Travel Galapagos Islands & Ecuador

Around Isla Santiago

Panoramic views and frisky penguins make this tiny island just off Sullivan Bay a common stop for boat tours. A path from a jetty (dry landing) leads up to the wind-whipped 114m summit of the island where the dramatic views make it a de rigeur spot for group photos. This trail leads through a wild and unearthly looking lava landscape; a wooden boardwalk and stairs have been built, both to aid visitors and to protect the trail from erosion.

The other visitor site is a small, sandy beach in a cove (wet landing) from where you can don your snorkel gear and swim after the speedy Galápagos penguins that frequent this cove. Marine turtles and a gaudy variety of tropical fish are also frequently seen.

The best way to photograph the penguins is by taking a panga ride close to the rocks on either side of the cove – particularly around the aptly named Pinnacle Rock, to the right of the cove from the seaward side. You can often get within a few meters of these fascinating birds – the closest point to Puerto Ayora where you can do so. Other penguin colonies are on the western side of Isabela.

From the beach, a 100m trail leads across the narrowest part of Bartolomé to another sandy beach on the opposite side of the island.

Marine turtles may nest here between January and March.

Sombrero Chino

This tiny island, a fairly recent volcanic cone, just off the southeastern tip of Santiago is less than a quarter of 1 sq km in size. Its accuracy of its descriptive name, translated as ‘Chinese Hat,’ is best appreciated from the north. There is a small sea lion cove on the north shore, where you can anchor and land at the visitor site. Opposite Sombrero Chino, on the rocky shoreline of nearby Santiago, penguins are often seen. A 400m trail goes around the cove, where there’s snorkeling and swimming opportunities, and through a sea lion colony – marine iguanas scurry everywhere.

Isla Rábida

This approximately 5-sq-km island, also known as Jervis, lies 5km south of Santiago. There is a wet landing onto a comparatively dark red beach where sea lions haul out and pelicans nest. This is one of the best places to see these birds nesting.

Behind the beach, there is a saltwater lagoon where flamingos and white-cheeked pintails are sometimes seen. This lagoon is also the site of a sea lion colony where the solteros (lone males), deposed by the dominant bull, while away their days in bachelor ignominy.

There is a 750m trail with good views of the island’s 367m volcanic peak, which is covered with palo santo trees. At the end of the trail, there is a great snorkeling spot.

Tags: Pinguins