Northern Islands

Welcome to the Galapagos! Upon arrival at Baltra Airport, your naturalist guide greets you and assists with your transfer to Itabaca Channel. You then take a short ferry ride to Santa Cruz Island, giving you your first glimpse of the archipelago. Along the way, you observe Baltra’s arid landscape and learn about its history as a former U.S. World War II airbase. This marks the beginning of the many fascinating experiences that await you throughout your adventure.

Next, you visit Bachas Beach on the northern coast of Santa Cruz Island. You can snorkel in the clear waters or take a relaxing walk along the beach. To reach the shore, you make a wet landing by stepping from the panga directly into the water. it is recommended to disembark barefoot and wearing lightweight walking shoes for the rest of the visit. Behind the beach, a saltwater lagoon provides a habitat for great blue herons and other small birds. The surrounding beaches also serve as important nesting areas for green sea turtles.
Highlights: Stunning Views, Blue footed boobies, White-cheeked pintails, American flamingos, Sandpipers, Lava gulls
Trail: 1.6 km / 1 mi
Level: Easy
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling

Rábida is a small island famous for its reddish lava rocks (rich in iron) which gives it a unique look. The beach is also red and hosts a small colony of sea lions. There is a small saltwater lagoon where you will see ducks and stilts and sometimes flamingoes. The trail will take you inland to get beautiful views of the beach and the lagoon. Look for Darwin finches, flycatchers and mockingbirds. In the cliffs along the coast you can find Nazca & blue-footed boobies, brown noddy, herons and the two species of sea lions: Galapagos and fur seals.
Snorkel: You can snorkel from the beach and explore a sheltered rocky area, which is excellent for fish, sea lions and reef sharks. Look at the high diversity of small invertebrates attached to the vertical walls.
Highlights: Red-sand beach, Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos hawks, flycatchers, Darwin finches, Galapagos mockingbirds, ducks, flamingoes.
Trail: 2 km / 1.2 mi
Level: Easy
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling, Panga ride, Paddleboarding, Kayaking

Chinese Hat is a small islet formed by a volcanic cone with a perfectly symmetrical shape. It is separated from Santiago by a narrow channel forming one of the most beautiful bays on the islands. Blue-turquoise water and coral sand beaches surrounded by dark lava rocks give this area a real tropical character, which makes it even more surprising to find penguins resting in the rocks. The trail goes along the shore, taking you through a small colony of sea lions.
Snorkel: When you swim in this place you will get mesmerized by the incredible colors of the fish and the sleek silhouette of reef sharks and, it is not uncommon to see a penguin darting through the water chasing anchovies like a small torpedo.
Highlights: Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos penguins, lava tubes, oystercatchers, Galapagos hawks.
Trail: 1.3 km / 0.8 mi
Level: Easy
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling, Panga ride, Paddleboarding, Kayaking

Seymour Island is a paradise for bird watchers, with large colonies of magnificent and great frigatebirds inflating their red throat pouches in an impressive courtship display. On the ground, blue-footed boobies perform their famous mating dance, while swallow-tailed gulls perch on cliffs overlooking the sea. Inland, land iguanas have thrived thanks to conservation efforts, while marine iguanas bask on the rocks near playful sea lions body surfing the waves.
Snorkel Experience:  Swim alongside sea lions, sharks, turtles, rays, and tropical fish. If you're lucky, you might spot eels hiding among the rocks in this thriving marine ecosystem.
 
Highlights: Galapagos sea lions, Magnificent and great frigatebirds, Land and marine iguanas, Darwin finches

Trail: 1.4 km / 0.8 mi
Level: 1
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling, Panga ride

Begin your Galapagos adventure with a scenic bus ride into the lush Santa Cruz highlands. Walk through a reserve, spotting giant tortoises—some over 600 pounds—grazing peacefully. Discover endemic birds like finches and flycatchers. If included in your itinerary, explore a lava tunnel, a fascinating remnant of the volcanic forces that shaped these islands.
 
