip: you’ll pass the reserve on your way from Baltra to town and vice versa, so you may be able to fit in a visit on a travel day.
After the tour we had a delicious lunch there and were pleasantly surprised that they have a vegetarian option. They served a large portion of pesto (or pomodoro option) pasta with freshly baked bread. I am not sure if the pasta was vegan.
It’s a relaxing half day tour with the lava tunnels and a quick stop at the Los Gemelos sink holes. I recommend wearing closed toe shoes! Not even Keens as it can get slippery and muddy. I was glad to be wearing shoes with good tread.
ProTip: you’ll pass the reserve on your way from Baltra to town and vice versa, so you may be able to fit in a visit on a travel day.
Written May 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Heather
Las Vegas, NV1,603 contributions
Sep 2022 • Solo
The lobby offers bathrooms and free coffee & tea. There's also an area with local artwork for sale as well as some other small souvenirs. They also provide rain boots for you to wear which is great so you don't have to worry about mud and poo. The staff were considerate of the tortoises and made sure we didn't get too close to them. I got to see several large tortoises, as well as to walk through a lava tube. Concerning ADA, the lava tubes wouldn't be accessible. The path through the reserve is fairly flat but is rocky and frequently muddy.
Written October 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Leslie D
Malvern, PA47 contributions
May 2023
Day excursion while on Santa Cruz. Very interesting but we got to see Land Turtles on all the other islands and this is similar to other free places on other islands. However, we enjoyed the tour with a few stops along the way. It is a long walk from town down a long bumpy road (we saw a few people walking from town, I recommend getting a private driver or taxi from the local bus). We had our own tour guide who was very informative. We had rain which made the turtles more active which was fun. We really enjoyed crawling into the shells at the store/restaurant at the end. They give you boots to walk around in. The only place on Santa Cruz we saw large turtles but San Cristobal had a free turtle center that showed the breading process and on Isabela you see them along the road to the "wall of tears".
Written May 30, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Judith R
Cincinnati, OH324 contributions
Mar 2022
Coming face-to-face with the Giant Tortoises is like no other experience on earth. Tour guides explain the history and lives of the tortoises, as well as guide you though the lava tunnels. The onsite restaurant also serves a hearty meal on a covered deck where you can watch the tortoises walk slowly by as you dine. A "must see" location.
Written April 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola quisiera saber qué cuesta el taxi desde Puerto Ayora hasta la reserva primicias
Written September 9, 2024
Hello, I am planning to visit el chart directly from the airport. I was wondering if this site has a locker / luggage storage to keep the backpack while we see the turtles?
I would really be appreciated if someone gives the answers . Thanks.
Written February 12, 2019
I don't think I saw any but am not sure - I would contact them to ask
Written February 17, 2019
pandawurm
Zurich, Switzerland
Hi! We wanted to visit Reserva Elm Chato in the afternoon. What are the opening times?
Written March 21, 2018
I am not sure about their openinghours! I suggest you Google this! They have open during daytime!!!
It is a very nice place to stroll around and they also have a nice restaurant for lunch!!!
Written March 22, 2018
Hola rodrigo! me podrìas pasar el contacto del taxi? llegamos aprox 12 pm al aeropuerto de baltra, llegaremos a hacer la reserva ese mismo dìa?
Alguna recomendaciòn de galapagos?
