Reserva El Chato
Reserva El Chato
4.5
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from $8.75
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
1,980 reviews
Excellent
1,291
Very good
554
Average
112
Poor
18
Terrible
5

clark5662
Saint Louis, MO175 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.
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.

Peter
Rotterdam, The Netherlands80 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.
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, Canada35 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.
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, CA276 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.
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, NV472 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, PA46 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, OH333 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.

navinpasari
New York City, New York217 contributions
Dec 2021
You can see giant tortoises galore. It has a $5 entry fees which includes a walking tour with a guide, as well a visit to the lave tunnel. If you want to save the money for fees and the time on the tour, theoretically, you can find the tortoises on the road to the reserve.
Written January 3, 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.

jakemisra
Boston, MA37 contributions
Aug 2021
El Chato is a great place to see tortoises migrating through the highlands. They will give a great tour through the lava tunnels and show you tons of the tortoises in the wild. They are not kept here on a farm, but walk through naturally in the area.

My favorite part is that when the tour was over, they let us walk around the farm unattended to take photos of birds and tortoises. This is extremely uncommon in the Galapagos, and we deeply appreciated the quiet time hiking.
Written March 31, 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.

spendingpension
Lincoln, UK242 contributions
Sep 2022
ok we came to see the tortoises, but I have to mention the lunch. We had a great meal while a local musician played and tried to sell original art. This was memorable. Our guide spoke English but we combined with a party of spanish speakers. The guide told us a little about the tortoises and answered my questions.
Written September 26, 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.

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Reserva El Chato (Puerto Ayora) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

Frequently Asked Questions about Reserva El Chato

Reserva El Chato admission prices can vary. Entrance tickets currently cost $8.75, while a popular guided tour starts around $25.65 per person. See all 31 Reserva El Chato tickets and tours on Tripadvisor

Reserva El Chato can be crowded, so we recommend booking e-tickets ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund. See all 31 Reserva El Chato tickets and tours on Tripadvisor



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