Nymphs Lagoon
In Santa Cruz, Galapagos
- Last Updated: December 9, 2024
The Nymphs Lagoon in Santa Cruz is a beautiful lagoon full of mangroves that you can visit just a short walk from Puerto Ayora’s city center and is a great stop on your way to Tortuga Bay beach.
You don’t have to pay for the entrance and is great for a family escape or romantic picnic.
Get access to my curated list of all the best viewpoints, hiking trails, secret waterfalls, diving spots, wildlife tours, accommodations, and more, that will make your trip to Ecuador and The Galapagos unforgettable.
All of this, in an interactive guide featuring a mobile-friendly map, pre-designed itineraries, all my favorite photos, and helpful travel tips to guide your journey in this amazing unexplored country.
If you want personalized advice write me in-app and we can plan it together.
Nymphs Lagoon: General Details
To reach the Nymphs Lagoon or Laguna de Las Ninfas, you can either go by taxi, bike or by foot. I advise you to go by foot as it’s almost literally in the middle of the city.
- Distance to the main pier: 450 meters
- Walking time: Around 6 minutes
- Opening hours: 7:30 h – 17:30 h
How To Get to The Nymphs Lagoon?
To get to the Nymphs Lagoon just leave the main pier/port and walk straight to Avenida Baltra. At the first crossroads (100m), turn left onto Thomas de Berlanga street and then take the first right to Moisés Brito street. Once you reach Hostal Germania, turn left, into Juan Montalvo street, walk 85m and you’re at the lagoon.
Accidents happen, and they don’t wait for the perfect moment. Whether it’s a medical emergency, a flight delay, or lost luggage, you can’t afford to be unprotected. I rely on Heymondo Travel Insurance for peace of mind, and with my exclusive link, you can get 5% off your coverage. Protect yourself and your trip today! Get your Heymondo insurance here.
What to Bring to The Nymphs Lagoon?
Clothing & Accessories:
- Tshirt: Breathable Tshirt (Tech or Merino), or a Lycra
- Jacket: Waterproof Jacket
- Shorts: Shorts
- Shoes: Hiking Shoes
- Hat: Cap
- Sunglasses
Useful Extras:
- GoPro/Camera
- First-Aid Kit
- Mosquito Repellent: The beaches on the Galapagos islands, especially at sunset, have a lot of mosquitos and usually also horseflies or “Tabanos” as they are called in Spanish and they are silent and leave you with a huge unpleasant swollen bite.
- Sunscreen +50 SPF
- Food / Snacks
- Thermos or Water-filtering Bottle
Check out my complete guide on What’s in My Backpack – From photography gear, and clothing for Hiking, Mountaineering, Scuba Diving, Rainforest, and City-Street Photography.
My Experience at The Nymphs Lagoon
As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, the best thing to do is to coordinate the Nymphs Lagoon with the Tortuga Bay beach as it stays on the way to it and it’s absolutely gorgeous.
In my case, I had just a couple of hours left after scuba diving in Gordon’s Rock and seeing dozens of hammerhead sharks. I met some friends I had previously traveled with in San Cristobal Island, Maayan and Tal both from Israel, and of we went to the lagoon.
As it was already late around 4 pm we only had time to visit the lagoon and couldn’t reach the Tortuga Bay beach that day so we just had something to eat and went exploring.
There we stood almost alone watching the beautiful nature. We saw some fish and some birds if I recall a grey heron, and that was it.
A beautiful short place to visit if you don’t have a lot of time or if you’re on your way for example to Tortuga Bay beach.
What about you, have you already been to the Nymphs Lagoon in Santa Cruz? Leave me a comment down here if you did and after you’ve been, your impression.
Thanks for reading through and I hope you have fun exploring the lagoon!
2 thoughts on “Nymphs Lagoon in Santa Cruz”
Olá João
Estou a adorar o seu blog 😀
Muito detalhado e descritivo… Parece que estamos lá 😍
Gostava de ter a sua opinião sobre o seguinte assunto:
Vou estar em Puerto Ayora só duas tardes (antes e depois de liveabord) que gostava de aproveitar para ver animais ali perto 😀.
O Charles Darwin station já está incluído, não é nessas duas tardes.
Se fosse o João onde ia neste curto período de tempo?
O meu agradecimento pela sua partilha no blog 😀😀😀
Olá Susana, muito obrigado pelo feedback!
Ora então, para duas tardes sugeria Tortuga Bay passando em caminho pela Nymphs Lagoon/Laguna de Las Ninfas.
Na Tortuga Bay, mais concretamente na Playa Mansa, que é a segunda praia e onde se pode nadar, costuma ter bebés de tubarão de recife a nadar perto da areia e pelicanos.
A caminho da Playa Mansa também se podem ver muitas iguanas marinhas na areia e até a nadar numa pequena piscina que se forma entre a Playa Brava e a Playa Mansa.
Na outra tarde que tem disponível podia fazer o Highlands Tour/Tour Parte Alta onde, no final vêm mais tartarugas gigantes. Esse tour é mais para descobrir a natureza da ilha. Ou fazer o Bay Tour que vos leva a Las Grietas a fazer snorkel mas começa com uma sessão de snorkel e um breve avistamento de aves junto ao porto de Puerto Ayora. Para mais informações sobre os tours e praias está tudo aqui no blog. Espero ter ajudado boa viagem! 😀