Daily Tours

The two Plazas islands lie just off the eastern coast of Santa Cruz. They were formed from lava streaming up from the ocean floor and the southern island is open to visitors. South Plazas is one of the most concentrated wildlife sites in the archipelago.

On the tour, you are taken to the cliff where you can see shoals of the endemic yellow-tailed mullet, as well as swallow-tailed gulls and red-billed tropic birds, both of which use the island as a breeding site. On the east of the island there is a colony of bachelor bull sea lions, living in close proximity to colonies of land and marine iguanas. It is even possible to spot hybrid iguanas on this tour.

Following the land tour, you have the opportunity to snorkel at Punta Carrion, where you can see marine turtles, golden rays and black tip sharks.

Lying just north of Baltra, Seymour is a small island formed of uplifted lava, covered in a forest of dwarf palo santo trees. The island is a breeding site for frigate birds, Nazca boobies and blue footed boobies. The tour takes you from the small dock on the coast, past a nesting ground for marine iguanas, and then to sites to observe the nests of the frigate birds, Nazca boobies and the blue footed boobies.

The tour then heads to Bachas beach, named such because of the abandoned WWII barges along the shore. This is a well-known nesting site for marine turtles, and it is sometimes possible to spot American flamingos in the lagoons behind the beach.

Barrington Bay on Santa Fe island is known for its large colony of sea lions that live on the two white sand beaches at the head of the bay. Visitors often have to navigate their way around groups of sleeping cows and pups.

This tour follows one of two trails on the island, both of which give visitors the opportunity to see the Santa Fe land iguanas, which can only be found on this specific island, as well as the endemic rice rat and the Galapagos hawk. The vegetation is notable for large prickly pear cacti, which are scattered across the island.

Finally, there is an opportunity to snorkel with sting rays, green sea turtles and sea lions in the clear waters of Anchorage Bay.

This is arguably the most beautiful spot in the Galapagos, and is one of the most photographed. The view of the volcanic island from the top is absolutely spectacular. The peak is reached by climbing flights of wooden stairs, and you see a variety of rock types as you follow the trail. Around the coast, you may also see the Galapagos penguin, which is the second smallest in the world, and hawks.

The landscape of Sullivan Bay consists of rock which still bears the marks of its initial flow in 1889, giving the impression that it is still liquid. The stark black rock contrasted with the reds, browns and greens of older parts of the island make for a very surreal sight. In the bay, you have the opportunity to snorkel in waters commonly inhabited by white tip sharks and tropical fish.

This is a stunning site of the north-eastern side of San Cristobal, and it is the only place on the island where it is possible to see the Nazca booby, the blue footed booby and the red footed booby nesting in the same place. The tour starts at the beach, which has green sand due to the high content of olivine crystals. The tour takes you up an eroded cliff and around to the far side where the point is formed. Along the trail you can expect to see frigate birds, red footed boobies and blue footed boobies nesting in the trees, and Nazca boobies nesting on the ground. The vegetation is typical of the arid zone, and the volcanic scenery is simply spectacular.

*This tour departs only from San Cristobal.

Española is the southernmost island in the archipelago. It is one of the oldest islands in the group and has very few obviously volcanic features. The whole of its south coast is a low cliff, which makes it an ideal nesting side for the endemic wave Albatross, as the updraft caused by the south-east trade winds allows them to take off from the ground with relative ease, despite their immense size. This is the only place on the islands where these birds can be seen, and it is an unmissable opportunity to see animals which are so ungainly on the ground take off and fly with such grace and elegance in the air. Boobies, tropic birds and swallow-tailed gulls also breed at this spot.

*This tour only departs from San Cristobal.