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Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpweɾto βakeˈɾiso moˈɾeno]) is the capital of Galápagos Province, Ecuador. It is located on the southwestern coast of San Cristóbal, the easternmost island in the archipelago, and is the capital of San Cristóbal Canton. It was founded by General Villamil Playas in the mid-19th century, and takes its name from President Alfredo Baquerizo (1859–1951). Today, fishing is the main activity of the locals, but tourism is on the increase along the waterfront with numerous hotels and shops.

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno

 Ecuador

Galápagos

San Cristóbal

Ab. Pedro Zapata

2.75 km2 (1.06 sq mi)

6 m (20 ft)

7,290

2,700/km2 (6,900/sq mi)

UTC-6

BSh

www.sancristobalgalapagos.gov.ec (in Spanish)

The town has a cathedral, a post office, police station, a hospital, and a branch of the Universidad San Francisco de Quito. It also contains the Centro de Interpretación of the Galápagos National Park, which was established in 1988, and a natural history museum. It is served by San Cristóbal Airport, which connects to mainland Ecuador.

History[edit]

General José de Villamil founded the town in the 1830s or 1840s, but it takes its name from Alfredo Baquerizo (1859–1951), the first president to visit during his presidency, in 1916.[2] The Governor of Galápagos resides in the city.[3] The Governor's residence is a prominent grey stone edifice which also houses the Naval headquarters, and is 0.2 miles (0.32 km) west-northwest of the church.[4]


Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the oldest settlement in the Galápagos Islands. The El Progreso agricultural centre, located about 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) from the town, was established in 1879 as a Hacienda Progreso. It had a large sugar refinery which was operated under harsh conditions, and two assassinations occurred there. Other manufacturing included leather and oil products.[5]


The Albatross Foundation USA or Fundación Ecológica Albatros is a NGO established in 1993 at the initiative of the people of the town with the objective of educating the young people of the country in the importance of preserving and conserving the island's environment and ecosystems.


According to the 2010 census, the town had a population of 6,672 inhabitants, next to that of Puerto Ayora.[6]

Economy[edit]

Fishing is a major economic activity of the town.[24][25] As of 2014, some 520 fishermen operate from the port with 212 fishing vessels of varying sizes. Agriculture is practised marginally as there is little water on the island and the community feels that plying their boats for tourism is more economical.[25] Drinking water supply to the town is piped from a lake near El Progreso, which also provides irrigation to lands in its vicinity.[10] The electricity supply is continuous.


Tourism is now on the rise on the coast of the town, and has brought its related infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants, souvenir shops, and tourists offices.[2][8]

Chapel Hill, North Carolina (US)[30]

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Media related to Puerto Baquerizo Moreno at Wikimedia Commons

Puerto Baquerizo Moreno travel guide from Wikivoyage