Must-see attractions in The Galápagos Islands

  • León Dormido

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    About an hour’s boat ride northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is León Dormido (Kicker Rock), so named because of its resemblance to a sleeping lion. León…

  • MAPRAE

    Puerto Ayora

    The first of its kind in the world, this museum uses augmented reality to showcase a permanent exhibition of 55 pre-Columbian artifacts. The ancient…

  • Volcán Alcedo

    The Galápagos Islands

    The summit of this volcano (1097m) is famous for its 7km-wide caldera and steaming fumaroles. Hundreds of giant tortoises can be seen here, especially…

  • Ecuador, Galapagos Islands, Galapagos giant tortoise

    Charles Darwin Research Station

    Puerto Ayora

    Just northeast of Puerto Ayora is this iconic national-park site, where over 200 scientists and volunteers are involved with research and conservation…

  • A mother Galapagos Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus wollebaeki) has an intense argument with her pup. They are endemic to Ecuador. Puerto Egas, James Island, Galapagos, Ecuador.
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    Puerto Egas

    The Galápagos Islands

    Puerto Egas is one of the most popular sites in the Galápagos – a long, flat, black lava shoreline where eroded shapes form lava pools, caves and inlets…

  • Darwin's Lake in the Galapagos at Tegus Cove; Shutterstock ID 1082654849; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI
1082654849

    Darwin Lake

    The Galápagos Islands

    A dry landing deposits you at the beginning of a 2km-long trail that brings you past this postcard-perfect saltwater lagoon. It has twice the salinity of…

  • Galapagos Marine Iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) on Cerro Brujo (Wizard's Hill) Beach, San Cristobal island, Galapagos national park, Ecuador.; Shutterstock ID 2238407885; your: Sloane Tucker; gl: 65050; netsuite: Online Editorial; full: POI
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    Cerro Brujo

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    Possibly one of the nicest beaches in the Galápagos, Cerro Brujo is a huge white expanse found on the west side of the island. The sand here feels like…

  • Tortuga Bay

    Puerto Ayora

    In terms of sheer white-sand beauty, this beach is the rival of any in South America. You’ll find it at the end of a 2.5km paved trail southwest of Puerto…

  • Volcán Wolf

    The Galápagos Islands

    Not only is Isla Isabela the largest Galápagos island, but its imposing skyline of grumbling volcanoes makes it the most striking. Volcán Wolf, at the…

  • Interpretation Center

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    This modern and easily digestible center explains the history and significance of the Galápagos better than anywhere else in the country. Exhibits deal…

  • Crater of Sierra Negra Volcano on Isabela Island.

    Volcán Sierra Negra

    The Galápagos Islands

    Northwest of the tiny settlement of Tomás de Berlanga lies the massive Volcán Sierra Negra (1490m), which last erupted in late 2005. An 8km trail leads…

  • Mail box in Post Office Bay, Floreana Island, Galapagos.

    Post Office Bay

    The Galápagos Islands

    Most groups spend several perfunctory minutes on the north coast at Post Office Bay, where scraps of wood covered in graffiti surround a a few gone-to…

  • Wall of Tears on Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

    Muro de las Lágrimas

    The Galápagos Islands

    Some 7km west of Puerto Villamil is the Muro de las Lágrimas (Wall of Tears), a 100m-long wall of lava rocks built by convicts under harsh and abusive…

  • Marine iguanas on lava rock at Espinoza Point on Fernandina Island.

    Punta Espinoza

    The Galápagos Islands

    Just across Canal Bolívar, Punta Espinoza houses marine iguanas (too many to count), which can be seen sunning themselves on the black lava formations – a…

  • Playa Mansa, Galapagos Islands.

    Playa Mansa

    Puerto Ayora

    If you walk the length of Tortuga Bay, you'll reach this picturesque lagoon lined with mangroves. Here you can spot marine iguanas, brown pelicans and…

  • Sandy beach of Great Darwin Bay on Genovesa Island, Galapagos National Park.

