Royal Palm Galapagos sits in the cool, green highlands of Santa Cruz at kilometre eighteen of the road between Puerto Ayora and Baltra, in the Santa Rosa area. It is a different kind of Galápagos stay from the harbour hotels: instead of walking to the docks, you wake up among forest and farmland in a nature reserve, with lava tunnels and El Chato ranch within about ten kilometres and the Los Gemelos sinkholes roughly eighteen minutes away by car. Accommodation ranges from standard rooms to villas, including a family villa with two bedrooms, so it can host couples, families and small groups, and the larger units sleep up to six. The hotel has a seasonal outdoor pool with loungers, a hot tub, a spa offering massages and body treatments, two restaurants, a coffee shop and a bar, as well as a terrace and gardens. A buffet breakfast is available for a surcharge, bicycles can be rented and there is an airport shuttle, also charged separately. It is rated as a luxury property of four and a half, and its guest score is high from dozens of reviews, though one or two lower scores mention service, so expect a resort that is still settling into its routine. It suits travellers who want comfort and nature, a base for the highlands and tortoises, and who are content to take a taxi to town.
Location and trade-offs
The hotel is roughly forty-five minutes to the Baltra area and about an hour from the town of Puerto Ayora, so it is not the place for travellers who want to stroll to the harbour for dinner and an early boat. In return you get quiet, cooler air, birdsong and walking distance to the lava tunnel dining experience and a restaurant on the grounds. It works well as a first or last night near the airport transfer, or as a base for guests who plan to spend their days on highland tours and want a peaceful evening.
Rooms and facilities
Eight room types range from king rooms and deluxe rooms, including an accessible one with a roll-in shower, to villas and exclusive villas, and family villas with several bedrooms. Facilities include free wifi, air conditioning, a front-desk safe, laundry and dry cleaning, a concierge who helps with tours and tickets and meeting rooms. The pool is seasonal, with set opening hours. The restaurants and bar make eating on site easy, a practical advantage when the nearest town is an hour away.
Good to know
Check-in runs from noon to the evening and check-out is early, so coordinate with your flights. The airport shuttle carries a per-person charge and operates within set hours, so book it in advance. Pets are not allowed. Because the hotel is far from the harbour, boat day trips involve an early transfer into Puerto Ayora, so ask whether the hotel arranges pick-ups for tours.
If you want the Galápagos highlands, tortoises and a quiet resort feel, this is a distinctive option, while those who want to be near restaurants, shops and the dock will be happier in town. Book well ahead for peak months.
Why stay here
- ✓Seasonal outdoor pool and hot tub
- ✓Spa with massage and body treatments
- ✓Two restaurants and a bar
- ✓Villas and family villas
- ✓Nature reserve and gardens
- ✓Bicycle rentals
- ✓Concierge and tour assistance
- ✓Airport shuttle for a fee
Good questions
Is Royal Palm in Puerto Ayora?+
No. It is in the Santa Rosa highlands at kilometre eighteen of the Puerto Ayora to Baltra road, roughly an hour from the waterfront.
Is breakfast included?+
A buffet breakfast is available for a surcharge, and there are two restaurants and a coffee shop on site.
What is nearby?+
Lava tunnels and El Chato ranch are within about ten kilometres, and Los Gemelos is roughly an eighteen-minute drive away.
