- Last Updated: April 10, 2024
This is a comprehensive list of the top 20 beaches in the Galapagos, including the finest beaches in San Cristobal, Santa Cruz, Isabela, and other remote islands. I have personally visited nearly all of these beaches and composed in-depth articles about them, which I will link together.
Please note that this list does not include snorkeling and scuba diving tours. If you are interested in these specific activities, please refer to my dedicated articles on snorkeling and scuba diving.
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CHOOSE YOUR ISLAND
(Or alternatively, choose an activity from the drop-down menu underneath)
CHOOSE YOUR BEACH FROM THE LIST (CLICK ON THE ARROW AND SCROLL DOWN)
THE BEST BEACHES IN THE GALAPAGOS
GENERAL INFO
As part of the Galapagos National Park, there are important guidelines to keep in mind when visiting any of the islands. Here are some key points:
- To fully experience the islands, most activities must be done with a Naturalist guide as part of a tour.
- Prices for tours are generally the same across all agencies, but it may be possible to negotiate if booking multiple tours.
- Many beaches have specific opening and closing times due to turtle nesting, so be sure to plan accordingly.
- It’s recommended to book tours at least a day in advance to secure a spot on the best ones.
- If you’re prone to seasickness, bring appropriate medication for water-based tours.
- Due to the intense Equator sun, always use a strong sunscreen to protect your skin.
- Mosquito repellent is also recommended, particularly at sunset when horseflies are more active.
- Unless you have a special permit from the National Park, flying drones is not allowed.
- Transportation on the islands is limited to taxis, buses, boats, bicycles, and walking—no motorcycles or cars are available for rent.
- Finally, it’s important to remember not to touch or disturb any of the animals on the islands.
For more detailed information, the Galapagos Conservancy’s website is a great resource.
THE BEST BEACHES IN THE GALAPAGOS
SAN CRISTOBAL ISLAND
1. PUNTA CAROLA
My favorite beach in San Cristobal island, by far, was Punta Carola beach. It’s easy to access, it’s very calm, and you don’t need a tour or a taxi to get here.
It doesn’t have white sand but it’s a great place for surfing. If you’re lucky you can find sea lions, marine iguanas, and turtles here.
View the full blog post here: PUNTA CAROLA BEACH IN SAN CRISTOBAL
2. BAHIA ROSA BLANCA
Bahia Rosa Blanca takes second place (together with Cerro Brujo Beach). It’s indeed the most paradisiac and longest beach in San Cristobal but it has some inconveniences.
The first of being you need to do the 360 Tour to get here or rent a taxi boat. It has a lot of plastic on its shore. You have limited time on the beach due to the tour.
View the full blog post here: 360 TOUR IN SAN CRISTOBAL
3. LA LOBERIA
La Loberia takes third place for being a nice spot to play and watch sea lions in their habitat. It’s also a great place to surf.
Although it’s a bit far from the city center in order to walk here, with a taxi, you can pretty much arrive in 10 minutes. It’s long enough not to be full of tourists.
View the full blog post here: LA LOBERIA BEACH IN SAN CRISTOBAL
4. PUERTO CHINO
This one takes 4th place in San Cristobal for being only accessible by tour or taxi. Its white sand surrounded by vegetation and turquoise water makes it for me the second most beautiful beach on the island.
You can even climb to a viewpoint to see it from the top. It’s also an excellent place to surf. I personally visited it at sunset at the end of the Highlands Tour.
View the full blog post here: HIGHLANDS TOUR IN SAN CRISTOBAL
5. PLAYA MANN
Playa Mann beach makes it to the list only for diversity purposes. It’s a very small beach but it’s usually full of locals and tourists having fun.
You can buy snacks and drinks at some kiosks at the entrance. It’s the most accessible beach on the island. Perfect for a late afternoon sunset session next to sea lions.
View the full blog post here: PLAYA MANN BEACH IN SAN CRISTOBAL
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THE BEST BEACHES IN THE GALAPAGOS
SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
6. TORTUGA BAY
Tortuga Bay beach not only offers the best snorkeling opportunities in Santa Cruz but is also one of the most stunning beaches in the Galapagos. Its name comes from this being the place where many turtles come and lay their eggs on the beach. This white-sanded paradise is home to many marine iguanas and baby reef sharks.
Here you can surf, sunbathe, kayak and for sure relax. It is located roughly 3 km southwest of Puerto Ayora town on Santa Cruz island. Tortuga Bay consists of two beaches, the longest one, with waves called Playa Brava (Brave beach), and a smaller and quieter one without waves called Playa Mansa (Tame beach).
View the full blog post here: TORTUGA BAY BEACH IN SANTA CRUZ
7. EL GARRAPATERO
El Garrapatero is another nice alternative beach you can go for snorkeling in Santa Cruz if you’ve already been to Tortuga Bay. This white-sanded beach has a lagoon next to it usually with many flamingos. On the beach you can swim, kayak, sunbathe and relax.