gracias
Written October 8, 2017
Hola, soy Gisella, te recomiendo que si vas a Santa Cruz vayas a la Hostal Seymur, el encargado es el señor Hector excelente anfitriĂłn, y te da las mejores recomendaciones. Yo te sugiero segĂşn los dĂas que vayas, el primer dĂa que estĂ©s en Santa Cruz si llegas pasado ell medio dĂa que vayas a la playa tortuga bay, y te tomes el dĂa, hay un guardia y te explica bien todo, y luego a la noche a cualquier discoteca o bar, hay una buena y es la mejor que se llama la Panga, antes ve a cenar a la calle de los Kioscos se come y cena muy bien, como decimos es bueno, bonito y barato, un almuerzo por 5 dĂłlares, y cena 10 dĂłlares. TambiĂ©n te recomiendo que no pagues a guias en tour para recorrer internamente la isla, o recorrer la parte alta como le llaman, yo pague al taxi para que me llevĂł a 2 lugares por 90 euros, y fue a al reserva del Chato y a los gemelos, lo haces tu solo, asĂ ahorras dinero. Lo que si pague es los demás tours que son navegables y están bien en especial el tour de Bahia que están las grietas donde se puede bañar. Luego sin dejar de visitar la estaciĂłn Charles Darwin donde esta disecado el solitario George.
Y el taxista muy recomendable es Oscar Martinez te paso su tlf te hace excelente precio 0982589897....muy honesto. le dice que le paso el dato Gisella de Barcelona ( estuve en Mayo son mis sobrinos)...
TambiĂ©n te recomiendo que vayas a Isabela y te quedes una noche y hagas la visita al Volcán Sierra Negra, los tĂşneles y tintoreras ( este es muy bueno, no dejes de hacerlo), tengo una amiga biĂłloga y guĂa y te puede hacer un buen descuento se llama Carmen te paso tlf 0991757735, ella te recomendara un buen lugar para comer, y el Hostal La Jungla esta al pie de la playa y la dueña se llama Sandra, buena amiga de Carmen (la guĂa). Bueno espero te sirva todo, suerte y un abrazo. Y si vas a Sant Cristobal me avisas que tengo amigos guias, ok
Written October 10, 2017
Is there a time of the day that is better for this visit? Morning, afternoon? When the tortoises are more active maybe?
Written August 5, 2017
We visited the farm in the afternoon on our way from the airport to our accommodation in town. We walked around the farm and photographed many tortoises eating and stretching their necks. There is a large cafe where we had afternoon tea, as part of our transfer.
Written August 5, 2017
Is there a time of the day that is better for this visit? Morning, afternoon? When the tortoises are more active maybe?
Written August 5, 2017
In all honesty, the site is pretty big and it's not like you would bump into people all the time. We were there late in the afternoon around 3pm and it wasn't THAT busy. Some of the tortoises were sleeping and some were active so I think it's probably pot luck!
Written August 8, 2017
hola viajo en febrero es buena fecha vamos en flia y costos gracias
Written July 30, 2017
En Galapagos siempre es buena epoca, lo que varia son las Ă©pocas secas o lluviosas, pero siempre hace calor. Galapagos son un conjunto de islas, pero tres son las habitadas y de allĂ salen las excursiones y cada una tiene su encanto. Es difĂcil decir costos ya que depende si hay cosas que quieras hacer por tu cuenta y el tipo de alojamiento que prefieran. Igual que viajar entre islas lo puedes hacer con las lanchas pero siempre salen de Puerto Ayoras con lo cual organiza lo que quieras conocer a partir de este dato, ya que los viajes son cansadores y solo salen dos veces al dĂa. Cualquier consulta a tu disposiciĂłn
Written July 31, 2017
Hello, Do you need to do a tour to see this? What was the price? How far is this from Puerto Ayora? Thanks, Mike
Written March 24, 2017
Arranging transport on the islands is your best option to move around, either book an excursion or negotiate with a taxi driver. The ranch is around the centre of the island. Your visit should include the "Los Gemelos" pit craters and whilst at the ranch you get to visit the "Lava Tunnels" we used a private taxi for the trip but I can't recall how much that cost, sorry.
Written March 25, 2017
Hola, Pensamos ir a Galápagos en agosto, que opinan? Gracias
Written February 28, 2017
Hola Rubén P! Es un destino que puede visitarse en cualquier época del año, en Agosto tengo entendido que hay corrientes marinas que llevan el agua un poco más fresca pero de todas formas van a ver todas las especies y disfrutar de esos paisajes únicos en el mundo. Un saludo !
Written March 1, 2017
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