    Darwin Bay Beach

    The Galápagos Islands

    This coral beach can be reached by a wet landing. There is a 750m trail along the beach that passes through red-footed booby colonies and several tide…

  • Boats in the lagoon, Tagus Cove, Isabela Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

    Tagus Cove

    The Galápagos Islands

    Just south of Punta Tortuga is this cove where early sailors frequently anchored and scratched the names of their vessels into the cliffs. It’s a strange…

  • Pozo Villamil

    The Galápagos Islands

    Behind and to the west of the village is this lagoon, known for its marine iguanas and migrant birds, especially waders – more than 20 species have been…

  • Cerro de las Tijeretas

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    About 1.7km northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, Cerro de las Tijeretas provides good views and can be reached on a trail. You'll pass a national park…

  • Casa del Ceibo

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    Scoring high on novelty, the Casa del Ceibo is a small shed built halfway up an enormous ceiba tree. It’s possible to spend a night in the treehouse or…

  • Tortoise Statue

    Puerto Ayora

    Among the various statues of prominent Galapagos wildlife around Puerto Ayora, this is probably the most photographed of them all.

  • La Lobería

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    Southwest of town, a road leads 2.5km (about a 30-minute walk) to La Lobería, a rocky beach with a lazy sea-lion colony. It’s good for year-round surfing,…

  • Asilo de la Paz

    The Galápagos Islands

    From the village of Puerto Velasco Ibarra, a road runs inland uphill for 7km to this official visitor site. A chiva (truck with bench seats) goes up twice…

  • El Junco Lagoon

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    Around 10km east of El Progreso along the main road, you'll find El Junco Lagoon – a freshwater lake some 700m above sea level. It’s one of the few…

  • Los Galápagos

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    At the northern end of San Cristóbal is Los Galápagos, where you can often see giant Galápagos tortoises in the wild, although it does takes some effort…

  • Iglesia Cristo Salvador

    The Galápagos Islands

    Looming above the central square, this church boasts uniquely Galápagos iconography. Note the stained-glass windows of native wildlife (marine iguana,…

  • Puerto Grande

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    Smaller than its name suggests, Puerto Grande is a well-protected little cove on San Cristóbal’s northwestern coast. There is a good, sandy beach suitable…

  • Prince Philip's Steps

    The Galápagos Islands

    Also called El Barranco, these steps on the eastern arm of Darwin Bay can be reached with a dry landing. They lead up a steep and rocky path to the top of…

  • Galapaguera

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    Galapaguera is part of the national park on the southeastern part of San Cristóbal, where giant tortoises live in semi-natural conditions. A taxi can take…

  • Puerto Chino

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    The road to El Junco continues across the island to the isolated beach of Puerto Chino. This is one of the better places for beginner surfers, since this…

  • Laguna de las Ninfas

    Puerto Ayora

    This peaceful lagoon has a short boardwalk path, where you can stop to take in the mangroves while looking for stingrays, baby sharks, sea turtles and…

  • El Progreso

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    A road leads from the capital to the village of El Progreso, about 6km to the east and at the base of the 896m-high Cerro San Joaquín, the highest point…

  • Isla Lobos

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    A half-hour northeast of Puerto Baquerizo Moreno by boat is the tiny, rocky Isla Lobos, with the main sea-lion and blue-footed booby colonies for visitors…

  • Ochoa Beach

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    On the western side of the island you’ll find this horseshoe-shaped cove with a white sandy beach and shallow water that’s good for snorkeling. Sea lions,…

  • Pozo Salinas

    The Galápagos Islands

    Around the corner from the main square, this small lagoon has a boardwalk along the edge, which makes a fine viewing spot for taking in the pink flamingos…

  • Turtle Bay

    Isla San Cristóbal (Chatham)

    You can see flamingos, turtles and other wildlife here; both Turtle Bay and Cerro Brujo can be visited as part of a trip to Punta Pitt and Los Galápagos.