Highlights: Lava tunnels, Darwin finches, Galapagos flycatchers, Giant tortoises, Barn owls, White-cheeked pintails

Trail: 1-1.5 km / 0.6-0.9 mi
Level: Easy
Activities: Hiking

This hike is a journey into understanding the birth of these volcanic islands. You will walk in a very well-preserved flow of Pahoehoe lava, which will give you endless opportunities to see the delicate textures of this type of lavas which only appear in a few places throughout the world. At first sight the barren landscape looks completely deprived of life, but look carefully for pioneer plants, lava lizards and small birds. By the shore, you can find penguins, pelicans and oystercatchers. Snorkel: You will have the option to swim or snorkel from a coral sand beach or from the dinghies. Getting underwater is like traveling to another world: if the land is almost lifeless, the sea is teaming with life, including large schools of fish, Galapagos penguins, reef sharks, turtles and rays.
Highlights: Pahoehoe lava, Galapagos penguins, oystercatchers, Galapagos hawks.
Trail: 2.2 km / 1.4 mi
Level: Difficult
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling

Bartolome is one of the most iconic places in the Galapagos and one of the few where you can see penguins without going to the remote areas of western Isabela and Fernandina. You will get great views of Pinnacle Rock, located in the northern side of the island, right next to a beautiful peach - color sand beach. The hike to the top of the island is fantastic and will offer you incredible views of lunar landscapes with scattered volcanic cones. Many islands are visible from this outlook, as well as the bay of Sullivan and the Pinnacle rock. Snorkel: You will have the option to swim or snorkel from the beach. This area holds a well-deserved reputation of being one of the best snorkeling places in the Galapagos, not only because it’s clear and calm water, but also because of the presence of penguins, which are relatively easy to find while snorkeling, along with an incredible diversity of fish, colorful invertebrates, sea lions, turtles, rays and reef sharks.
Highlights: Galapagos penguins, volcanic landscapes, Pinnacle rock, blue-footed boobies, herons, sea lions, sharks.
Trail: 1.5 km / 0.9 mi
Level: Moderate
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling, Panga ride

El Barranco is located in the southern part of Darwin Bay at Genovesa Island. The cliffs face the sea are made of very fragile fractured lava, making it the ideal place for storm petrel to build their colonies, which attracts an important population of short-eared owls preying of the nesting birds. Red-footed and Nazca boobies are abundant along the trail. At the base of the cliffs, you can see Galapagos fur seals resting in shaded areas, as well as several species of seabirds. Snorkel: You can snorkel along the cliffs where there are many fish and great chances of seeing sharks, rays and sea lions.
Highlights: Nesting great frigatebirds, red-footed & Nazca boobies, Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos fur seals, lava & swallow-tailed gulls, yellow-crown night herons, Genovesa ground finch, Genovesa cactus finch, Galapagos mockingbirds.
Trail: 1.2 km / 0.7 mi
Level: Difficult
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling, Panga ride, Paddleboarding, Kayaking

Genovesa is a favorite island for birdwatchers as it is home to very large colonies of seabirds. From the minute you set foot at the beach you will be amazed by the noise of hundreds of boobies, gulls, and frigatebirds flying over your heads, perched in the bushes, or nesting on the sandy terrain. The trail is an ultimate wildlife experience as there are animals everywhere; sea lions and marine iguanas near the sea; night herons, lava & swallow-tailed gulls, Darwin finches, Galapagos doves, mockingbirds, and many more species inland. Snorkel: The bay offers several places to snorkel; from deep waters along the cliffs across the bay to shallow waters by the beach. In either case, there are many fish to see and great chances of seeing sharks, rays, and sea lions.
Highlights: Nesting great frigatebirds, red-footed & Nazca boobies, Galapagos sea lions, lava & swallow-tailed gulls, yellow-crown night herons, Genovesa ground finch, Genovesa cactus finch, Galapagos mockingbirds.
Trail: 1.2 km / 0.7 mi
Level: Difficult
Activities: Hiking, Snorkeling, Panga ride, Paddleboarding, Kayaking

 

Located on the outskirts of Puerto Baquerizo, this center is dedicated to the history of human presence in the Galapagos. From the times of the early Spanish explorers to the present times, including illustrious visitors such as Charles Darwin, this permanent exhibition will take you through the dangers and struggles of the first settlers trying to survive the harsh Galapagos environment.
Highlights: Endemic plants, the exhibition on human history
Trail: 0.2 km / 650 ft
Level: Easy
Activities: Hiking

After exploring the Galapagos’ remarkable biodiversity and unique landscapes, you prepare to return to mainland Ecuador. Your transfer takes you to the airport for your flight, bringing your unforgettable Galapagos adventure to a close.
As you depart, you carry memories of encounters with giant tortoises, blue-footed boobies, and striking volcanic landscapes. The Galapagos offers more than a destination—it gives you an extraordinary experience that stays with you long after you leave. Galaxy Sirius wishes you a wonderful journey home!