7 Awesome Tours in San Cristobal, Galapagos
Land-Based Guide
- Last Updated: September 22, 2024
San Cristobal Island is one of the three main islands of the Galapagos you can explore and therefore I’ve listed here the 7 best tours in San Cristobal you can do in order to take the most of your time here. Snorkeling and scuba diving tours are not part of this list, if you are interested in those specific tours check my full dedicated articles on them here.
It has adventures for all tastes, here you can see all the most famous endemic animals of the Galapagos, explore the island on land and on water, learn about its history and people and also its coffee-making tradition, and if you’ve enough time it’s also possible to explore some of the other islands nearby.
Most of the tours I’ve done them myself and I’ve written detailed articles about them, which I will link together.
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The Best Tours in San Cristobal
General Info
San Cristobal, like all the other islands, is part of the Galapagos National Park, and therefore it has a number of things you should know:
- Most of the activities have to be done on a tour with a Naturalist guide.
- All the agencies have the same prices (although you can barter if you book more than one tour).
- Most beaches have opening and closing times (turtle nesting reasons).
- You should book your tour at least one day in advance (or you might risk not having a place on the best ones).
- Bring Seasickness Medication for the tours on the water.
- Always use strong sunscreen (Sun in the Equator line burns more).
- Have mosquito repellant with you, especially at sunset. There are horseflies in the Galapagos.
- You can’t fly a drone here unless you have a special permit from the National Park.
- You can’t rent a motorcycle or a car, everything has to be done by taxi, bus, boat, bicycle, or on foot.
- You can’t and shouldn’t touch the animals on the island.
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The Best Tours in San Cristobal
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1. Highlands Tour - Half Day
The Highlands Tour (or Tour de la Parte Alta in Spanish) is the best of the tours in San Cristobal you can do if you want to explore its interior. You will literally cross the entire island and visit the Laguna El Junco, which is a volcanic crater lake, the Tortoise Reserve “La Galapaguera” and to conclude swim on the beautiful Puerto Chino beach.
View the full blog post here: HIGHLANDS TOUR IN SAN CRISTOBAL
2. 360 Tour - Full Day
This is without a doubt the most famous tour on the island. If you are an adventurous soul and you like the water this is the tour for you. Here you will go on a boat ride around the entire island – hence the 360 name. The 360 and the Highlands Tour are for me the two best tours in San Cristobal.
The highlights are Bahia Rosa Blanca beach (on the photo underneath), a huge and gorgeous white sandy beach with turquoise water, snorkeling in Kicker Rock, birdwatching at Punta Pitt, inland exploration, and many other stops.
View the full blog post here: 360 TOUR IN SAN CRISTOBAL
Also, if you’re interested in beaches: BEST 5 BEACHES IN SAN CRISTOBAL
Book your tour: Full Day Tour 360 San Cristobal – Best of the Island (great reviews)
3. Opuntias Garden Tour - Half Day
This is a garden of giant cacti, deep in the highlands of San Cristobal island. On this tour, you can see many other types of fauna and flora endemic to the Galápagos and on the last stop you end up swimming at the beach.
I found this tour operator “Agencia Turística Huellas de Darwin” that comes here on a mountain bike tour, with a naturalist guide and it even includes a lunch box. This is one of the few tours I, unfortunately, didn’t have time to do but noted on my map. If you do the tour with them I’d love to hear some feedback from you down in the comments, thanks!
To book this tour contact them at:
4. Kayak Tour - Half Day
If you like water sports and adventure you might like this tour. It’s a 5-6 hours tour on the water. This tour is provided by the same company that does the Opuntias Garden tour “Agencia Turística Huellas de Darwin”. If you do the tour with them I’d love to hear some feedback from you down in the comments, thanks!
To book this tour contact them at:
5. Coffee Tour - Half Day
This is probably one of the coolest and tastier tours in San Cristobal. The name of the coffee farm is Cafetal El Trinar. It’s not advertised anywhere and it’s a big surprise for many people.
Yes, there is coffee produced solely in San Cristobal, and it’s an amazing Arábica coffee. Once I drank my first coffee on this island, I was mind blown, and I’m a specialty coffee fan.
To book this tour contact them at:
6. Española Island - Full Day
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.
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.
View the full blog post here: ESPAÑOLA ISLAND | FULL DAY TOUR
To book this tour: Check the local company Wreck Bay’s website, or book it online on Viator with any of the tours underneath:
7. Lobos Island - Half Day
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
Other Things You Might Like in
San Cristobal, Galapagos
Best Tours in San Cristobal
Where to Stay
San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos has a range of accommodation options to choose from, and we’ve narrowed down the top three choices for you.
If you’re seeking a luxurious and modern lodging experience, Hotel Indigo in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno is the perfect option for you. For a private and romantic getaway, Villa Bonita Guest House offers a charming villa with a private pool and all modern amenities. And for budget-conscious travelers, Cactus Hostal is a great choice with its colorful rooms, socializing areas, and convenient services.
To learn more about these options and other accommodation choices, check out the full article:
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.
2 thoughts on “7 Awesome Tours in San Cristobal, Galapagos”
Hi, great information to prepare my trip! Can you send me the map of San Cristobal that is at the top of the page ? the quality is not good enough when I download for this page.
Thanks a lot!
Hey Estelle, thank you for the kind words. You can find it here: Map of San Cristobal
Have fun, João