Casa Natura Galapagos Lodge

I enjoyed my time at the Casa Natura while visiting Santa Cruz Island. I dont believe I received the room I had booked as the description at booking showed 1 king bed, seating area with chairs and a tv but I received a room with king bed (two twins pushed together) and a separate queen bed, no seating area or tv. My room was on ground floor and looked over the front desk, pool and outdoor dining area which was fine in the off season but if its busy Id not want to be staying so close to all the action. No blackout drapes so be prepared to wake up with the sun. There was no wifi and mobile data service was spotty at best. The staff were super nice and helpful and I was surprised to have a nice home cooked breakfast provided each day. The lodge was located in Bellavista, a small village located 10-15 minutes drive from Puerto Ayora. Its a very rustic location with no other services nearby. A taxi to town was $5 and almost every cab driver in town knew where it was for the return trip. It's best to schedule trips in advance as taxis are not always available on moments notice in this location. The hotel did set up a nice cab driver for half day tour of highlands, a highlight of my time on the island. Overall I enjoyed my time at this rustic eco-lodge on Santa Cruz Island. It was close enough to enjoy the amenities of both town and highlands but was a quiet retreat at night.

Remote. Beautiful surroundings. I live in Ecuador and expected shortfalls. No wifi or cell signal-not surprising. Very clean and attentive staff. Big turnoff was no standard pricing. Hotel advertises airport shuttle fee of $60 each way when in fact I paid $27 to locals. Port and all tours originate 15 minutes from hotel. First day I was charged $7.00 when in fact the going rate is $5.00. Money is not the question. I consider it deceit and no way to treat a customer. They probably feel get what you can as they won’t see him again. I don’t like being treated that way. This hotel is probably best suited for South Americans in general. Being American I know what gringos expect for the price. My overall rating is in the middle because of the beauty of the islands. Might want to give it a pass.

This place has a nice interior and is located in a quiet area. However there is nothing nearby. Nothing. Not really even a place to take a walk unless it's down a dirt road. We had to pay to take a taxi for a 20 minute drive every day and pack all our gear with us each time. Snorkels, masks, money, rain gear, towels- all day each day. Then we could not really go for a swim without leaving everything on the beach. There were basically no other guests most of the time we were there, but when there were the walls and ceiling were paper thin and we could hear people talking as if they were in the same room with us. The advertised bikes did not appear. There was no wifi as advertised. There was no guide or recommendations to local attractions. The lone employee did everything (who spoke no English), booked taxis, cooked breakfast, cleaned- and then left us with a handwritten note requesting a tip! We were offered a variety of overpriced tours and a super expensive ride from the airport- $60 when the going rate is $25. The 6 am free shuttle did not arrive despite our repeated requests- until after 7, causing us to run for our boat to Santa Isabela without being able to hit up the ATM on the way out. That was really the last straw.