The beach is located 20 km northeast of Puerto Ayora town and to reach it you have to take a taxi and then walk a short path to the beach.
View the full blog post here: EL GARRAPATERO BEACH IN SANTA CRUZ
8. PLAYA DE LOS ALEMANES
Playa de Los Alemanes or Germans Beach is located right next to Las Grietas and it’s the perfect place to come if you want to relax with your family. It is possible to come here for 1$ USD by water taxi from the main port of Puerto Ayora. Try to come on low tide cause the sand almost disappears on high tide. The water is usually very calm and shallow and it’s the perfect spot for snorkeling.
You might be lucky your hotel is nearby and you can come here whenever you want. If it’s not and you come on the Bay Tour you can ask your guide to stay on the beach and later just pay for a water taxi to go back.
View the full blog post here: BAY TOUR IN SANTA CRUZ
To book this tour: Check the local company Galapagos Dream’s website, or book it online on Viator here: Half Day Bay Tour in Santa Cruz Island
9. LA RATONERA
La Ratonera Beach is the most distant beach on the Charles Darwin Research Center complex. For that reason and from being a bit closer to the open sea, it is especially famous for its surfing-quality waves, and probably as far as snorkeling in Santa Cruz goes, it should also be a nice place to try.
This beach has lots of rocks and little sand next to the water and there aren’t usually many people here, it is free and it’s the perfect refreshment after spending some hours at the research station. You can usually find a couple of marine iguanas disguised as rocks around the beach.
View the full blog post here: CHARLES DARWIN RESEARCH STATION IN SANTA CRUZ
10. LAS BACHAS
If Las Bachas beach were located next to Puerto Ayora, it would surely be ranked higher on this list. This beach boasts paradisiacal white sand, but similar to Bahia Rosa Blanca in San Cristobal, it can only be accessed through a tour to North Seymour island or a taxi-boat from Itabaca Channel – Baltra island.
Due to its limited accessibility, it is ranked lower on the list. Nevertheless, if you have the opportunity to visit, please do so, as it is truly stunning.
In my article about the best places to snorkel in Santa Cruz, I have provided links to tours that can take you to Las Bachas beach.
View the full blog post here: 14 BEST SNORKELING SPOTS IN SANTA CRUZ, GALÁPAGOS
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THE BEST BEACHES IN THE GALAPAGOS
ISABELA ISLAND
11. PUERTO VILLAMIL BEACH
Isabela island boasts one of the best beaches in the Galapagos, Puerto Villamil beach, also known as Playa Isabela. This stunning 4 km stretch of sand spans the entire seaside of this charming town, offering visitors breathtaking views and plenty of opportunities for relaxation and adventure.
This white-sanded beauty with turquoise water is the perfect place to relax on Isabela island. Here you will see many pelicans fishing and marine iguanas and on the east side, there’s a great place to surf.
View the full blog post here: PUERTO VILLAMIL BEACH
12. LA PLAYITA
La Playita beach is the main alternative to Puerto Villamil’s beach and it stands right at the beginning of Los Humedales Park and some meters after the main beach. Here you can come at the end of your Wall of Tears bicycle ride or to say that you went to a different beach in Isabela.
Honestly, it is nice and it has more like a bay feeling but with a giant beach like Puerto Villamil’s beach next to the town where there aren’t almost people you don’t necessarily need to find a remote beach on this island. In any case, if you look for alternative beaches this is it.
View the full blog posts here: WALL OF TEARS IN ISABELA or PUERTO VILLAMIL BEACH
13. PLAYA DEL AMOR
Playa del Amor is situated in Humedales Park, but to be frank, it’s not the best spot for swimming or lounging on the sand since it serves as a nesting site for Marine Iguanas. However, if you’re keen to see plenty of these unique creatures, it’s definitely worth checking out.
If you’re after a more traditional beach experience, though, I’d recommend looking into the other two options nearby.
OTHER THINGS YOU MIGHT LIKE IN
ISABELA, GALAPAGOS
THE BEST BEACHES IN THE GALAPAGOS
MORE REMOTE BEACHES
14. ESPAÑOLA ISLAND -
GARDNER BAY/Punta Suarez
Española Island is home to many endemic species in the Galapagos. They only exist on this island. It’s a day tour and it’s the only big island (not counting Santa Cruz island) you can visit on a day trip from San Cristobal. This tour is on the list of tours in San Cristobal only because it is the easiest and most common way to visit the island when you are land-based in the Galapagos.
Here you can find a special marine iguana with green and red coloration, a waved albatross colony (it’s their only breeding site in the world), the Española mockingbird, the Española lava lizard, sea lions, blue-footed boobies, and many other unique species. There is also a part of the tour where you snorkel or dive in Gardner Islet and find many underwater wonders.
To book this tour: Check the local company Wreck Bay’s website, or book it online on Viator with any of the tours underneath:
15. LOBOS ISLAND - OCHOA BEACH
Isla Lobos island tour is a mixed tour, both on water and on land. You have a 1-hour stroll on the island where you can spot sea lions, frigate birds, and blue-footed boobies and also do some snorkeling and find rays and turtles. In the end, you will go to Playa Ochoa for some beach time.
