The Red Mangrove Adventure Inn is an amazing place...it's quirky, to be sure, but absolutely wonderful if you're the right kind of person for it. If you're looking for a sterile, U.S. chain type hotel, then this is not for you. If you're looking for something different, something that stands out during a vacation that lets you know you're away from home, then hurry to sign up !!! My husband and I travelled with two young teens (13 and 15) and they loved it too.

The hotel is more like a cottage type environment, in a way. The rooms are all separated from the main building, and grouped in clusters, suspended above the water of the mangrove grove. The views from some of the rooms are spectacular...we stayed in the Minor Suite, and had the company of kestrels and pelicans every day. Stunning view of the boats in the harbour by night. Be aware that if you have difficulty with stairs, there are no elevators and the stairs to both the minor and major suites are a bit on the steep side. The staff is very helpful with baggage though (people from the front desk came to take our bags when we were leaving !)

The staff are absolutely wonderful and really really bend over backwards to make your stay pleasant. Daniella is a relatively new addition and she is a remarkable people person, you'll want her as a friend !

Recommended tours: The Darwin Station is a great start...take the tour...the staff are really really knowledgable and you wouldn't get the needed information without them, though you can always just go back on your own and visit the turtles and iguanas. It's a good introduction to The Galapagos generally as they give you some background on the area and the other islands.

The Bay and Beach tour was fantastic...a short boat ride with optional snorkelling to see "tiburones"...sharks, and, yes, we did see some right at the bottom (sleeping, we hope). Hiking on a small island populated with huge marine iguanas followed by a great picnic on a beautiful beach, entirely set up by the guides (complete with beach umbrella for shade and two beach chairs). Drinks, make your own sandwiches with fixings provided, fruit, cookies. Really fun. Tip: Take a book, a frizbee or ball to throw on the beach as you hang out there for a while after lunch. The boat picks you up right at the Red Mangrove and returns you to same.

Floreana Island was also a great tour, though the trip is long (2 hours) and the passage can be a bit on the rough side (take sea sickness meds in advance if you're at all susceptible). The trip is well worth it as the island has a really interesting history. Tip: take bug spray and good walking shoes or sturdy hiking type sandals !!! The terrain during the hike is a bit rough in places and can be a bit muddy depending on the season you travel.
Included lunch at a local home in Floreana was wonderful (organically grown chicken, fresh homegrown vegetables and even homemade ice cream!). There is a "loberia" nearby where you can literally snorkel with wild sea lions (lobos). This is not a swim-with-caged-dolphins kind of thing...the sea lions jump in the water and come and see you because they feel like it, and they leave when they feel like it. Incredible.
The hotel arranges taxis to take you to the local dock for departure (though it's walking distance...we walked back through the town when we returned).

Back to the Red Mangrove. The restaurant is better than many we experienced in Quito, the sushi was fresh and delicious, and the North American style offererings like burgers etc were good too. The local juices offerred at breakfast in particular are delicious. Staff were unfailingly friendly, and really did their best to communicate if they didn't speak English well; we had very little Spanish ability and we did just fine. Tip: There was some confusion about whether or not we were on a menu plan; we hadn't signed up for that to our knowledge, but it was resolved in our favour. Ask about that when you check in to avoid confusion.

The one slight downside to the Red Mangrove is the lack of bathroom door in the room, which was very odd, especially as the suite we were in was all one room and we were four people. The room was very quiet, had very comfortable beds, great view, very efficient air conditioning....but all three beds were in one good sized (not huge) room, and the bathroom was in one corner, with no door and the walls don't reach the ceiling. We solved the door problem with a blanket that we had bought in Otavalo while in the Quito area...you need a pretty big one to cover the entry and there are no extras from the beds that you can use. We didn't raise the issue with the hotel staff so I don't know what their response would be.
Also be aware that there are a few little ants here and there, nothing gross, but such as you would experience in a cottage type environment.
We'd go back in an instant (but we'd bring a big blanket !)

We spent 5 nights at the Red Mangrove as our base in the Galapagos. The hotel is small and the rooms are quirky -- some better than others. We were in the Turquesa which was a good size and close to the water. Mornings on the deck with local wildlife, including a sea lion, were great fun. The staff were unfailingly nice and eager to please.

The Japanese restaurant that's part of the hotel is pricey by local standards -- better dinners can be had in other places. But the breakfasts were always good and included with the room.

We took day trips out of Puerto Ayora and explored Santa Cruz island. It was a good alternative to spending 5 days on a boat -- we may not have seen as much of the Galapagos as some, but we saw plenty. Loved snorkeling with sea lions and seeing the blue-footed boobies and frigate birds on North Seymour.

There are a few other choices for hotels in Puerto Ayora, but from the looks of things, the Red Mangrove is probably the best, and the Galapagos are definitely worth the trip.

A whole week of sunny, blue sky with lots of activities for all my family members wouldn´t have been perfect without The Red Mangrove, the cutest corner in the islands, our center of operations. A revamped 10 cozy rooms Inn, surrounded by shining green mangroves, walking distance to Darwin's Station, with a warm-hearted, professional crew, who gave us an unusual personalized attention. We stayed at the Blue Room with a great view to the bay. A great holiday of very interesting geography walks, plus superb snorkeling, bike rides and great food. The Red´s Santa Cruz Island is in the middle of the Galapagos, a boat ride to Isabela, San Cristobal and Floreana where we enjoyed the sea lions, penguins, red chested frigates and seemingly antediluvian turtles and iguanas. I strongly recomend visiting the islands from this affordable and comfortable hotel.

Me and soulmate had a good time in the Galapagos for 3 days that we stayed at this litle Hotel, only 14 rooms very confortable, good Air condition and hotwater, we loved to be at this place, The view, Lots of animals, great to have a wine at the deck of the hotel on the water, At night you see all the boats a the bay, The breakfast was ok, not excellent but ok a litle slow to get to our tables.