East and South Islands

Arrive at San Cristobal Island and start your Galápagos trip at the local airport, where a certified naturalist guide meets you. Begin exploring one of the planet’s most unique ecosystems, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. From the start, observe the region’s wildlife, volcanic terrain, and coastal habitats up close.

Head to nearby Lobos Island, a small islet known for close encounters with animals. Watch sea lions gather along the shore and in tide pools. Follow a short trail inland to see frigatebirds displaying bright red pouches and blue-footed boobies nesting and performing mating rituals.

Enter the water to snorkel alongside sea lions, sea turtles, and rays in calm, shallow zones. Look for colorful reef fish and enjoy one of the best beginner-friendly snorkeling spots in the archipelago.

Snorkel Experience: Swim in protected waters alongside sea lions, turtles, and rays. Watch reef fish dart through rocky formations beneath the surface.

Highlights: Stunning Views, Galapagos sea lions, Magnificent and great frigatebirds, San Cristobal Lava Lizards
Trail: 0.6 km / 0.4 mi
Level: Easy
Activities: hiking

Visit Gardner Bay on Española Island, where white coral sand meets clear, shallow water. Spot sea lions scattered along the shore, resting or moving between the surf and sand. Walk the beach alongside a guide who points out local wildlife like Española mockingbirds, marine iguanas, and Galápagos hawks. Learn how these animals survive in this remote environment.

Snorkeling Experience: Enter the water from the beach or nearby rocks. Swim with sea lions, reef sharks, and rays in the bay’s calm sections. Watch colorful reef fish such as angelfish, parrotfish, damselfish, and surgeonfish move through rocky crevices and open areas. The site offers easy access and a wide variety of marine life.
 
Highlights: Herons, Galapagos mockingbirds, Galapagos hawks, Darwin finches, Marine iguanas, Waved Albatross, Lava lizards
Trail: 0.8 km / 0.5 mi
Level: Difficult
Activities: Hiking, snorkeling, panga ride, paddle board, kayak

Walk a rugged path on Española Island, one of the top wildlife sites in the Galápagos. As you land, spot sea lions and marine iguanas near the shoreline. Continue along the route to find large groups of seabirds, including Nazca boobies, blue-footed boobies, gulls, and tropicbirds.
Reach the end of the trail to view a waved albatross nesting area—active from April through January. This is the only island where these large seabirds nest, giving you a rare chance to watch their distinct behaviors up close, including courtship displays and takeoffs from the cliffs.
 
Highlights: Stunning Views, Herons, Galapagos mockingbirds, Galapagos hawks, Darwin finches, Marine iguanas, Waved Albatross, Lava lizards
Trail: 1.7 km / 1.1 mi
Level: Easy
Activities: Hiking

Punta Cormorant is located in the north of Floreana, and it is known for its large coastal lagoon with American flamingos, white-cheeked pintails, black-necked stilts, and other shorebirds. There is a beautiful white sand beach, which is an important nesting ground for green sea turtles, where we can also see rays and reef sharks. In recent years, a small group of blue footed boobies have started to breed right by the trail. This is also a great trail day to look at endemic plants.

Snorkel Experience: It will be done at Devil’s Crown, a heavily eroded little volcano right by Floreana Island. This is considered by many as one of the best snorkeling sites in the entire archipelago as the current funnels plankton through the Crown, attracting huge schools of snapper, Creole fish, parrot fish, angelfish, reef sharks, sea turtles, rays and a phenomenal amount of marine life.
 
Highlights: Sea turtle nesting site, Galapagos shearwaters, Tropicbirds, Frigatebirds, Finches, Shorebirds
Trail: 1.6 km / 1 mi
Level: Easy
Activities: Hiking, snorkeling, panga ride

Santa Fe Island, nestled in one of the most stunning bays in the Galapagos, boasts towering prickly-pear cacti and ancient lava formations. Its white-sand beach and turquoise waters are home to a large sea lion colony basking under the sun. As you follow the trail, look for the endemic Santa Fe land iguana and, if lucky, a Galapagos hawk perched atop a cactus scanning for prey. Along the way, Darwin’s finches, Galapagos doves, mockingbirds, and lava lizards are commonly seen, making this hike a true wildlife experience.

Snorkel Experience:  After the hike, snorkel in the bay’s sheltered waters. Swim alongside playful sea lions, reef sharks, and sea turtles. Spot rays and schools of tropical fish, including surgeonfish and parrotfish, for an unforgettable underwater experience.
 
Highlights: Stunning Views, Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos hawks, Galapagos doves, Santa Fe land iguanas, Reef sharks
Level: Moderate
Activities: Hiking, snorkeling, panga ride, paddle board, kayak

Of the two twin islands, only South Plazas is open to visitors, while North Plazas remains a scientific research site. Despite its small size, South Plaza is teeming with wildlife. Upon landing, you'll find land iguanas lounging beneath Opuntia cacti, waiting for fallen fruit. A large sea lion colony dominates the shore, where playful pups explore tide pools while massive bulls defend their territory. The trail leads to a dramatic cliffside, offering breathtaking ocean views where frigatebirds, blue-footed boobies, red-billed tropicbirds, and swallow-tailed gulls soar. A blanket of reddish succulents covering the island adds to its striking beauty.
 
Highlights: Stunning Views, Boobies, Galapagos sea lions, Galapagos shearwaters, Galapagos land iguanas, Tropicbirds, Pelicans
Trail: 1.4 km / 0.8 mi
Level: Moderate
Activities: Hiking

The Charles Darwin Station is a nonprofit organization that has been working for decades together with the Galapagos National Park to preserve the biodiversity of these unique islands. During this visit, you will learn about the projects that both institutions carry out together to protect the native species and eradicate the invasive ones that are threatening the Galapagos environment. One of the most important and emblematic projects has been reproducing giant tortoises in captivity. The visit is mostly outdoors in a beautiful, dry native forest with giant cactus and many other interesting native plants. It is also a fantastic place to find several endemic Darwin finches, as well as flycatchers and mockingbirds.
 
Highlights: Galapagos giant tortoise and land iguanas breeding program, Galapagos mockingbirds, Darwin finches, Galapagos flycatchers.
Trail: 2 km / 1.2 mi
Level: Easy
Activities: Hiking

Your Galapagos adventure comes to an end. Today, you will be transferred to Baltra Airport, where your National Park naturalist guide will assist you with final details before your flight back to mainland Ecuador. As you bid farewell to this paradise, take with you the unforgettable memories of one of the world’s most extraordinary destinations.