Visitor sites

The sites listed are located on different islands and each one of them has something unique and special, so you must analyze the itinerary in order to choose the trip that will fit you the best.

BALTRA

Most visitors to the Galapagos arrive by air at Baltra airport. Baltra is a fairly small island (27 sq. km) off the north coast of Santa Cruz. There are no visitor's sites or accommodation here. From the airport to the boats is only a few minutes drive; pelicans and noddies will greet you at the harbor so you can begin your wildlife watching.

BLACK TURLTLE COVE - SANTA CRUZ

Located on the northwest coast of Santa Cruz Island. Hidden and protected by a large mangrove forest lies this tranquil appearing as a dark lagoon, which is only accessible by canoe. It is home to many sea turtles, which are easily seen from the boat. White tip sharks like calm waters too and if lucky, a school of rays might swim close to the surface.

NORTH SEYMOUR

Separated from Baltra by a channel, this island is small (1.9 sq. km) with abundant life everywhere you look. There is a circular trail leading through some of the largest and most active seabird breeding colonies in the archipelago. The main attractions are frigate birds and blue-footed boobies. There is always some kind of interesting activity going on - such as courtship, mating, nesting, or chick rearing. Any time of year you'll spot sea lions, marine iguanas, snakes, Palo Santo trees.

BACHAS BEACH - SANTA CRUZ

On the northwest coast of Santa Cruz lies this long white sand beach, it's an excellent place to enjoy the landscape and observe shore and sea birds such as frigates, oystercatchers and gulls. During the warm season sea turtle nesting areas appear on this beach. It is recommended to do a walk along the shore or to go swimming here.

RABIDA

This small island (5 km2), is covered by dry and coastal vegetation, with a central volcano of 367 m. There is a wet landing onto a dark red beach where sea lions wobble along and pelicans nest in the bushes on the shore. Rabida contains the largest variety of lava types, red being the dominant color. A salt-water lagoon gives occasional sights of flamingoes. A walk to the inner part will allow you to observe some types of Darwin's fiches and other land birds.

BARTOLOME

From the top of Bartolomé, a tiny island of just 1.2 km2, you can see the most frequently photographed, and hence most famous, view in the Archipelago, the Pinnacle Rock and its surroundings. Bartolomé is located near the west coast of Santiago, on the other side of Sullivan Bay. The climb to the 114 m high peak is both challenging and worth doing. Bartolomé is also a "must see" for visitors interested in geology. It is definitely one of the best snorkeling sites with high chances of spotting penguins.

SULLIVAN BAY - JAMES ISLAND

On the eastern coast of James Island just across a narrow channel that separates it from Bartolome. This site offers a rare view of a recently formed lava field, which occurred around 1890, which is fairly recent in geological terms. A spectacular walk over lava tubes Pahoehoe and AA lava fields show the first living organisms that had colonized volcanic areas such as lava lizards and cacti.

CHINESE HAT

Named after its shape, Chinese Hat is located just off the southeast tip of James Island. This tiny volcano has a wonderful small beach surrounded by lava fields and lava tubes. Here you get a feeling of being in a very remote and special place on earth. Good for snorkeling.

JAMES BAY (PTO EGAS) - JAMES ISLAND

On the west side of the island is a long, flat, black lava shoreline where eroded shapes form lava pools, caverns and inlets that house a great variety of inter-tidal life. This is a great place to see colonies of marine iguanas basking in the sun. The tide pools contain hundreds of red Sally Lightfoot crabs, which attract all the commonly found species of hunting herons. It is also home to a colony of fur seals that swim and play in the tide pools.

PUNTA SUAREZ & GARDNER BAY - ESPAÑOLA (HOOD ISLAND)

This relatively flat island (206 meters in altitude) is a true highlight. Its rocks are among the oldest in the archipelago. Some geologists describe Hood Island as the remains of an eroded archaic volcano. The vegetation corresponds to that in arid and transition zones. Española has the only colony of waved albatross, one of the Galápagos most spectacular seabirds. Other birds to look for are the Hood mocking bird, swallow - tailed gulls, red-billed tropicbirds, blue footed and masked boobies and oystercatchers. The blowhole and the west point of Española are some of the most spectacular sites of the Galapagos.

Gardner Bay also on the northern coast of Española is a long white sand beach with a very large colony of sea lions. From here you can take a dinghy to Roca Tortuga for an amazing snorkeling experience.

PLAZAS ISLANDS

These two small islands are located just off the east coast of Santa Cruz. They were formed by a geological uplift due to faulting. A dry landing on the North Plaza's jetty brings you to Opuntia cacti forest, which is the main diet for the abundant land iguanas. Red billed tropicbirds, frigate birds, and pelicans are also common on these island.

SANTA FE

This 24 sq. kilometers island is the result of an uplift that raised the sea floor 259 meters above the sea level. A short trail takes you to one of the tallest stands of Opuntia cacti in the island. Two endemic animal species highlight this island: The Santa Fe land iguana and the Galápagos rice rat. Snorkeling is also a "must do" along the coast of Santa Fe.

SANTA CRUZ HIGHLANDS

With a surface of 986 sq km, Santa Cruz is the second largest island of the archipelago. A road crosses the island from north to south giving the visitor an opportunity to see various vegetation zones. When the summit is reached the high humidity allows lush vegetation to grow; endemic scalesia trees are the most representative. A visit to Los Gemelos or Twin Craters will combine interesting plants, several species of land birds and spectacular landscape. Giant tortoises can be seen in the wild.

