Not many people come to the Galapagos Islands to catch up on their shopping, so don’t expect much more than your standard tourist souvenirs. Santa Cruz’s main town of Puerto Ayora is the best place to spend your money in the Galapagos Islands. All along the main drag of Avenida Charles Darwin you will discover a string of t-shirt shops and outlets selling jewelry and Galapagos Islands souvenirs.
That’s not to say there aren’t any decent purchases to be found in Santa Cruz. This Galapagos Islands port town actually has a few very nice art galleries where local artists can give you a special image of the natural beauty of the Galapagos Islands to take home. Galeria Aymara and Angelique Art Gallery are just two of the high-end galleries in Puerto Ayora. For some amazing photography of the islands, try the work of Daniel Fitter, who sells his photographs at Creative Force.
On San Cristobal Island, the shopping options are quite disappointing compared to those at Santa Cruz. Along the Malecon seafront promenade you can find a smattering of souvenir shops selling the same things as in Puerto Ayora, just with less energy and pizzazz. The one exception on San Cristobal is the Parque Ecological Artesanal, a collection of tiny craft and art shops that feature local creations which are a notch or two above the usual Galapagos Islands souvenir fare.