Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel

Pick of the bunch in Puerto Ayora and arguably the entire archipelago...

Five stars from 18 votes

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Review

The luxurious Finch Bay Hotel is rightfully listed on the prestigious National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World, and is certainly one of our favourite properties found in the Galapagos. There are countless reasons choose this hotel for your stay in the Enchanted Islands, especially for travellers who aren’t sure of their sea legs and would prefer a land-based itinerary. Where do were start? The hotel has direct access onto the only public beach in the Puerto Ayora area of Santa Cruz; it owns and operates its own yacht (up to 20 guests per excursion); the food is outstanding and comes from local producers and their own organic garden; there is a stunning new spa (opened in 2019) and the hotel has a secluded spot across the bay from the bustling town. It is so appealing, even native ducks are regular visitors to the large outdoor pool!

Location

Finch Bay Hotel is in Puerto Ayora, the main town of Santa Cruz. Flights arrive into Baltra airport, approx. 1 hour north; or boat transfers from other islands will arrive into the main pier – as this is the main hub for excursions and cruises. Puerto Ayora is certainly a hive of activity, so it is comforting that Finch Bay is located on the other side of Academy Bay, just a couple of minutes via water-taxi from the main pier. A boardwalk takes you past Playa los Alemanes, directly to the hotel.

Layout

Finch Bay Hotel is based around the concept of enjoying the great outdoors. The pool has plenty of space to relax in loungers or by the bar on the terrace, where they sometimes play movies on a big screen in the evenings. This leads into the reception & lounge area and finally the restaurant. Accommodation is located in separate twos-story buildings to side, reached by decked walkways around the landscaped gardens. The spa is reached via a short walk back along the boardwalk and natural trail.

Rooms

There are a total of 27 rooms, 21 of which are Garden-view rooms (20m2/217ft2) and six Ocean-view Suites (32m2/344ft2). Both categories have one pair of interconnecting rooms. Garden-view rooms have shared balconies/porches and hammocks, whereas the suites feature private balconies with hammocks. All accommodation is air-conditioned and come as King or Twin bed formations.

Features

The Finch Bay Spa is a beautiful structure and offers a wide range of services:- indoor/outdoor yoga area, gym equipment, two outdoor Jacuzzis, showers and two treatment rooms with a extensive menu. The hotel offers full-board programs that include excursions to other islands with their qualified naturalists, on-board their Sea Lion yacht. Also available is a plethora of local activities, such as hiking or kayaking in nearby Marine Bay. A thoughtful touch we appreciated was for when a water taxi is taken across to Puerto Ayora, the hotel provides a cell phone so the guest can call a taxi when ready to return.

Facilities

Finch Bay Galapagos Hotel facilities:

ROOMS 27
CHILD POLICY No
POOL Yes
PRIVATE DINING Yes
AIRCON Yes
INTERNET Yes
OTHER FACILITIES Spa, movie nights, direct beach access, laundry service, excursions, free snorkelling usage, outdoor showers (near the beach), cell-phone usage for water taxi

Not just a luxury hotel, but one that has won a myriad of ‘Green Hotel of the Year’ awards.

Call us picky, but we were a little underwhelmed with the Garden-view rooms.

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