I visited Isla Lobos island on the way to Kicker Rock for my first dive in San Cristóbal. Here is where you do the test dive to check your skills.
To book this tour: Check the local company Planet Ocean Galapagos website, or book it online on Viator here: Tour Lobos Island from San Cristobal
16. BARTOLOMÉ ISLAND - GOLDEN BEACH
The Bartolomé Island Tour is the most iconic tour you can do on the Galapagos islands. You will go on a gorgeous sailing ship starting at Santa Cruz island, passing through the Daphne islands, and arrive at the beautiful Bartolomé island, almost an islet from Santiago island. With luck, you might spot some penguins as we did and then you go snorkeling in Golden Beach, one of the best beaches in the Galapagos.
The name of the island comes from Charles Darwin’s friend Bartholomew James Sullivan who was the principal surveyor and second lieutenant aboard the HMS Beagle. Bartolomé is a volcanic tuff islet on the east side of Santiago island. It is the most photographed place in the Galápagos archipelago. For a land-based experience, this is definitely on my top 5 Galápagos Islands tours list.
View the full blog post here: BARTOLOMÉ ISLAND TOUR
To book this tour: Check the local company Galápagos Dreams’s website, or book it online on Viator with any of the tours underneath:
17. FLOREANA ISLAND - LA LOBERIA BEACH
The Floreana Island Tour is the most mysterious and at the same time beautiful tour, you can do on the Galapagos Islands. From tales of piracy, an Austrian baroness and her love trio, a peculiar German toothless doctor, and murder this island has it all.
This tour has to be done with an agency or you can alternatively take a boat to Floreana island and spend multiple days there, as there is some infrastructure on the island (not like in Bartolomé Island where you can only visit it on a tour).
Not only do you get to explore the highlands of Isabela island, but this tour also takes you to some of its most stunning beaches. Among them is La Loberia, a breathtaking spot that, in my opinion, ranks among the best beaches in the Galapagos. Additionally, you’ll visit Black Beach, named for its striking black sand
View the full blog post here: FLOREANA ISLAND TOUR
To book this tour: Check the local company Galápagos Dreams’s website, or book it online on Viator with any of the tours underneath:
18. SANTA FÉ ISLAND - BARRINGTON BAY
Santa Fé is one of the biggest islands in the Galapagos and it’s located just 20 km away from Santa Cruz. For that reason, it’s usually part of the daily tours in Santa Cruz. The island is known for its large colony of sea lions that live on the two beaches and its giant opuntia cacti.
You will probably find the endemic Santa Fé island land iguanas (yellow colored), blue-footed boobies, frigatebirds, and other seabirds. After the walk, you can snorkel from the boat and spot amazing marine life. If you’re interested there are also pure snorkeling and scuba diving tours to Santa Fé.
To book this tour: Check the local company Macarron Scuba Diver’s website, or book it online on Viator with any of the tours underneath:
19. RABIDA ISLAND - RED BEACH
Another stop on some of the liveaboards is Rabida Island. On Rabida Island, the most famous beach is called Red Beach, due to its striking red color, and it’s among the most beautiful and peculiar beaches in the Galapagos. While snorkeling here you will probably encounter green turtles and then many types of tropical fish like king angelfish, parrotfish, goatfish, hawkfish, and huge schools of razor surgeonfish.
This is not a typical spot for snorkeling in the Galápagos, but it’s possible to do it so if you want to see all the underwater spots of the archipelago in all the different islands, you will only need to do Pinta Island after this one (which is usually not allowed).
To book this tour: Check out Rabida Island’s snorkeling spot on the company Galapatours’s website (they have mostly good reviews, but since I didn’t do any tours with them I would recommend you take your own conclusions).
20. GENOVESA ISLAND - GREAT DARWIN BAY
On Genovesa Island, one of the most visited islands on the northern cruises, the main snorkeling spot is called Prince Philip’s Steps, named after Queen Elizabeth II’s husband Prince Philip who visited the islands on two different occasions.
Prince Philip’s Steps’ usual visit apart from snorkeling also includes a hiking trip inland and some kayaking. Regarding the snorkeling part, this is a protected partly opened, and flooded caldera whose seabed is filled with corals and seaweed and is often a place where hammerhead sharks and manta rays choose to pass through. Even if you don’t find these highlights this place is always full of many different beautiful tropical fish.
To book this tour: Check out the Prince Philip’s Steps snorkeling spot on the company Galapatours’s website (they have mostly good reviews, but since I didn’t do any tours with them I would recommend you take your own conclusions).
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ALL THE ARTICLES ABOUT THE GALAPAGOS
San Cristobal Island – The easternmost island of the Galapagos, the “Isla Bonita”
Santa Cruz Island – The island with the best tourism infrastructure.
Isabela Island – The most adventurous and less explored island of the main three.