PUERTO AYORA & CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION

Colonized in the 1920´s, Puerto Ayora is the most important harbor of the archipelago and also the headquarters of The Galapagos National Park and the Darwin Station.

The Charles Darwin Research Station was established in 1964 to ensure the conservation of this fragile and unique ecosystem as well as promote scientific research. The interpretation center shows clearly all the work they have done from eradication of introduced animals to reproduction in captivity and reintroduction of Giant Tortoises of different species into the islands from where they originated.

PUNTA CORMORANT & POST OFFICE BAY - FLOREANA ISLAND

Floreana is the remains of a half submerged volcanic cone. Parasitic cones dominate the gentle landscape. Punta Cormorant has a nice trail, which combines a greenish sand beach, a blackish lagoon with flamingoes and a white sand beach considered as one of the main nesting sites for sea turtles. Close to the shore snorkeling is great at the Devil´s Crown . Floreana was the first inhabited island of the archipelago and is endowed with a bizarre collection of stories. At Post Office Bay whalers opened an unofficial post barrel which is still used by all the visitors and where the cost still remains zero.

ISABELA ISLAND: PUNTA MORENO, ELIZABETH BAY, URBINA BAY

The largest island in the archipelago is Isabela. Geologically speaking, it is a relatively recent island and consists of a chain of five fairly young and intermittently active volcanoes.

Elizabeth Bay is best visited by a dinghy ride, as there is no landing site. As we pass through a large group of sea turtles, the lagoon shows the large mangrove trees with all the sea and land birds housing among them.

West of Elizabeth Bay is Punta Moreno. There is a dry landing onto a lava flow, where there are some blackish pools. Flamingos, whit-cheeked pintails and common gallinules are sometimes seen, along with various pioneer plants and insects.

Urbina Bay located at the base of Alcedo volcano, is a flat area formed by an uplift of the sea- bed in 1954. Evidence of the uplift includes a coral reef, which is now on land. Flightless cormorants, pelicans, marine and giant land iguanas can be observed on land, rays and turtles can be seen in the bay.

ISABELA ISLAND: TAGUS COVE, PUNTA. VICENTE ROCA

Tagus Cove was a favorite pirate and whaler port. A trail leading up a hill takes us along a big salt lake passing a large number of native and endemic plants and various species of land. A dinghy ride takes us along cliffs for a close observation of penguins and flightless cormorants.

Punta Vicente Roca on the northwest coast is a large nesting site for masked boobies.

FERNANDINA

Is the third- largest island, the most pristine and youngest of the main islands. The recently formed volcanic landscapes are most impressive. This is the island on which you are most likely to see a volcanic eruption.

Punta Espinosa is known for one of the greatest concentrations of endemic marine iguanas found by the thousands here in Fernandina. Also Galápagos penguins, flightless cormorants, and sea lions are also common here.

ISABELA ISLAND: PUERTO VILLAMIL, SIERRA NEGRA VOLCANO

Puerto Villamil is a small village located in the southern part of Isabela. Most of its inhabitants are fishermen and the others make their living from tourism. Around there you could visit the lagoons with flamingoes or do a walk to the old Ecuadorian jail circa 1800. The road up to the highlands takes you to the Sierra Negra crater an amazing site being 13 km. in diameter. If lucky, some wild giants tortoises can be spotted mostly at the bottom of the crater.

GENOVESA: DARWIN BAY, PRINCE PHILIP´S STEPS

This is the only northern island open to visitors. The island is known more often by its English name of Tower. This 14 km2 island is the tip of a submerged volcano, that rises 76 meters above the sea level forming a big round bay which is the remain of the original crater. It is a paradise for sea birds, including 2 of the types of boobies: red, footed and masked. There is a large colony of great frigate birds and swallow-tail gulls. The walk to Prince Philip's Steps will take you to the Palo Santo forest nesting grounds for the boobies and then over to the cliff where hundreds of storm petrels fly around while owls patiently wait to prey on them.

SAN CRISTOBAL: LOBOS ISLAND, EL JUNCO LAGOON

The most eastern island is one of the oldest in the archipelago. It has several visitor sites. In the village a visit to the Charles Darwin Interpretation center is an excellent way to witness the research and development projects that this institution has carried out. Close to the village lies Lobos Island, which hosts a large colony of sea lions including the giant males that look after their harem. On the highlands of the island you find the only fresh water lagoon in the whole archipelago. Standing on the rim of El Junco provides a spectacular view of the Frigates and boobies that plunge down for a quick dip in the water.

SAN CRISTOBAL: CERRO BRUJO, PUNTA PITT

Cerro Brujo is a lovely white sand beach on the northwest coast of San Cristobal and a good place for swimming, walking along the beach and spotting some shore birds. Punta Pitt is the eastern most point of the Galapagos. A good variety of endemic and native species of plants can be seen. Similar to Tower Island it is also one of the few places in Galápagos where red-footed boobies can be observed.

KICKER ROCK (LEON DORMIDO)

Off the coast of San Cristobal, a giant rock formation appears in the middle of the ocean. Leon Dormido is a remnant of a vertical tuff cone formation, abruptly rising almost 500 ft from the ocean. It is well worth taking a boat ride around the rock as well as an excellent spot for diving.