I arrived at Gecko Guesthouse a hot, sweaty, hungry (really I guess hangry at this point) mess as I had taken the long way apparently to get there (thanks Google Maps) and it was just a long dusty road that my suitcase did NOT want to roll on. And, it was pretty much all uphill. And it was boiling hot out. The owner of the property was there, with her doggos, and I just melted. She spoke basically no English, which is a 1000% fine but I was in a spot where I just couldn't remember much Spanish so I just started crying. The poor woman. She was very kind, got me situated in my room, was surprised that it really was just me, turned on my AC for me, and let me be. She was truly a gem. She checked on me later when I went to leave and I thanked her profusely and told her that I felt much better.
Located on Santa Cruz Island in the Galapagos, is a cute property with a few different rooms available for rent, all separate from the others. The guesthouse is a little tucked away from the main drag, which I loved since it was quieter. The great thing about the ports in the Galapagos is that even when you're far from the center you're still just a five or so minute walk from it.
For $45 I received a large room, I guess it would be considered a suite. I don't honestly know what criteria you need to be a suite, but this had 2 beds- a single and a double- a small kitchenette, a washing machine, a little private outdoor space, and a community outdoor space. I'm pretty sure I've mentioned this in other posts, but I did not plan well for the Galapagos, seriously underestimating how much time I would need at each island. That's what happens when you have to change gears and plan a new trip two weeks before going! No time to research. Anyway, I would have loved to stay on Santa Cruz 5-7 days easily, same with the other islands I visited. Except maybe Floreana. I think 3 days might be my max there.
With that being said, I only booked two nights here as Santa Cruz was really just a stop to get to the other islands, as the ferries for those all leave from here. I truly didn't get to enjoy this property as much as I would have liked and I implore you my dear readers to stay here and take advantage of the amenities. I mostly regret not enjoying that outdoor space. It was ridiculously hot during the day, but the morning hours and the evenings provided comfortable temperatures that would have been perfect for lounging. A good take away from this whole trip really was to give myself more time than I think I need EVERYWHERE so I can breathe a little in between the hustle and bustle of sightseeing and getting to my next location. Slowing down really is so important.
I keep getting side tracked. It's been quite a few months since my trip now and looking back on it just makes me want to go back. So I start reminiscing and rambling, but it's my blog and I'll do what I want! Back to the guesthouse though...
I have to tell you that, that washing machine was an absolute dream. I was hot, sweaty, and almost all of my clothes were in need of a scrub! I popped them in there almost as soon as I got in and just laid in bed in the AC until they were done. Pro-tip for the Galapagos, maybe for Ecuador in general, make sure the place you are staying has AC. I don't know what its like all year, but in December to January it was a humid, hot, hellscape that I could bear while I was out and about but needed the reprieve of my cold hotel room upon my return. I also don't do well in heat, so maybe others will love it. My mom probably would have. There is no dryer, which is fine, so I just used the outdoor space to lie my clothes in the sun and they dried fairly quickly.
Upon my departure, she had her father take me to the docks in his taxi, which was convenient so I didn't have to find one at the crack of dawn and I could just wait by the entrance to the guesthouse. When I was talking to the group of retirees in the guesthouse next to mine, they said they hired him to take them on different excursions as well and had really great things to say about him- so that's another option for those of you staying longer!
If you're looking to book this place, and you definitely should, you can find them on all sort of hotel booking sites, just search for Gecko Guesthouse and make sure it's the one in the Galapagos. Apparently there's a guesthouse with the same name in Malaysia. Personally, I love AirBnb. I know it gets a lot of hate nowadays, and I completely understand why, but I've had 95% great experiences with them with not only accommodations but also the tours and things you can do with local guides. I'm not affiliated with AirBnb or anything, so I don't make any money off of you clicking on the following link, I just genuinely like the platform. Since I booked through AirBnb, I'll link you to their page there; https://www.airbnb.com/users/show/16006616
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