The Point: Got to love a place you take a water taxi to for dinner

When we first arrived in Santa Cruz, I spotted The Point from the water.

As we pulled into the port, I could see this restaurant sitting out over the water on stilts, and it immediately caught my eye. I remember thinking, we have to go there.

And I'm so glad we did.

First of all, you take a water taxi to dinner. Got to love a place like that. The ride is short — about $1 per person each way — but it makes dinner feel like an adventure before you've even sat down.

The setting is fantastic, especially at night. If you can get a table along the water, do it. Look down, and you'll see the water moving beneath the restaurant, and with it come all kinds of creatures. We could see baby sharks and other marine life swimming below us while we were having dinner.

And the wildlife doesn't stop at the water.

Out back, there's a lounge area that is also an iguana nesting zone. You're surrounded by Galápagos wildlife — pelicans, marine iguanas — and, yes, the iguanas will casually wander right through the restaurant.

It's one of those places where you look around and think, this could only be the Galápagos.

Come hungry

The food was fresh and very good. In fact, some of the best food we had in the Galápagos was here.

My favorite was the Bipolar Tuna Tartar, made with tuna, white fish, chili gazpacho and tempura onions. It had a great combination of freshness, heat and crunch.

I also loved the Yuca Pop Corn — crispy yuca with smoked yellow pepper sauce and guindilla honey. At $13, this was one of those dishes that sounded simple but was absolutely worth ordering.

The menu leans heavily into seafood and Ecuadorian ingredients, but there are plenty of choices beyond raw fish and ceviche. You can get everything from tempura seafood and coastal corviche to a grilled beef tortilla, pork bao and charcoal corn carbonara.

And if you're traveling with someone who isn't interested in an adventurous Galápagos dinner, don't worry, they also do good pastas and a solid burger and onion rings.

That's another thing I liked about The Point. It feels special without feeling overly formal or precious.

It also seemed to us like a place where locals actually come to celebrate: birthdays, anniversaries, special dinners, drinks with friends. That gave it a different feeling from some of the restaurants that seem primarily designed around tourists.

Make an afternoon of it

The Point is in Punta Estrada, so it's easy to combine with a day exploring this corner of Santa Cruz.

You can walk over to Playa de los Alemanes and Las Grietas, explore the trails, and then end the afternoon at The Point/

The bar (patio) is a great place to grab a drink after the beach, but for us, dinner was the real experience. At night, sitting over the water under twinkling lights, watching baby sharks swimming below us while iguanas wandered around and pelicans hung out nearby, felt completely unique.

And then, at the end of the night, you get back in a water taxi and cross the bay under the lights.

Got to love a place you take a water taxi to for dinner.

The facts

• Where: Punta Estrada, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island
• Getting there: Water taxi from Puerto Ayora; approximately $1 per person each way
• Reserve: Yes — especially if you want a table along the water
• Walkable: Playa de los Alemanes, Las Grietas and the Tintoreros/Canal de los Tiburones area